James Branch Cabell

Hall Code	Description
A7	First Modern Library Printing 1923
*A7a	Second Modern Library Printing (1923-24)
*A7b	Third Modern Library Printing (1924-25 )
*A7c	Fourth Modern Library Printing (Spring 1927)
*A7d	Fifth Modern Library Printing (Fall 1930)
*A7e	Sixth Modern Library Printing (c. 1931-39)
*A7-Special	Special Binding for Vincent Starrett (1923)

General Notes:

Today, collectors and scholars of The Modern Library usually don't try to differentiate the various ML printings, except to note the first printing, and then only in those cases where it is possible to determine. Instead, the various issues of ML titles are ordered by the chronological sequences of binding, endpaper, and title page styles, and by the Modern Library catalog listings (usually) found at the end of each volume.

Our Silver Stallion bibliography is intended to be a complete bibliography of James Branch Cabell, though, and our goal is to be as inclusive and detailed as possible. For that reason, we have taken a somewhat more completist approach, and listed our entries by printing, in the same manner as the rest of the bibliography. We realize that this is a task that can never be declared 100% complete, though, and welcome corrections, updates, and new information from our readers.

You will find many names and terms that are specific to Modern Library collecting sprinkled liberally throughout our Modern Library pages. See the Cabell in The Modern Library page for detailed discussions of these special terms.

Silver Stallion Changes to Hall's Descriptions:

Unlike his practice for titles by the man himself, Hall typically does not list more than one or two issues of works that have Cabell contributions only. In the case of The Queen Pedauque, he mentions only the 1923 first printing, A7. Because of this, we haven't needed to make any changes for this title, but simply added our new information where required.

Cabell's Contribution to this Issue of The Queen Pedauque:

Cabell wrote a new introduction for the Modern Library edition of The Queen Pedauque. This introduction is dated July, 1921, and The Queen Pedauque was listed as ML 98 in a 1921 catalogue, but was not actually published until 1923. In keeping with his usual method of literary economy, Cabell's introduction was later revised and incorporated into Straws and Prayerbooks, as part of "Celestial Architecture".

This introduction, reproduced from the *A7d copy listed above, is presented here in Adobe PDF format, and may be accessed by clicking on the thumbnail at left. As usual, you'll need to use your browser's back button to return to The Silver Stallion after accessing it.

National Home Library Foundation Edition

The Queen Pedauque was one of at least four Modern Library titles that were reprinted by The National Home Library Foundation in 1935, apparently from sheets donated to the foundation by Modern Library. The National Home Library Foundation was (and still is) a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering literacy. In 1935, they sold their books at 25¢ a copy, at a time when the Modern Library issues were 95¢. We have examined a copy of the Home Library issue of The Queen Pedauque (left), and the Cabell introduction was not included, no doubt as a cost savings measure.