was published in Encounter in September 1955. Unconditional Surrender is inscribed: “For Nancy with love from Evelyn. I hope it may raise a smile here and there. October 1961”. After reading it Mitford wrote to Waugh elatedly: “Evelyn your book! Surely one of your very best, oh how I love it. I’ve blinded myself for a week by reading for far too long but how could I stop? I wish you could have heard my screams when the Serge appeared at your father’s funeral. (Colonel always says but will the general public... ? But in fact the general public does)”. Writing again two days later, she declared: “I’ve finished it. I didn’t think you brought out the amusingness of the buzz bombs . . . I’ve never despised the English bourgoisie so much as during the air raids – they were lamentable – they used to come into the shop, buy large armfuls of books & bugger”. in response Waugh noted that he “made Box Bender and Elderbury bugger – if by that term you mean decamp . . . especial love to your poor eyes. Have you no one to read to you? In England everyone would. The French are such selfish hogs” (October 1961). The two corresponded prolifically for more than 30 years, right up to Waugh’s death in 1966. Mitford dedicated her novel The Blessing (1951) to him. Although Mitford “corresponded with other literary figures, such as Raymond Mortimer and Heywood Hill . . . none inspired her to the same heights of sustained levity and wit as Evelyn” (Mosley, p. xv). 3 volumes, octavo. Original blue cloth, spines lettered in gilt, top edges blue. Housed in a dark blue leather entry slipcase by the Chelsea Bindery. A very good set, a few minor bumps to edges, couple of spots to Men at Arms fore edge, contents clean, in the mildly toned dust jackets, lightly rubbed, chipped at spine ends, but bright. ¶ Michael Davie, ed., The Diaries of Evelyn Waugh , 1976; Charlotte Mosley, ed., The Letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh , 1996; Laura Thompson, Life in a Cold Climate: Nancy Mitford, Portrait of a Contradictory Woman , 2003. £37,500 [158938]
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167 WAUGH, Evelyn. [ The Sword of Honour trilogy:] Men at Arms; Officers and Gentlemen; Unconditional Surrender. London: Chapman and Hall, 1952–55–61 “i’ve blinded myself for a week by reading for far too long but how could i stop?” First editions, presentation copies, each volume inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to Nancy Mitford and with Mitford’s bookplate. Complete sets inscribed to the same recipient are rare, especially with such a superb association as this, “one of the great literary friendships of the twentieth century” (Thompson, p. 272). Men at Arms is inscribed: “Well here it is, darling. Laugh if you can where you can. Evelyn. Sept. 2nd 1952”. While writing the novel, Waugh kept Mitford updated on his progress in their correspondence: “I am scribbling away hard at my maximum opus. I think it is frightfully funny. A bad sign” (19 September 1951); “I have finished that novel – slogging, inelegant, boring – and what little point it has will only be revealed in the 4th volume at least four years hence. Still there were some dunderheads who didn’t like Helena. Perhaps they might like it” (8 January 1952); and, shortly before publication, “I have re-read my forthcoming book – awfully bad. But as I have remarked before there is no competition” (31 July 1952). In response, Mitford wrote: “I long for Men at Arms you have whetted my appetite with all this
girlish indifference” (20 August 1952). Mitford was on holiday when her copy arrived from Waugh; on receipt she wrote: “I’ve just returned from Venice to find nearly 3 weeks post . . . and Men at Arms for which thank you so much. I don’t dare to begin it until I’ve done all these duties or I know it will engulf me for a day. In Venice the one copy was being torn from hand to hand – aren’t booksellers idiots really not to cash in on holiday places more”. Two days later she wrote in delight: “Goodness it’s good. Apart from the shrieks (loudest of all when Corporal Hill shot himself) the things I thought génial were the relationship of the father with the other people in the hotel & the way in which you take yourself off in the act of administering snubs. I love de Souza, & of course the Brigadier. Neither the wife nor the sister seem real to me but I can’t say why. You see women through a glass darkly don’t you”. Officers and Gentlemen , for which Mitford assisted Waugh with phrases of French dialogue, is inscribed: “Darling Nancy, Not at all your kind of book I am afraid. Try it on O&G Col. [Mitford’s lover, Colonel Gaston Palewski]. Anyway here it is with deep love and loyalty. Evelyn. I don’t know anyone who rates [Stephen] Spender’s papa. Do send me a copy of your essay on Lords”. Upon receiving it, Mitford wrote to Waugh: “Darling Evelyn, Howstupidyouare why not my sort of book? Of course the moment it arrived I downed tools & read & read all day” (14 July 1955). Waugh’s inscription alludes to the forthcoming publication of Mitford’s famous essay “The English Aristocracy”, which sparked the “U” and “Non-U” controversy. Commissioned by Stephen Spender, it
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168 WILDE, Oscar. The Importance of Being Earnest. London: Leonard Smithers and Co, 1899 First edition, signed limited issue, number 19 of 100 large paper copies signed by the author. Wilde’s last and greatest play opened to huge acclaim on Valentine’s Day 1895 but was withdrawn after Wilde’s failed libel suit against Lord Queensbury led to his arrest. The subsequent “utter
social destruction of Wilde” ( ODNB ) meant that the play was not published in book form until February 1899, after Wilde’s release from prison. Richard Ellmann comments that Smithers’s handsome editions of Earnest and An Ideal Husband “brought Wilde a little money”. The play was issued in a standard edition of 1,000 copies, this large paper edition, and 12 copies on Japanese vellum, most of which the author presented to his few loyal friends.
Square octavo. Original pale purple cloth, gilt lettered spine, gilt floral motifs from designs by Charles Shannon on spine and covers, edges untrimmed. Housed in a purple quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Cloth faded at spine and inner edge of front board, free endpapers browned as usual from reaction to pastedowns, small patch of browning to pp. 40–41, otherwise fresh and clean internally, with one unopened top edge. ¶ Mason 382. £40,000 [142975]
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DECEMBER 2022
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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