Books

First edition thus: illustrated by Kent and translated by Van Wyck. THE DELUXE EDITION. Number 28 of only 75 copies SIGNED BY KENT at the end of the second volume and with an extra suite of FIVE SEPARATE 5-PANEL PLATES, EACH ONE SIGNED BY KENT. Two folio-sized full-leather volumes housed together in the publisher's slipcase with three separate compartments - one for each volume and the center one for the 40 x 15.5" plates which are folded into a cloth-covered chemise. The modernized text, "rendered completely and without deletions into modern verse" by Van Wyck, is printed side-by-side with Chaucer's original. Near fine with spines sympathetically re-backed in complementary leather. In a very good, solid slipcase with dividers and chemise still present. The chemise, which is stored in the center compartment and houses the extra suite of signed prints is more flimsy than one might expect allowing them to sag just a bit though they are otherwise nearly fine. Includes the original prospectus. Exceedingly scarce, especially so with the suite of prints intact.

The Canterbury Tales is a collection of 24 stories that runs to over 17,000 lines written in Middle English by Geoffrey Chaucer between 1387 and 1400.