George Meredith Autograph “Il Y A Cent Ans” Excerpt Signed.

MEREDITH, George.

Item Number: 134195

Rare autograph excerpt from Victorian era poet George Meredith’s 1828 poem Il Y A Cent Ans, signed by him and entirely in his hand. One page, the excerpt reads, “Our cry for cradled Peace, while men are still The three-parts brute which smothers the divine, Heaven answers: Guard it with forethoughtful will, Or buy it; all your gains from War resign. A land, not indefensibly alarmed, May see, unwarned by hint of friendly gods, Between a hermit crab at all points armed, And one without a shell, decisive odds George Meredith.” In near fine condition.

Victorian era English novelist and poet George Meredith is perhaps best known for his enduring work g is The Egoist (1879), though in his lifetime his greatest success was Diana of the Crossways (1885). His novels were innovative in their attention to characters' psychology, and also took a close interest in social change. His style, in both poetry and prose, was noted for its syntactic complexity; Oscar Wilde likened it to "chaos illumined by brilliant flashes of lightning".