A Second Series of Fleet Street Eclogues.

Pictorial title page. Second edition. 8vo., original black cloth decorated in gilt. London: John Lane; New York: Dodd Mead and Company,

The copy of the composer and Conscientious Objector Felix Harold White (1884-1945), with his large bookplate, his ownership inscription on the title page, and an ALS to him from John Davidson loosely inserted, the envelope glued in.

The letter, dated 6 Feb. 1909, a few weeks before Davidson took his own life verges on the despondent: "Being certain you won't I know, trouble with “The Last Journey” or “The Ides of March” unless you are really moved to music." Despite this opening gambit he then discusses how "The Last Journey" might actually be treated "I should omit the second stanza, as it would require a different colour of music from the rest" and goes on to describe the poem in terms which suggest he identifies with it very closely "The song is for the end of a heroic life which cannot be lived any longer, although the hero would fain live and live." He concludes with a discussion of other settings of his music by [Charles] Willeby and "a Mrs. Hart". The book is underlined in many places by White demonstrating a close reading, with the interesting note criticising Davidson's Unionist stance in "St George's Day" with the wry observation, dated May 1914 "Very dubious this, on the day following the passing of the Home Rule Bill." There are several interesting notes on "Lammas", including observations on Swinburne's influence, questioning whether a passage was John Davidson's own position, and two inserted clipppings of Davidson's verse from The Yellow Book and another source. His signature dated "Sunderland, May 1914" seems to mark the ending of a later reading. 

Binding very slightly worn, and traces of a musical manuscript on the lower endpaper.

With: The Last Ballad and Other Poems. First edition. 8vo., original black cloth gilt. London and New York: John Lane, 1899

With: Holiday and Other Poems With a Note on Poetry. First edition. 8vo., original dark blue cloth. London: E. Grant Richards, 1906. The issue with erratum slip tipped in after Contents leaf. (Some copies have the slip tipped in before p. 117, which it corrects.)

A presentation copy, inscribed by the author at the top of the title-page “Felix H. White from John Davidson”, with a warm ALS from Davidson to White thanking him for his musical setting of a poem of his "I like the sound and colour of your "Stoop of Rhenish very much". Sending this copy, Davidson says "I should like one of my eclogues set to music: Perhaps the Ides of March p. 49. And of all my songs I should like best to hear this one sung." He finishes with a pleasant note "I see from a note in the programme you enclose that your life is all before you. I hope you have great pleasure and prosperity in all you do." With two corrections to the text of "Laburnum and Lilac" by Davidson and evidence of close and repeated reading by White, with underlining, marginal emphases and scores of words of annotations. Three contemporary accounts of Davidson's death pasted to the rear endpaper, and newspaper portrait of Davidson pasted as frontispiece.

White has pasted a periodical reproduction of a photograph of Davidson by Bassano to the verso of the half-title, and three long newspaper accounts of Davidson's life and death on the rear endpapers. One is from the Daily News of 19 April 1909, and another, by William Watson, appeared in The Times of 26 April 1909. 

Stock Code: 235510