VERLAINE (Paul).

VERLAINE (Paul).

Romances sans paroles. Ariettes oubliées - Paysages belges - Birds in the night - Aquarelles. Sens, typography of Maurice L'Hermitte, 1874. In-12 soft green morocco, spine ribbed and decorated with gilt triple filleted boxes, gilt title, date at tail, beautiful framing of multiple gilt fillets, some intertwining in squares at corners, double gilt fillet on edges, soft green morocco linings with beautiful framing of multiple fillets crossing and forming motifs, grey-green moire endpapers, covers preserved, in wide-edged slipcase (Ch. de Samblanx 1921). First edition, printed in Sens during Paul Verlaine's imprisonment at Mons, at an author's expense in an edition of 300 copies; it was not put on the market and was not a success. The dedication to Rimbaud was removed from the corrected proofs to avoid any scandal. A second-issue copy, recognizable by its cover bearing a label printed with the name and address of the publisher Léon Vanier, who, some ten years later, brought back into circulation some fifty copies left on the hands of the fallen poet. Ex-libris J. EXBRAYAT (with the motto ""Liber libertas""). Spine and edges of slipcase sunned, otherwise a very fine copy. (Vicaire VII, 991.)