KELMSCOTT PRESS: MORE, Sir Thomas.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

Utopia. First Kelmscott Press edition, one of 300 copies printed on flower paper. More's Utopia was written in Latin and published in Louvain in 1516. This edition follows the text of the first English version, translated by Ralph Robinson and published in 1551; William Morris owned a copy of Robinson's second edition of 1556. The press began working on this at Cockerell's suggestion on 29 February 1892, and the book was printed during July and early August 1893. Peterson notes that, "of the 300 copies issued, 40 had been ordered in advance by an Eton master, with the intention of distributing them as prizes among the boys of the college, but when the work appeared with a compromisingly Socialistic introduction by Morris, the order, from motives of prudence, had to be cancelled. However the copies were all disposed of before a year was out, so Morris did not suffer any loss."

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