Yeats, W.B.

8vo (190 x 130mm.), FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR TO JOHN MASEFIELD ("John Masefield | from WB Yeats | Dec 1912") on front free endpaper WITH ADDITIONAL NOTE BY YEATS ABOUT THE BINDING ("This cover was a great effort on | the part [of] my publisher. He describes | it as the kind of cover I | prefer! | WBY") on front fixed end-paper, correction on page 54 ("from" corrected to "for", possibly in the hand of Constance Masefield), original tan boards with ornamental design in green on upper cover, collector's chemise and morocco-backed slipcase, foot of spine very slightly bumped, some minor wear to chemise

John Masefield, inscription and posthumous book-label; Simon Nowell-Smith, book-label; Judith Adams Nowell-Smith, book-label; Bertram Rota, catalogue 300, Poetry. The Simon Nowell-Smith Collection, 2002, item 821; J.O. Edwards, book-label

Wade 101

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The volume is an expanded edition of the Cuala Press edition (1910) with the addition of six poems.

John Masefield (1878-1967) first read work by Yeats in 1899. Late the following year he approached the Irish poet and became a regular figure at Yeats's Monday evening gatherings. Yeats was an early supporter of Masefield and was one of the first to identify how popular Masefield would become: he noted "you'll be a popular poet – you'll be riding in your carriage and pass me in the gutter". When Masefield was appointed Poet Laureate in 1930 he wrote to Jack B. Yeats about his brother: "I feel that he ought to have had the laurels, and none would have rejoiced more than I".

In December 1967 Blackwell's announced that they had acquired Masefield's library for sale. Many books from the library were sold through a number of catalogues from the period, however, some highly desirable material was sold so quickly that it was not included in a published catalogue. The present volume is one such example. The book-label is Blackwell's addition, rather than Masefield's.