Romance and Legend of Chivalry.
London: The Gresham Publishing Company, [c. 1913]. With illustrations in colour and monochrome from drawings and famous paintings. First edition, first printing. Publisher's green cloth, illustratively stamped in gilt and black, teg. Octavo. xii, 439. 8.5" x 5.5" Gently rubbed corners and edges, moderately foxed text block edges, else near fine. Overall a sturdy and brightly gilt copy. Item #237229
SCHOOLTEACHER TURNED MYTH ANALYST
Thinkers began applying comparative studies to mythology in the late nineteenth century, producing the science of myth, which greatly influenced the publication of Gresham's expansive series, Myth and Legend in Literature and Art. Three Scottish authors tackled a variety of global mythologies in the eight volume set. Moncrieff wrote on Romance tales of chivalry, particularly ones with French origins, in this volume.
Moncrieff (1846–1927) began his educational career as a teacher who claimed he only took up the profession to study boys and write better books about them. Widely traveled, he began translating and wrote many of the Blacks' Guides for Tourists, producing the global learnedness and language mastery that allowed him to collect and analyze the myths in this volume.
Price: $325.00