The Rape of the Lock. An Heroi-Comical Poem in Five Cantos. Written by Alexander Pope, Embroidered with Nine Drawings by Aubrey Beardsley. London: Leonard Smithers, 1896. First Edition. Pp xiii, 47. Publisher’s blue cloth, gilt blocked beveled boards, with Beardsley design, gilt lettered spine, slight rubbing to gilt & scattered foxing to some pages, but overall a nice bright copy.

Presentation copy, Inscribed by the Publisher in the year of Publication on the front free endpaper.

“It was at the suggestion of Edmund Gosse that Beardsley undertook to illustrate this poem. But he seldom illustrated anything literally: rather he made graphic comments on the text, which explains the use of the word ’embroidered’ on the title page.” Brian Reade.