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1893 · réf. 178340 — Hammersmith: The Kelmscott Press 1893. Presentation copy to Georgiana Burne-Jones First Kelmscott edition presentation copy inscribed by Morris on the second blank nine days after publication "To Georgie from W.M. June 2nd". Georgiana Burne-Jones met Morris decades earlier through her future husband Edward Burne-Jones sparking a creative collaboration and close personal friendship that lasted for the rest of Morris's life. Georgiana 1840-1920 "was the woman to whom Morris addressed himself most openly and fully on all occasions with whom he shared his interests and concerns and not least his political ones. She was the woman that is whom he trusted as a friend before all others" Kelvin p. xxxix. In the early years of their marriage Georgiana and Edward Burne-Jones spent summer holidays with William and Jane Morris at Red House. When Jane Morris turned her affections towards Rossetti William Morris increasingly relied on his friendship with Georgiana and for a time spent every Sunday breakfast in the Burne-Jones household The Grange in Fulham. Morris frequently sought Georgiana's opinions on his books. "If you only knew what I expect of my friends. Such close attention such anxiety on their parts such sincerity withal - O the cross-questioning of them after a reading! Only ask Georgie" Letters I p. 150. As an artist Georgiana was employed in painting tiles at the decorative firm Morris Marshall Faulkner & Co. est. 1861 and she was a trustee of the South London Gallery. Following Morris's death in 1896 Georgiana encouraged her son-in-law J. W. Mackail to publish the first biography of Morris in 1899. This history of the First Crusade and the victorious first ruler of the Kingdom of Jerusalem is here based on William Caxton's translation of 1481 its text newly revised by Henry Halliday Sparling. Morris stated of the work "This book must from a literary point of view be considered one of Caxton's most important works. It is not a 'romance'. but a very serious piece of history the original of which is William of Tyre's Historia Rerum in partibus transmarinis Gestarum; from the French translation of which Caxton made his English version bringing it to an end just after the death of Godfrey. The style of Caxton's book is vigourous and agreeable and often reads like the most dramatic of all historic works Lord Berner's translation of Froissart and altogether it is a delightful book to read" cited in Peterson p. 43. One of 306 copies this Kelmscott production used the printer's larger device for the first time. Quarto. Elaborate woodcut border to title page and facing first page of contents ornamental initials and borders throughout. Chapter titles printed in red contents in Troy type table of contents and glossary in Chaucer type. Printed on handmade paper. Original limp vellum with yapp edges spine lettered in gilt top edge untrimmed fore and bottom edges uncut four of six brown silk ties a fifth detached and loosely inserted. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander box by the Chelsea Bindery. Ticket of bookseller Maruzen tipped to rear pastedown. Front cover bowed a couple of spots to vellum foxing to edges and outer leaves contents otherwise clean. A near-fine copy. Franklin p. 202; Peterson A15 this copy listed as copy "r"; Ransom 15; Tomkinson 15. Norman Kelvin ed. The Collected Letters of William Morris 2014. hardcover