DE PROFUNDIS (First edition - third printing)

Oscar Wilde

Verlag: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 36 Essex Street, Strand, London, 1905

A third printing of the true first trade edition of 'De Profundis', published in March 1905, just a month after the first printing was published. There was also a limited edition of 200 large paper copies printed on handmade paper. Complete with the forty-page catalogue of books published by Methuen and Co., at the back of the book, dated March 1905. ***Very good in blue cloth-covered boards, with gilt titles to the spine and gilt titles and design to the front board. Boards clean and unmarked. The gilt is still bright. Corners sharp. No bumps or tears - just some light wear at the top and tail of the spine and edges of the spine. The fore-edge and lower edge of the page block is untrimmed i.e. rough-cut. Internally the book is also very good, with no inscriptions or annotations. There is some light foxing to the preliminary pages, but no other marks, creases or tears. There is a small pinhole to the front free endpaper near the spine, which carries through to the first couple of pages, but is not very noticeable. No dustwrapper. ***151 pages plus the forty-page publisher's catalogue at the back of the book 200mm x 140mm. ***'De Profundis (Latin: "from the depths") is a letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol, to "Bosie" (Lord Alfred Douglas). In its first half, Wilde recounts their previous relationship and extravagant lifestyle which eventually led to Wilde's conviction and imprisonment for gross indecency. He indicts both Lord Alfred's vanity and his own weakness in acceding to those wishes. In the second half, Wilde charts his spiritual development in prison and identification with Jesus Christ, whom he characterises as a romantic, individualist artist. The letter began "Dear Bosie" and ended "Your Affectionate Friend". ***Wilde wrote the letter between January and March 1897, close to the end of his imprisonment. Contact had lapsed between Douglas and Wilde and the latter had suffered from his close supervision, physical labour, and emotional isolation. Nelson, the new prison governor, thought that writing might be more cathartic than prison labour. He was not allowed to send the long letter which he was allowed to write "for medicinal purposes"; each page was taken away when completed, and only at the end could he read it over and make revisions. Nelson gave the long letter to him on his release on 18 May 1897. ***Wilde entrusted the manuscript to the journalist Robert Ross (another former lover, loyal friend, and rival to "Bosie"). Ross published the letter in 1905, five years after Wilde's death, giving it the title "De Profundis" from Psalm 130. It was an incomplete version, excised of its autobiographical elements and references to the Queensberry family; various editions gave more text until in 1962 the complete and correct version appeared in a volume of Wilde's letters.' (Wiki) ***An early third printing of "De Profundis", published just a month after the first printing, and in exactly the same format, in very good original condition. Early printings in collectable condition are quite scarce now. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 8490

Bibliografische Details

Titel: DE PROFUNDIS (First edition - third printing)
Verlag: Methuen & Co. Ltd., 36 Essex Street, Strand, London
Erscheinungsdatum: 1905
Einband: Hardcover
Zustand: Very Good
Zustand des Schutzumschlags: No Jacket, as Issued
Auflage: First Edition