Author: Kingsley, Charles
Title: The Saint's Tragedy; or, the True Story of Elizabeth of Hungary, Landgravine of Thuringia, Saint of the Romish Calendar
Description: London, John W. Parker, 1848. 1st edition. Hardcover. pp. xxiii, 271.12mo. Nicely-bound in three-quarter leather over marbled boards. This copy was custom bound for the noted British bibliophile, Francis Frederick Fox, in handsome 3/4 polished calf over marbled boards, with the top edge gilt, and the endpapers marbled. On the spine are three coloured leather labels, the first (top) of which states 'Kingsley's Works', the second (middle) stating the title, and the third (bottom) stating the year of publication. The armorial bookplate of Francis Frederick Fox is tipped-in just before the half title page. The binding is signed (i.e. attributed to) 'William George, Bristol', being the binder, publisher and bookseller more commonly encountered as 'William George's Sons'. The boards show some rubbing to the extremities. The front hinge is a trifle tender, but otherwise the binding is tight. Very light marginal age-toning. Overall, a handsome copy of the first edition in good plus condition. With a Preface by the Reverend F. D. Maurice and an Introduction by the Author. A drama, being Kingsley's first published book, written when he was Rector of Eversley, and preceding his first novel, 'The Yeast' (serialized in 1848, and first published in book form in 1850; see Oxford Comp. to English Lit, p. 535). 'The Saint's Tragedy' was started in 1842 when Kingsley was just 23. In the ensuing years, he changed the format from a prose biography to a poetical drama. .

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