The Hound of Heaven
n.p. n.p., circa 1924. Octavo (7 7/8 inches tall), stitched in heavy gray paper wrappers with inner folding flaps, front panel hand-lettered in black ink, text illuminated on thick handmade wove paper, (watermarked "J. Whatman England 1924"), 12 pages. Slight toning to red and blue inks, else Fine. Item #1723
"ALL WHICH THY CHILD'S MISTAKE FANCIES AS LOST / I HAVE STORED FOR THEE AT HOME / RISE, CLASP MY HAND & COME"
Calligraphic rendering of The Hound of Heaven—a delightful manuscript of Francis Thompson's poem of the Good Shepherd seeking His Lost Sheep. Likely a unique copy in exceptional condition.
An enduring favorite, the Hound of Heaven first appeared in 1890 and in multiple printed editions for years after Thompson's death in 1907. "Although Thompson was a cradle Catholic, the poem, with its potent and poignant depiction of a reluctant soul's final acceptance of God's relentless and fathomless love, remains a classic of conversion literature" (Joseph Pearce). Evoking Thompson's time on the streets, the poem's "spirit is not that of the Prodigal Son parable of the Gospels, but rather that of the parable of the Good Shepherd" (Calvert Alexander). Probably accomplished in the 1920's (and undoubtedly the work of an amateur or juvenile), the manuscript is drenched with a sense of earnest devotion. Fronted with a graceful title page with a three-line initial, the calligrapher used alternating black, red, and blue inks and decorated the text with illuminated initials, borders, and tailpieces. Joseph Pearce. Catholic Literary Giants: A Field Guide to the Catholic Literary Landscape; Calvert Alexander. The Catholic Literary Revival: Three Phases in its Development from 1845 to the Present.
Price: $200.00