Scott, Walter; [G. K. Chesterton Association]

PEVERIL OF THE PEAK [Waverly Novels 15]

A. & C. Black, [1871]. Hardcover. G. K. Chesterton's boyhood copy with his signature d. May 29, 1888, his 14th birthday. Profusely illustrated by dozens of his pencil drawings transgressing the margins and in many instances drawn right over the text. Chesterton's early ambition was to become an artist and he notably contributed illustrations to a number of books by Hilaire Belloc and others. The drawings reflect the action packed story and are full of a teenage boisterousness. 638pp. Lacking the title page and front matter between the half-title and page 3. Quite a trounced copy--assuming it was in decent shape when it was gifted to him for his birthday, Chesterton read the book with sustained physical aggression: both joints split and shaken, rubbed, a few small tea stains, covers rubbed, pages softened and rounded, several pages chipped, multiple puncture wounds to the spine -- a thoroughly and lovingly trounced copy. Housed in a custom clamshell case bound in linen cloth with brown gilt-stamped morocco spine labels. Notably, p. 602 reads 'Dear Bentley' in the upper margin, almost certainly being Eric Clerihew Bentley, with whom GKC was then enrolled with at St. Paul's School in London. In his mature style, Chesterton had unique and remarkable handwriting. It warms the heart to imagine him as a 14 year old, self-conscious of his presentation, practicing his penmanship for the opening line to his new friend. ECB and GKC would form a deep and lifelong bond at St. Paul's, a friendship that would become richly generative for both of their literary careers. GKC dedicated one of his greatest works, *The Man Who Was Thursday* with a nostalgic poem to ECB rhapsodizing on their boyhood together. ECB returned the favor in 1913, dedicating his first book to GKC, the great detective novel, *Trent's Last Case.* Chesterton also contributed entries in ECB's eponymous 'Clerihew' form (4-line comic poem) to the 1905 collection of poetry, *Biography for Beginners*. Chesterton was the godfather of Bentley's son, Nicolas, all the more meaningful since Chesterton and his wife, Frances, were unable to have children. Chesterton would become a great advocate for Scott's reputation later in life. He devotes a chapter to him in *Twelve Types* where he defends the sense of grandeur in Scott's work that had been rejected in favor of realism. In what could easily be applied to his own body of work, he writes, 'The reason is, of course, that these men are afraid of bombast and Scott was not. A man will not reach eloquence if he is afraid of bombast, just as a man will not jump a hedge if he is afraid of a ditch.'. AS IS. Item #514910

Price: $3,000.00