Intentions. The Decay of Lying, Pen Pencil and Poison, The Critic as Artist, The Truth of Masks. London: Osgood, McIlvaine and Company, 1891. First Edition. Pp, 258. Publisher’s olive green cloth, title lettered in gilt on upper cover & spine; light dust soiling & staining to covers, contents in very good condition. Ex Libris ‘Mary Pinkerton Carlisle.’ Housed in quarter morocco slipcase. [Mason 341].

PRESENTATION COPY, INSCRIBED BY WILDE on front free endpaper:

‘With the Compliments of the Author.’

The recipient’s name heavily deleted in ink (the name of the recipient of this copy has been obliterated by dense scoring, possibly by a descendant or relative who desired to conceal the connection after Wilde’s trial and conviction).

Intentions collects five essays by Wilde that had previously been published in periodicals, and then extensively re-worked by Wilde for publication in volume form. 1,500 sets of first edition sheets were printed, of which 900 were issued in England and 600 were issued in the United States under Dodd, Mead and Co.’s imprint with a cancelled title.