Of Gardens

The Swan Press, London, 1928. Limited edition of 100, this is no 21. Book condition: good. Corners a little bumped, some light indentations & chipping to the board edges. Rear board has some scuff marks which have taken off some small areas of the upper surface of the green paper covers. Cream cloth cover to spine lightly soiled. Cream title label to spine printed in black. Internally the book is very clean with a little light tanning to endpapers. Text printed in Caslon Old Black on hand-made paper. A finely wrought book appropriate to the presentation of Bacon's delightful essay Of Gardens (1625). The essay begins with the well known sentence: 'G0D Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man...' Bacon concludes '...it is nothing for great princes, that for the most part taking advice with workmen, with no less cost set their things together; and sometimes add statuas and such things for state and magnificence, but nothing to the true pleasure of a garden.'