Miss Kilmansegg and her precious leg. A golden legend

London: E. Moxon, 1870.

Hood's long, satirical poem criticises excessive consumption and the thirst for wealth with a moralising tale of a young woman, who after losing her leg in an accident replaces it with a prosthetic limb made of gold. Though her suitors increase, she is repaid for her greed when a penniless count marries her for her money and then kills her with her own "precious leg". First Edition. 8vo. pp [iv], [150]; with 60 line drawn illustrations by Seccombe. Bound in full red crushed morocco with decorative gilt borders, heavily gilt spine with raised bands and gilt lettering; all edges in gold leaf. Mild foxing to endpapers and a small mark to top right corner of the front board. A near fine copy.