Rare books from Books & Company

This small volume contains the potery of Claudius Claudiani, known as Claudian (c. 370-c. 404 AD). A poet of Greek origin who wrote in Latin, he has been considered the last significant poet in the classical tradition and was in particular known for his epigrams praising Romans in significant political positions, as well as his poetry on mythic topics. He was considered a poet of importance in the Middle Ages.
This edition of Claudian's works was published by Daniel Elzevier, a member of the significant Dutch publishing House of Elzevier, in 1677. This is an excellent example of the small editions for which the House of Elzevier was particularly well-known, measuring approximately 2.5 inches wide by 4.5 inches tall, and its contents accord with their focus on classical works as well as editions of the Greek New Testament.
This particularly edition of Claudian's poetry includes a life of Claudian written by Giglio (here identified as Lilio) Gregorious Giraldi (1479-1552) taken from his work on the… Read More

Edwin John Dove Pratt (1883-1964) was one of Canada's most notable and unique poets of the twentieth century. Born in Newfoundland, he studied philosophy, psychology, and theology at the University of Toronto, and was ultimately appointed to the English Department of Victoria College at the University of Toronto, the library of which bears his name. Much of his poetry reflected his Newfoundland origins, if not explicitly, then in his frequent treatments of maritime and nautical themes. Other topics addressed in his poetry included science and technology and socio-economic concerns.
The Iron Door is perhaps something of a departure from his other works, and more philosophically inclined. Inspired by a dream prompted by the death of his mother, the poem is concerned with an iron door set in a cliff face that separates this world from the one waiting after death, and how various people come to be before it, and their various reactions to it. One thousand copies of the work were printed, and it was… Read More

Aldous Huxley, born 1894, is best known for his fictional dystopian novel Brave New World, as well as his non-fiction account of his experiences with psychedelics, The Doors of Perception. He was adept at writing a variety of genres, however, including poetry, literary criticism, screenplays, and short stories.
Little Mexican, alternatively known as Young Archimedes in the US and first published in 1924 was Huxley's third collection of short stories, which he primarily wrote in Italy between 1923-1924. There are six stories in total, some of which are semi-autobiographical in nature. The stories in the volume are, "Uncle Spencer," "Little Mexican," "Hubert and Minnie," "Fard," "The Portrait," and "Young Archimedes."

This edition may be described as being in Very Good condition. There is some bumping to the corners and ends of the spine, but the pages are clear and save for some mild age-related discolouration are in excellent condition. There is a previous owners name and date on the front… Read More