This book is titled The Most Delectable History Of Reynard The Fox, and it is a European folktale about a cunning and mischievous fox who uses his wit and trickery to outwit other animals, often escaping punishment by manipulating and using deception and cleverness to overcome brute strength. 

The book was edited with an introduction and notes by Joseph Jacobs, with pictures done by W. Frank Calderon, and first published in London by Macmillan in 1895. It is a first edition by Macmillan because there is just a single date on the title page, with no additional printings listed, and it is a presentation copy, according to a circular stamp on the title page.  

Joseph Jacobs (1854 - 1916) was an Australian-born folklorist, literary critic and notable collector of English folklore, and William Frank Calderon (1865 - 1943) was a British painter who specialized in portraits, landscapes, and sporting pictures. He worked under Alphonse Legros, exhibited at the Royal Academy, and Queen Victoria actually both the very first painting he exhibited at the Academy. 

The book is beautifully decorated, with gilt lettering and gilt animals on the spine, and an elaborate gilt cover designed by A. A. Turbayne, with a gold-blocked Art Nouveau style that inspired other artists to use asymmetrical designs, sinuous curves, and simplified shapes with minimal shading in their own work. 

The book has dark green endpapers with a bookplate on the front endpaper which says “The While Away Library - J Ellis”, then an owner’s inscription on the front flyleaf which reads “S. G. Toplis, 21 / 4/ 96”, followed by the half title and a great frontispiece of the court of King Noble by Calderon with a protective tissue guard, the title page, a three-page Preface, an Introduction that runs from xi to xxxi, a list of Contents from xxxiii to xxxvii, the text is 244 pages long, Notes that run from 247 to 260, four pages of ads at the end for books published by Macmillan, and all the edges are gilt.

The book measures 7 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches wide and is in great condition.  The binding is bright, clean and tight, the illustrations are clean, with just a light bump on one corner tip on the front cover and just a couple of small brown spots in the text. Overall a spectacular copy of this book of European folklore. 

Size: 7 1/4 x 5 1/2 x 1 1/4 in. 

#8709