Comus, A Mask by John Milton, Essex House Press, 1901. DESCRIPTION: Limited edition, No. 18 of 150 copies. Printed on vellum pages. Hand-colored woodblock frontispiece by Reginald Savage with his name in manuscript in the colophon. Large illuminated gold initial on page 1, then hand-illuminated initial letters in orange throughout the long poem, all by Florence Kingsford Cockerell, one of the leading book illuminators of the English Arts & Crafts movement. Hand-colored drawing in the colophon. The text is printed in blue and black in Caslon type. The original stiff vellum binding has been replaced with a red quarter morocco and cloth binding with leather label and gilt titling. The rear vellum endplate (blank page) has been replaced with eight sheets of handmade paper. CONDITION: Binding is in near fine condition with a few tiny scuffs on the grey leather label on the book spine. The interior contents are in fine condition. The vellum pages are clean throughout without the foxing or toning one would expect to see on 123- year old vellum pages. DESCRIPTION: The Essex House Press was founded by C. Ashbee and it sought to become the continuation of William Morris’ Kelmscott Press following his death. This edition is number eight in the Essex House’Great Poems’ Series of 14 small editions. Sale is restricted to the U. Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia/New Zealand.
