Introduction by F Joseph-Renaud. Title page design incorporating a Pierrot, by Clinton Peters. First edition. 16mo., early 20th Century cloth-backed boards, leather spine label, original illustrated wrappers, designed by Edmé Couty. Paris: Clarke & Co., n.d, 1901.
The 147 maxims - rather self-consciously Wildean aperçus - are presented in English with French translations on the facing pages. The introduction by his friend the dandiacal duellist (15 duels, 11 of them with pistols, all of them victorious) and writer Jean Joseph-Renaud speaks of Peters’ “most graceful wit” that “unites to the warm American sentiment a wit that is French of the most Parisian type”. A fine copy in a neat binding.
