The Book of Thel

1885. Edmonton: William Muir, 1885.

4to, 8 plates with tissue guards. Original blue wrappers. In a green cloth chemise and slipcase. A fine copy as issued.

§ The Muir facsimile (based on copy D in the British Museum) and limited to fewer than 50 copies (some say 32); this copy is inscribed "Academy". The plates are delicately colored and the text is printed in golden-brown. Bentley, Blake Books, 249b. Loosely inserted is a touching ALS from Muir (perhaps to the editor of The Times) stating that "copies of my Blake reproductions will be sent to you as soon as I can get a set completed and I hope they will please your critic as they (truncated) take a long time to do." Essick notes three versions of the ca. 1885 edition, one entirely executed by hand, this version with the correction of 'sprin' to 'springs' on leaf 5 line 7 and with the two final plates numbered 7 and 8, and a third version with the final two leaves (correctly) numbered 5 and 6 as in Blake's original. (Inventory #: 122889)