The Golden Legend (1910)

Illustrated by Sidney Meteyard

 

 

To the left, we show a rare example of the 1st Edition of The Golden Legend

carrying the illustrations of Sidney Meteyard. That Edition was published by

Hodder & Stoughton (London) in 1910.

 

This copy retains the original gold-stamped decorated brown cloth cover.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the right, we show the magnificent gold-ground illustrated

Title Page of Metyard's version of The Golden Legend.

 

The Golden Legend was written by Henry Wordsworth Longfellow in 1851 as an epic poem - written in irregular verse- that

was set within the medieval period. Longfellow appears to have been influenced by Goethe's Faust in his presentation of the

character of Lucifer (the source of temptation throughout the tale) and the poems' general structure and themes, which

include temptation, loss, banishment and redemption.

 

An article from The New York Times (March 28, 1881) provides in interesting insight into Longfellow - and his approach to

composing The Golden Legend thus:

 

In the Summer of 1851 Longfellow wrote his poem, "The Golden Legend," and it was the good

fortune of the editor of the Republican - then a compositor and proof-reader - to set the type

and correct the proofs on that work. It was sterotyped in the old University Printing Office at

Cambridge, Mass. The copy was written with a blunt lead-pencil on rough (or unsized) white

paper of ordinary letter-page size: the lines were widely separated, but in a rather cramped

bank-hand, and sometimes illegible. The poet used classic and ecclesiastic phrases which puzzled

the compositor, and in more than one instance, when he came to our "case" to bring his proofs,

we asked him to read passages in his copy and to explain phrases he had used. He was then a

hale, portly, fine-looking man, nearly six feet in height, well-proportioned, with a tendency to

fatness, brown hair and blue yes, and bearing the general appearance of a comfortable

hotel-keeper. His dress was fashionable, without being foppish; his manner gracious but not

familiar. "The Golden Legend" is a sort of drama, with brief poems interspersed, and at the

close of each scene a place and date were given - probably to show when and where it had

been written. The compositor was directed to omit the same; but we recollect Newport,

Nahant, and Cambridge among these places, and the dates were from one to two days to as

many weeks apart. The poet was seized with inspiration at sundry times and places, and wrote

whenever he felt like it. He would occasionally cancel a verse or a passage, and once he

canceled about seven pages; but the identical poem appeared several years afterward in the

Atlantic Monthly. He was Professor of Modern Languages and Literature in Harvard University,

and wrote most of this poem during vacation. We saw him once in the university library,

inquiring for a book on natural history, from which he could learn the color of a certain bird's

eyes. The severest criticism ever uttered upon Longfellow was that he looked at things through

the windows of literature, rather than with his own unaided eyes.

 

Meteyard's suite of illustrations prepared to accompany Longfellow's classic work include some his most inspired work

and the set proves to be a wonderful example of Meteyard's own unique style.

 

 

Our Greeting Cards and Reproduction Images

 

We have prepared sets of 25 Greeting Cards displaying each of Meteyard's major colour images for The Golden Legend and on the left, we show an example of how these Greeting Cards appear. Ordering one of those sets is as easy as selecting the "Add to Cart" feature below and following the prompts provided with our Shopping Cart secured through PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any destination in the world are accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

 

Code: SM GL CS(25)
Price: US$125.00

 

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-in plates - in homage to the hand-crafted approach

typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century.

 

Hand-finishing is used to replicate the visual appearance of a tipped-in plate and the images are presented on Ivory card

stock (in the case of colour illustrations) or White card stock (in the case of monotone illustrations) with an accompanying

envelope. We have left the cards blank so that you may write your own personal message.

 

Should you wish to order a Reproduction Print or Poster of one or more of these images, we have provided some options

below. Of course, should you wish to discuss some customised options, we welcome your contact on any matter through

ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

 

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful images from Sidney Meteayrd.

 

 

The colour illustrations

 

Mary at the Well

Hail, Virgin Mary, full of grace!

 

 

Lucifer and his Angels

Hasten! hasten!

O ye spirits!

From its station drag the ponderous

Cross of iron ...

 

 

Lucifer and Prince Henry

Behold it here! this little flask

Contains the wonderful quintessence.

Prince Henry's Penance

... Forth from the chapel door he went

Into disgrace and banishment,

Clothed in a cloak of hodden gray,

And bearing a wallet, and a bell.

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C1 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C2 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C3 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C4 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The Prince and Elsie in the Garden

But first come hither.

Lay the flowers down beside me,

And put both they hands in mine.

Now tell me the story.

 

 

Elsie's Prayer

My Redeemer and my Lord.

Lucifer flying over the City

Sleep, sleep, O city! till the light

Wake you to sin and crime again.

The Herald of the Mystery

... And yonder

Upon a stage, a herald with a trumpet,

Clad like the Angel Gabriel ...

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C5 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C6 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C7 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C8 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The Wise Men of the East

Hale to thee, Jesus of Nazareth!

 

Herod

Would I were dead! would I were dead!

Barbarossa

Like Barbarossa, who sits in his cave ...

Till his beard has grown through the table of stone.

 

 

Friar Claus

O cordial delicious! O soother of pain!

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C9 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C10 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C11 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C12 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

The Scriptorium

It will do for the face of some beautiful Saint.

Or for one of the Maries I shall paint.

 

 

The Abbot Ernestus

Slowly, slowly up the wall

Steals the sunshine, steals the shade.

The Lady Irmingard

I am the Lady Irmingard.

Irmingard and Walter

It was a dream, and would not stay;

A dream, that in a single night

Faded ...

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C13 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C14 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C15 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C16 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Irmingard and her Father

... My father spake ...

"This, or the cloister and the veil!"

 

 

The Dance of Death

(I)

Here he has stolen a jester's cap and bells,

And dances with the Queen.

The Dance of Death

(II)

Death, playing a on a dulcimer. Behind him,

A poor old woman, with a rosary,

Follows the sound, and seems to wish her feet

Were swifter ...

 

 

St Catherine

See yonder little cloud, that, borne aloft

So tenderly by the wind, floats fast away

Over the snowy peaks! It seems to me

The body of St Catherine, borne by angels!

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C17 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C18 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C19 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C20 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Prince Henry, Elsie and Lucifer

I have no more to say. Let us go in.

 

 

Elsie's Return

I saw her standing on the deck,

Beneath an awning cool and shady.

 

 

Carlemagne and the dead Fastrada

... Seated by Fastrada's side at Ingelheim ...

 

 

The Prince and Elsie

Ah, not so soon.

See yonder fire! it is the moon

Slowly rising o'er the eastern hill.

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C21 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C22 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C23 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C24 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00

 

 
     

The Recording Angels

Fainter and fainter the black lines

Begin to quiver.

 

 

      

Reproduction on 12x18" sheet

Code: SM GL C25 (12x18)
Price: US$60.00