SECTION A: Books written, co-written or translated by Robert Graves

A21 LARS PORSENA [1927]

a. First edition:

Collation: [A]8 B–F8, 48 leaves, plus 16 pp. publisher’s advertisements.

p.[1] LARS PORSENA; p.[2] series advertisement; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] printer’s notice; pp.5–94 text; pp.[95]–[96] blank; 16 pp. publisher’s advertisements.

Price: 2s.6d. Number of copies undetermined. Published in February 1927 in white dust-jacket printed in black.

Terminal advertisements: first state: There are sixteen pages of terminal advertisements, of which p. [1] is unnumbered and p. [16] is blank; the others are numbered. “LARS PORSENA” is listed at the bottom of p. 12 of the advertisements under the heading “NEARLY READY”. The announcement for this title on p. 12 contains publisher’s blurbs, but no reviews.

Terminal advertisements: second state: There are sixteen pages of terminal advertisements, of which p. [1] is unnumbered and all of the others are numbered. “LARS PORSENA” is listed at the bottom of p. 13 of the advertisements under the heading “JUST PUBLISHED”. The announcement for this title on p. 13 contains quotes from reviews.

Dust-jacket: In the first state the publisher’s name does not appear on the back panel of the dust-jacket. In the advertisements on the back panel “LARS PORSENA” is listed four up from the bottom. The front panel of the dust-jacket reads: LARS PORSENA | OR | THE FUTURE OF SWEARING | AND IMPROPER LANGUAGE | By | ROBERT GRAVES | [publishers blurb in 16 lines].

Dust-jacket: In the second state, the last line on the back panel of the dust-jacket reads: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd., London, E.C.4”. In the advertisements on the back panel “LARS PORSENA” is listed six up from the bottom. The front panel of the dust-jacket reads as above.

Notes: On 5 February 1927 the Manchester Guardian reported on p. 11 that it had received a copy of Lars Porsena.

Listed in the two prior editions of this bibliography were a 2nd impression, April 1927; 3rd July 1927; 4th March 1928; 5th October 1929; 6th November 1931.

Because Graves made textual revisions, the “second impression” has become the second edition, A21b and is described below.

Folcroft Press issued a photocopy reprint A21a in 1971.

A21 LARS PORSENA [1927]

b. Second English edition:

Collation: [A]8 B–C [D]-F8, 48 leaves, plus 16 pp. publisher’s advertisements.

p.[1] LARS PORSENA; p.[2] series advertisement; p.[3] title-page; p.[4] edition and printer’s notice; pp.5–94 text; pp.[95]–[96] blank; 16 pp. publisher’s advertisements.

Price: 2s.6d. Number of copies undetermined. Published in April 1927 in white dust-jacket printed in black.

Notes: This edition was formerly listed as the second inpression of A21a. It is now termed the first impression of the second English edition.

Impressions: 2nd, July 1927; 3rd, March 1928; 4th, October 1929; 5th, November 1931. In the 4th and 5 th impressions, a note by Graves occupies p.[2], a list of impressions is added on p.[4], and the text occupies pp.5–96 (the extensions are at the end).

Issued in the To-Day and To-Morrow Series.

Robert Temple (Catalogue 21, 1982) reports a working copy in Graves’ hand which contains revisions incorporated into the later impressions in 1927 with a statement by Graves on the verso of the title-page to that effect (not seen).

A21b. First American edition: ([1927]):

Collation: [1]–[6]8,48 leaves.

pp.[i]–[ii] blank, pasted down to front cover; pp.[iii]–[iv] blank; p.[v] LARS PORSENA; p.[vi] blank; p.[vii] title-page; p.[viii] copyright and printing notices; p.[1] LARS PORSENA; p. [2] blank; pp.3–77 text; pp.[78]–[86] blank; pp.[87]–[88] blank and pasted down to back cover.

Price: $1.00. Number of copies: 1,200. Published 12 April 1927 in white dust-jacket printed in red and black.

The labels of some copies have been reported to be of a buff color. These were originally white and have darkend over time.

A21c. Second edition (revised) (1936):

Collation: [A]8 B–G8, 56 leaves.

2 pp. blank; p.[i] THE FUTURE | OF SWEARING; p.[ii] publisher’s advertisements; p.[iii] title-page; p.[iv] printer’s and edition notices; p.v–vi PREFACE TO | NEW EDITION; pp. 1–100 text; p.[101]–[104] blank.

18.5 × 12.0 cm. Bulk: 1.4/1.8 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. White wove endpapers. Bound in sea-green cloth; front and back blank; spine stamped in gold: [heavy rule] [toward back:] THE FUTURE | [toward front, parallel to previous:] OF SWEARING | [heavy rule] | [all upright:] ROBERT | GRAVES | [heavy rule].

Price: 3s.6d. Number of copies undetermined. Published in March 1936 in white dust-jacket printed in blue-green and black.

Notes: Issued in the Today, Tomorrow and After Series. Some copies have 4 pp. publisher’s advertisements following p.[104]. Two copies examined ended at p. 100. Another copy has pp. [101-104] blank, followed by 4 pp. of publisher’s advertisements as noted above.

Earliest review located was dated 10 March 1936.

A21d. Third edition ([1972]):

LARS | PORSENA Or the Future of Swearing and Improper Language | ROBERT GRAVES | Martin Brian & O’Keeffe | London

Collation: [1]4 [2] –[5]8, 36 1eaves.

pp.[i]–[ii] blank; p.[iii] LARS PORSENA; p.[iv] blank; p.[v] title-page; p.[vi] publication, publisher’s, ISBN, copyright and printer’s notices; p.[vii] FOREWORD; p.[viii] blank; pp.1–64 text; pp.65–68 NOTE TO NEW EDITION; pp.[69]–[70] blank; p.[71] limitation and numbering statement and signature; p.[72] blank.

18.6 × 12.0 cm. Bulk: 1.1/1.2cm. White laid paper; all edges trimmed. White wove endpapers. Bound in Prussian blue cloth; front and back blank; spine stamped in gold, top to bottom, facing back: Robert Graves • Lars Porsena [upright:] MB & O’K

Price: £6.50 limited; £1.50 ordinary. Number of copies: 100 limited edition; 1,000 ordinary edition. Published 27 March 1972. The limited edition was published in a stiff clear plastic dust-jacket and light Prussian blue slipcase and all these copies were signed by Graves; the ordinary edition was bound in mottled brown-pink cloth and published without the slipcase in a green dust-jacket printed in black and purple. Page [72] is blank.

A21e. Fourth edition ([2008]):

Collation: 56 leaves.

p.[i] title-page; p. [ii] publisher’s, edition, printer’s, ISBN and rights reservation notices; p. [iii] Contents; p. [iv] blank; p. [1] Lars Porsena; p. [2] blank; pp.3-95 text; p. [96] blank; p. [97] Note on the Text; p. [98] blank; pp. [99]-[104] publisher’s advertisements; pp. [105]-[108] blank.

14.9 × 11.0 cm. Bulk: 1.0/1.3 cm. White wove paper; all edges trimmed. White wove endpapers. Bound in black simulated cloth; back and front blank; spine: [from top to bottom, facing back:] [all in silver:] LARS PORSENA • Robert Graves [near front:] ONEWORLD [near spine, parallel with preceding line:] CLASSICS

Price: £9.99. Number of copies unknown. Published 1 November 2008 in a white wove dust-jacket printed in pale yellow, black, green and gold.

Note: The text here follows that of the A21a, 1927 (and not 1928 as stated on p. 97). The spelling and punctuation have been standardized, modernized and made consistant.

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