"The Boy's King Arthur Bring Sir Thomas Malory's History of King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table" by Sidney Lanier, with Lanier's Introduction, an extract (with translation) from Brut by Layamon, and William Caxton's introduction to the Morte. Original first edition with 12 reproductions of the paintings by Alfred Kappes, published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1880. First Issue with '1880' imprinted on the title page and copyright.

Hard boards, original embossed cloth with black and gold decorations on front board and spine [cloth wear, especially corners and spine ends: see photos]; 5. 1/2" x 8. 1/4"; dark blue endpapers; "DeWitt C. Barnhart" is pencil written on the first blank page; frontispiece with tissue guard; 403 pages + 5 page Scribner's advertising + 12 monochrome plates [incl. frontis] on glossy paper, all listed plates are present; some foxing and soiling, a few page corner folds, good/ very good condition.

Charles Scribner's Sons kept the 1880 edition with Kappes' illustrations in print until 1937, as part of its "The Boy's Library of Legend and Chivalry" series, in parallel with the 1917 edition that was part of its "Scribner's Illustrated Classics" series. Grosset and Dunlap published a new edition in 1950, re-titled King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, from Sir Thomas Malory's le morte d'Arthur and with illustrations by Florian Kramer.

"This rousing collection of tales offers readers an adventure-packed introduction to the legendary King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Retold by the famous American poet and writer Sidney Lanier, the stories are adapted from Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur, written in the15th century. The tales are told in the style and language of the original. Readers will thrill to the glorious adventures of Arthur and his knights: the mysterious birth of Arthur, how Arthur pulled the sword from the stone to become King of England, Sir Percival's search for the Holy Grail, the tragic romance of Tristram and Isolde, Launcelot's gallant battle to save Queen Guenevere from a death sentence, and Arthur's final struggle with the evil Sir Mordred. These stories capture the age-old drama and romance surrounding the fabled king and his followers, all sworn to uphold lofty ideals of courage, honesty, loyalty, and devotion. This inexpensive volume invites a new generation of readers to enjoy these time-honored tales of gallant knights and fair ladies."

Professor of English Dennis Prindle suggested that "The Boy's King Arthur" may have been John Steinbeck's first encounter with Arthurian legend. While it is generally acknowledged that Mark Twain's introduction to Malory's Morte came in 1884, as noted in Twain's biography by Albert Bigelow Paine, Alan Gribben notes that the Clemens family had bought two copies of Lanier's book on 1880-11-18 and 1880-12-13, and that Twain may have read those, given his habit of reading his daughter's books aloud to his family, and have first encountered Arthurian characters there. Professor of English Betsy Bowden has taken the argument further, suggesting that in fact the change in tone partway through Twain's Connecticut Yankee is caused by his switching from The Boy's King Arthur to the Morte proper. However, this hypothesis founders on the fact that Twain is recorded a decade before as already having a jaundiced view of the Middle Ages.

US: Priority (c 2-4 days) ----------- $16.50
Canada: Priority (c 2-6 weeks) -- $32.50
World: Priority (c 2-8 weeks) --- $44.50