Title: Idylls of the King
Publisher: London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd.
Publication Date: 1906
Binding: Hardcover
Book Condition: Near Fine
Tissue-guarded frontispiece, [8], 421 printed pages. With contemporary (1907) neat ink ownership inscription of David Colville Lusk on front free endpaper. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. 11 x 16 cm. Full blue crushed Niger moroco binding. Spine in six compartmnets with raised bands and gilt lettering. Inner gilt foliate dentelles. Although unsigned, this quality of leather binding resembles work by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, Zaehnsdorf or Bayntuns and is in near fine conditioned without blemish. Idylls of the King, published between 1859 and 1885, is a cycle of twelve narrative poems by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 1892; Poet Laureate from 1850) which retells the legend of King Arthur, his knights, his love for Guinevere and her tragic betrayal of him, and the rise and fall of Arthur's kingdom. Provenance: David Colville Lusk (1881 - 1960) was a grandson of David Colville, founder of the famous Lanarkshire iron and steel company David Colville & Sons. He married Mary Theodora Colville in 1909. David was Chaplain to the Presbyterian members of the University of Oxford. His brother, James, an officer in the 6th Battalion Scottish Rifles of the Territorial Force, was wounded on Christmas Day 1915 while handing out cigarettes to his men. A telegram was sent to David by their mother on 29 December 1915, informing him that James has been wounded but not seriously injured. Unfortunately this was not the case and James had actually died the same day the telegram was sent. David was appointed Chaplain to the Forces in August 1916 and went on to serve on the Western Front. He was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry on two separate occasions. Their daughter Mary Levison lobbied for the ordination of women in the Church of Scotland. She was ordained in 1973. Another daughter Janet was a Scottish social worker who was a pioneer of Social Care in Scotland. However, both of their sons were killed in World War II. Bookseller Inventory # 4321