A New Library of Poetry and Song: Memorial Edition - Revised and Enlarged, with a Biographical Memoir of Bryant

This is a handsome, full-leather bound set of "A New Library of Poetry and Song" edited by William Cullen Bryant. 1883; Fords, Howard & Hulbert; New York. Nicely bound in full-leather with gilt lettering and decorations on the covers and spines, five raised bands on the spines, and gilt page edges on all sides of the text block. Complete set in two volumes. "Being Choice Selections from the Best Poets, English, Scottish, Irish, and American; Including Translations from the German, Spanish, Ferench, Portuguese, Persian, Latin, Greek, &c. With an Introductory Treatise by the Editor on the 'Poets and Poetry of the English Language.' Memorial Edition: Revised, and Enlarged by the Addition of Many Poems and a Multitude of Fragmentary Passages under the Respective Divisions. Together with Indexes of Authors and their Porms; of Titles; of First Lines; and of Famous Lines and Phrases, rendering the Work a Completely Classified Dictionary of Poetry and Poetical Quotations. Including also a Biographical Memoir of Bryant by James Grant Wilson. The set is beautifully illustrated "with steel portraits, full-page engravings of homes of American poets, etc; Symbolic titles of divisions, in silhouette, and autographic facsimiles of the handwriting of celebrated poets." Poets include EDGAR ALLAN POE, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Burns, John Milton, Alfred Tennyson, Geoffrey Chaucer, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, John Greenleaf Whittier, and many more. Poems include A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS, THE RAVEN, Battle Hymn of the Republic, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, The Star-Spangled Banner, and many more. Over-sized, hefty set - the volumes measure 11 1/4" tall x 8 1/2" wide x 1 3/4" thick. Condition: There are a few small, light stains on the covers. Some scuffing/peeling to the leather on the spine and cover corners; wear to the cover corners. Bright gilt on the covers and spines; bright gilt on all sides of the text blocks. Both volumes are tightly bound with no cracks and no loose pages. Both volumes have very nice interiors - the pages are mostly clean with only an occasional random smudge and stain found. Overall the set is in Very Good condition.