SWEENEY AGONISTES: Fragments of an Aristophanic Melodrama.

First edition, first printing, first state binding. Original light blue paper-covered boards lettered in red to the spine, in dustwrapper. A near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout. There is a light horizontal crease (c. 5 cm) visible to the edges of the front endpaper and prelims. In the bright dustwrapper, toned to the spine, lightly rubbed and nicked to the upper spine tip, with a three short closed tears to upper edges. Not price-clipped (2s. 6d. net to the front flap). A very presentable copy.

'Sweeney Agonistes' collects for the first time in book form, two 'Fragments': 'of a Prologue' and 'of an Agon', which had first appeared across two issues of 'The Criterion' (in October 1926 and January 1927). When reprinted in 'Twenty-Four One-Act Plays', an anthology edited by John Hampden (Revised ed. 1954), they were accompanied by a note explaining that "The author wishes to point out that 'Sweeney Agonistes' is not a one-act play and was never designed as such. It consists of two fragments. But as the author has abandoned any intention of completing them, these two fragmentary scenes have frequently been produced as a one-act play." An urban satire set in contemporary London, 'Sweeney' was Eliot's first foray into verse drama, the Aristophanic label a clue to the work's pointed satire and ritual artifice. (Gallup A23).