THE WEIGHT OF GLORY

First edition, first printing. Pamphlet. Association copy. Original green stapled paper covers printed in black. A very good copy, the binding sound, the covers a little toned at the extremities and with the ownership signature of Leonard Blake to the upper cover. The staples rusted. The contents, with Blake's ownership name again on the title page and rust from the staples showing on the internal gutters, are otherwise clean throughout.

An excellent association copy. From the library of the author's friend Leonard James Blake. Blake was the husband of Maureen Moore (later Lady Dunbar of Hempriggs), one of the most significant figures in C. S. Lewis' life, a friend and surrogate sister with whom he lived for over 20 years. Maureen and Leonard Blake were married (with Lewis' encouragement) in 1940. Both teachers, Leonard was for more than two decades, the Director of Music at Malvern College (Lewis was educated at Malvern, and it is widely recognised that his time there, in particular the gas lamps and landscape, helped inspire the Chronicles of Narnia). Leonard and Maureen had two children, Lewis was godfather to their son Richard. They maintained a close friendship for the rest of Lewis' life. Leonard passed away in 1989 and Maureen in 1997, the final passages of 'The Last Battle' were read at her funeral. A sermon on the nature of heavenly glory, preached in the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Oxford, on the 8th of June 1941, and first published in Theology magazine in November 1941. Published here separately for the first time. Number 189 in the 'Little Books on Religion' series.