The Project Gutenberg eBook, For Love of the King, by Oscar Wilde

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Title: For Love of the King
a Burmese Masque

Author: Oscar Wilde

Release Date: October 28, 2007 [eBook #23229]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOR LOVE OF THE KING***

Transcribed from the [1922] Methuen and Co./Jarrold and Sons edition by
David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org

FOR
LOVE OF THE KING

A BURMESE MASQUE

BY
OSCAR WILDE

METHUEN & CO. LTD.
36 ESSEX STREET W.C.
LONDON

_First Published by Methuen & Co. Ltd. in 1922_

_This Edition on handmade paper is limited to 1000 copies_

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

The very interesting and richly coloured masque or pantomimic play which
is here printed in book form for the first time, was invented sometime in
1894 or possibly a little earlier. It was written, not for publication,
but as a personal gift to the author's friend and friend of his family,
Mrs. Chan Toon, and was sent to her with the letter that follows and
explains its origin.

Mrs. Chan Toon, before her marriage to Mr. Chan Toon, a Burmese
gentleman, nephew of the King of Burma and a barrister of the Middle
Temple, was Miss Mabel Cosgrove, the daughter of Mr. Ernest Cosgrove of
Lancaster Gate, a friend of Sir William and Lady Wilde, and herself
brought up with Oscar and his brother Willie.

For a long while Mrs. Chan Toon, who after her husband's death became
Mrs. Woodhouse-Pearse, refused to permit the masque to be printed. The
late Robert Ross much wanted to include it in an edition of Wilde's
works, of which it now forms a part, but he could not obtain its owner's
consent. An arrangement, however, having been completed, the play is now
made public.

TITE STREET, CHELSEA,
_November_ 27, 1894

_My dear Mrs. Chan Toon_,

_I am greatly repentant being so long in acknowledging receipt of_
"_Told on the Pagoda_." _I enjoyed reading the stories_, _and much
admired their quaint and delicate charm_. _Burmah calls to me_.

_Under another cover I am sending you a fairy play entitled_ "_For
Love of the King_," _just for your own a