Fiction

The True-born English-man: A Satyr – Daniel Defoe – 1716

A rare item by Daniel Defoe. The scarce “enlarged” edition printed and sold by James Roberts in 1716.

Small pocket sized 12mo, 12, 26 pages, bound in contemporary calf backed boards, some age and wear but solid and rare in this original state.

First edition thus. After the accession of Hanover Defoe added a new passage of 49 lines satirizing the English temper. It was hastily published and contains a number of hasty error which ironically confirm its pedigree

A True-born English-man, satirical poem of length about xenophobia … a few could learn from it today. Dutch born William of Orange has become King of England, and there was much tittle tattle about his lack of Englishness. Defoe, forever a wit, wrote this is support of old William of O, ridiculing the notion of English racial purity. Well the evidence is there.

Defoe … much quoted from his opening rant

“that het’rogeneous thing, an Englishman:
In eager rapes, and furious lust begot
Betwixt a painted Britain and a Scot
Whose gend’ring off-spring quickly learn’d to bow,
And yoke their heifers to the Roman plough:
From whence a mongrel half-bred race there came,
With neither name, nor nation, speech nor fame.
In whose hot veins new mixtures quickly ran,
Infused betwixt a Saxon and a Dane
While their rank daughters, to their parents just,
Receiv’d all nations with promiscuous lust.
This nauseous brood directly did contain
The well-extracted blood of Englishmen.”

Daniel Defoe and his True-born a delicious antiquarian rarity

$340.00

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Australian Private Press: The Dying Stockman – A Ballad … with Notes by Hugh Anderson and Lino Cuts by Ronald Edwards – No 1 of The Black Bull Chapbooks from The Ram’s Skull Press – Signed Limited No 50 of 75.

This is quite a story. Ron Edwards would eventually be given an OAM for his lifetime of work preserving Australian bush heritage. The Rams Skull Press still exists and is run by Ron’s son out of the Brisbane Valley. Ron himself moved from Ferntree, Victoria to equally beautiful Kuranda behind Cairns before he packed his bags.

This first of firsts printed in hand set Baskerville on Tudor Antique paper by R.G. Edwards at the sign of the Rams Skull Press … Lording Street, Lower Ferntree Fully, Victoria … limitation .. February, 1954.

Comprising music score, illustrated with woodcuts, hand sewn with leather ties, preserved inside original goatskin covers. A few insect nibbles to goatskin, otherwise all in excellent condition.

The verses are The Dying Stockman; Rosin the Beau; The Tarpaulin Jack and The Dying Digger … a bit of dying but they seemed to have had a good life and needed few possessions.

Scarce wondrous Australian bush verses printed on a flat bed everything by hand – dressed in goat skin.

$190.00

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Norfolk Island [Historical Verse] – Merval Connelly – First edition 1951

A first edition published by the quality Pegasus Press, Christchurch in 1951.

This continues a theme at Voyager … historical poetry of quality.

Octavo, 45 pages, illustrated with beautiful woodcut engravings by Gordan McAuslan. Good complete dust jacket. Very good condition.

Set out in two distinct parts …

Part I .. Captain Cook discovers the island; These sailed not for pleasure nor knowledge; First convict settlement; The years between; Second convict settlement; The second penal settlement closes; The coming of the Pitcairners.

Part II … Norfolk pines; In the valleys; Seascape; Cypresses and Banyan trees; Island nocturne; One wonders about the women; The legend of Bloody Bridge; Poem written at Kingston.

When we finished reading this book of poetry we were left with a better understanding of this unique place and its history and beauty.

Norfolk Island in verse – a delightful history.

$40.00

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Norman Lindsay – Redheap – ABC Script to the 1972 Production – part of a theme “Norman Lindsay Theatre” broadcast in that year.

A distinguished cast was assembled including Kate Fitzpatrick as Hetty, Peter Flett as Robert Piper, John Waters, June Salter etc many who went on to have long television careers and also Pamela Stephenson (now Lady Pamela) as the raunchy Millie Kneebone.

Typescript foolscap – 138 pages, normal wear through use but in perfectly acceptable condition for its type. The odd note and doodle on the back of some pages …. Waiting in television can be a drain.

Adapted from Norman Lindsay’s famous novel Redheap. Famous for being banned in Australia – published in 1930 by Faber in London it was not allowed in Australia until 1958! A bit naughty seemingly but more so because Readheap is really the town of Creswick and the characters were well real people displaying their real lives and inhibitions. Seemingly, Norman used his bothers diaries for research – the family could well have been involved in the ban.

The “rehearsal script” here for sale makes for a good read with all the extra colour that is added from the flat novel. Front page described as EP 2 but content flips back and forward with scenes from episodes 1,2 and 3 maybe predominantly 2 – not sure. Makes for a lively reading with accidental flash back and forward – if you understand that process.

A most interesting and scarce piece of Lindsay ephemera that you are likely to come across.

Readheap – not for the town of Creswick – Lindsay at his most provocative.

$390.00

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Alvin Lustig Dust Jacket design for New Directions – 50 Postcard style Illustrations.

Voyager hero and favourite graphic designer Alvin Lustig got into bed with super New York publisher of high end literature, New Directions, to design unique dust jacket art for the likes of Tennessee William, Dylan Thomas, Ezra Pound etc.

This boxed set of fifty postcards is a retrospective of that work comprising some of the more unusual designs. Unfortunately the books are getting out of reach for all but the devoted cashed up collector. So why not get this selection as an introduction or reminder of this man’s talent.

Would make a super gift – and get over the – we don’t use postcards any more – they are a memento of normal life as it once was before the whole world spent their whole waking moments tapping away with two fingers on a iphone … uuhhggh.

Lustig beautifully presented and maybe a challenge for some.

$35.00

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Jack Maggs – Peter Carey – First edition

A first edition published by the University of Queensland Press in 1997. Large octavo, 392 pages, a little evenly toned we think, otherwise unblemished in a super dust jacket.

Carey’s Jack Maggs is straight out of Dickens and the characters and homage are clear to the end. Much admired for that literary daring.

Jack Maggs returns to London from Australia in 1837. He needs to be careful as his departure from London had not been at his own pleasure. He has a clear and honourable objective … but its not that simple.

Peter Carey in the manner of C.D. with Maggs

$35.00

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The True-born English-man: A Satyr – Daniel Defoe – 1716

Australian Private Press: The Dying Stockman – A Ballad … with Notes by Hugh Anderson and Lino Cuts by Ronald Edwards – No 1 of The Black Bull Chapbooks from The Ram’s Skull Press – Signed Limited No 50 of 75.

Norfolk Island [Historical Verse] – Merval Connelly – First edition 1951

Norman Lindsay – Redheap – ABC Script to the 1972 Production – part of a theme “Norman Lindsay Theatre” broadcast in that year.

Alvin Lustig Dust Jacket design for New Directions – 50 Postcard style Illustrations.

Jack Maggs – Peter Carey – First edition

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