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Longmans, Green and Co., London. 1931. First Edition. Octavo. 120 pp. Gorgeous woodcut by Lynd Ward as frontispiece. Striking orange boards with red tipped corners and spine. Black label with title in gilt to front. Bright orange endpapers. Slight wear to edges or boards and head and foot of spine. Interior is bright, clean and crisp. Very Good+. A charming exploration of spirituality and philosophy by Llewelyn Powys, showcasing his unique philosophical beliefs. "The unknown author of Ecclesiastes wrote to deter others from the vanity of excessive indulgence in Oriental pleasures; all was vanity except the fear of God. Omar Khayyám, a man of simple life and desires, expounded the doctrine of ephemeral joy: Eat, drink and be merry, for to-morrow we die . Each, it will be observed, advocated a course of life inconsistent with his individual practice. To-day we meet Mr. Powys, a self-confessed Epicurean, more consistent than the above, but less pleasant and more dangerous. Happiness is the keynote of Mr. Powys' cry happiness at all costs, be it sensuous or sensual. He is consistent in his plea for poetry, and perhaps the most dangerous quality in this book is its rhythmic flow. All religions are counterfeits, he tells us; Christianity has ever been opposed to natural happiness. All ethical considerations are man made; he even goes so far as to mitigate the horror of a drunkard's grave. The book is an open appeal to youth, and it is to be hoped that youth will pass it by. Mr. Powys quotes Hobbes, and a part of the quotation may, as a prayer, end this notice: Know then that all this is but an empty store of words.' [M., P. Impassioned Clay. Nature 129, 925. Seller Inventory # 661
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