An Ideal Husband.: By The Author of Lady Windermere's Fan.

London: Leonard Smithers and Co,, 1899. Wilde's favourite play, with an appealing association First edition, one of 1,000 copies printed, presented in the year of publication from Lady Lewis, the wife of Wilde's solicitor, to their mutual friend the actress Elizabeth Robins. Lewis has inscribed the front free endpaper: "With love from B[eth]. L[ewis]. Aug. 6th 99, Vulpera"; Robins's ownership inscription is on the half-title: "Elizabeth Robins from Lady Lewis, Waldhaus (Tarasp), Switzerland". Waldhaus Vulpera was a popular Grand Hotel in the Swiss Alps. Elizabeth Lewis (née Eberstadt) was the second wife of Wilde's long-time friend and legal adviser, Sir George Lewis (1833-1911). A discreet and astute solicitor, he advised Wilde on various occasions, and, on his request, represented Lord Alfred Douglas in 1983 to recover an incriminating letter from a blackmailer. Richard Ellman, Wilde's biographer, mentions a series of letters sent by Wilde to her during his lecture tour of North America, in which he boasted about his various successes. The American actress and feminist Elizabeth Robins (1862-1952) is best known for her play Votes for Women!, which is credited with inaugurating suffrage drama. Wilde met her for the first time at a reception at Lady Seton's House in 1888 and subsequently used his influence to help her gain success on the London stage. He gave her feedback on her performances throughout her career. Oscar Wilde's third comedy, An Ideal Husband premiered at the Haymarket on 3 January 1895, preceding his sensational trial, but was not published until after his release from prison. In a letter to his publisher, Leonard Smithers, Wilde wrote that "I really think it reads the best of my plays" (cited in Nelson, p. 392). Quarto. Original pink cloth, flat spine lettered in gilt, leaf motifs to spine and covers designed by Charles Shannon, edges untrimmed. Spine and head of rear cover sunned, cloth otherwise bright, spine ends and tips slightly rubbed and bumped, tiny mark to front cover, offsetting to endpapers, a few spots of foxing to half-title, otherwise generally clean. A very good, fresh copy. Mason, p. 433; James G. Nelson, Publisher to the Decadents: Leonard Smithers in the Careers of Beardsley, Wilde, Dowson, 2000.