BEAUTIFULLY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED SET OF HORACE'S ODES AND EPODES, WITH ETCHINGS PENCIL-SIGNED BY HOWARD PYLE AND OTHERS

HORACE. Odes and Epodes. Boston: Bibliophile Society, 1901-04. Eight volumes bound as ten. Octavo, contemporary full brown morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spines and covers with Art Nouveau vine designs with red, blue and green morocco onlays, raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, uncut. $6800.

Limited illustrated edition, number 377 of 467 sets, with title page decoration by Howard Pyle and 12 double suite etchings by W.H.W. Bicknell, James Fagan and Edmund H. Garrett, signed in pencil by the respective artist on one impression, including a Bicknell etching after a Pyle painting, signed in pencil by Pyle. Beautifully bound in full Art Nouveau morocco-gilt with morocco onlays.

Latin text edited by Clement Lawrence Smith of Harvard University, who also provides a life of the Roman poet. Translations are provided as "versions, paraphrases and explanatory notes by eminent scholars, statesmen and poets." Each poem is additionally decorated with numerous woodcut vignettes, borders and ornamented capitals. Volume VII, Bibliography, includes 21 facsimiles of title pages of editions of Horace. "Bibliophile Society" appears in watermark on the outer margin of each leaf. The Pyle-designed frontispiece signed by Pyle is in Volume IV, Part I. With separately published final volume, Volume VIII, of Quotations, often not present (this volume was published in 1904, the rest of the set was issued in 1901).

A few boards slightly bowed; a few spine gently toned. A beautifully bound and illustrated set in about-fine condition.