Eric Stanislaus, Count Stenbock. Studies of Death. Romantic tales

London: David Nutt, 1894.   Octavo. 167, [1] pages. Illustrated with frontispiece, after artwork seen on the cover of cloth copies of this edition. Paper over beveled boards, embossed spine decorated in gilt. Corners just bumped, minor edgewear, head and foot of spine pushed, rubbed and somewhat soiled. Cream endpapers; author's embossed bookplate to the front pastedown, ink ownership "Godfrey F. Mowatt" to front free endpaper verso, endpapers somewhat toned. Internally generally clean and tight, top edge trimmed, other edges untrimmed; minor soiling and foxing, text block edges toned with minor wear, small pen marks to the imprint on the title page and page [168]. Very good.A truly unique copy of this collection, born from the mind of a truly unique man, described by Yeats in his anthology, 9135, as "a scholar, connoisseur, drunkard, poet, pervert, most charming of men."  was Eric's only collection of short stories and his last work to be published before his rather tragic death in 1895; described by Barron as "earnestly decadent and morbidly melancholy."Barron, 2-91.HID07601242017© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved poster