CHRISTMAS WITH THE POETS: A Collection of Songs, Carols, and Descriptive Verses Relating to the Festival of Christmas, from the Anglo-Norman Period to the Present Time

An early edition in pleasing binding. With 53 lovely colour-tinted illustrations designed and drawn on wood by Birket Foster and engraved by Henry Vizetelly. Many of the cuts within elaborate gilt frames, each page printed within a gilt boarder, large gilt initials and other decorations all throughout. 4to, in the publisher's deluxe binding of bright red full morocco, the boards with elaborate decorative panels in gilt, the spine gilt decorated in similar panel design and with festive gilt lettering, board edges beveled, marbled endpapers, a.e.g. x, 202 pp. A very attractive copy, generally the text is very clean and fresh, with some occasional light spotting, more to the prelims as would be expected, the block solid, the festive red binding sturdy with firm hinges, the scarlet morocco spine panel a bit darker than the covers, the giltwork still very vivid and bright, a little minor rubbing to the edges and shoulders.

Edizione: a beautiful collection of christmas poems and lyrics. arranged by periods of english history, it includes the religious hymns one would expect, but also more lighthearted fair such as carols in praise of ale, mistletoe, and wassailing. birket foster steals the limelight here though, his wonderful tinted engravings make this a holiday gem truly worth treasuring.