“THE CLUSTERS OF THE HYADES AND PLEIADES, WITH THE PLANET MARS IN BETWEEN—IN FULL CROSSING SPRAWL IN THE SKY…” : AN EXTRAORDINARY SET OF THE COMPLETE WRITINGS OF WALT WHITMAN, WITH A SPLENDID SIGNED AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT PAGE ENTIRELY IN WHITMAN’S HAND, MAGNIFICENTLY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED, ONE OF ONLY 32 SETS

WHITMAN, Walt. The Complete Writings of Walt Whitman, Issued under the Editorial Supervision of his Literary Executors, Richard Maurice Bucke, Thomas B. Harned, and Horace L. Traubel with additional bibliographical and Critical Material prepared by Oscar Lovell Triggs, Ph.D. New York and London: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1902. Ten volumes. Large octavo, contemporary full green crushed morocco, raised bands, elaborately gilt-decorated spines, gilt-tooled boards with elaborate floral motif surrounding red morocco diamond-shaped inlays, red watered silk doublures and endpapers, top edges gilt, uncut.

“Author’s Manuscript Edition,” number 3 of only 32 sets with one manuscript page in bold black ink entirely in Whitman’s hand and signed by him. This set printed on Whatman paper and illustrated with 40 tissue-guarded engravings in double suite depicting Whitman in various stages of his life, including frontispieces in each volume, one of each beautifully hand-colored.

The full-page manuscript, bound into Volume I of the set, is a manuscript of the final section of the passage in Specimen Days entitled "Hours for the Soul." Whitman has written the title "Furthermore" at the top of this page. The manuscript reads: "February 19, '80—Night [crossed out]—Just before 10 p.m. cold and entirely clear again, the show overhead, bearing southwest, of wonderful and crowded magnificence. The moon in her third quarter—the clusters of the Hyades and Pleiades, with the planet Mars between—in full crossing sprawl in the sky the Great Egyptian X, (Sirius, Procyon, and the main stars in the constellations of the Ship, the Dove, and of Orion)—just north of east Bootes, and in his knee Arcturus an hour high, mounting the heaven, ambitiously large and sparkling, as if he meant to challenge with Sirius the stellar supremacy. Walt Whitman." This important edition was issued under the supervision of three of Whitman's intimate friends: Richard Maurice Bucke, Thomas Harned, and perhaps most importantly, Horace Traubel, whose relationship to Whitman has been likened to that of Boswell to Johnson. With a biographical notice prepared by the literary executors. A total of 1,342 sets of the Complete Writings were produced and sold as six distinct editions; all copies have a half title stating "The Complete Writings of Walt Whitman" and each "edition" has a half title indicating both the name of that particular edition and the limitation. This set is the second such "edition" listed in Myerson, with priority assumed. Myerson B4. Bound into the first volume is a notarized statement dated May 19, 1902 authenticating the manuscript.

A bit of minor expert restoration to the first three volumes. A beautiful set in about-fine condition.