“This is a play about those ancient American years when the Republican party was both Radical and Revolutionary—just after it had completely destroyed the invested interests and the property rights of the landed Southern society.”
    — Mahl, Foreword to “The Golden Bough”

Two plays from little known playright William Mahl, “The Golden Age” and “Big and Small.” The first play, subtitled “An American History,” is of particular interest, chronicling the life of rogue financier James Fisk (1835-1872) who together with Jay Gould in attempting to corner the gold market caused the Black Friday crash of 1869; all parties involved escaping without charge. Carlo Izzo, a friend of Pound’s, reviewing the volume in Broletto, No. 30 (June, 1938) criticises the play for its lack of dramatics, and Mahl himself writes in the preface, already at publication,

It has also been mentioned to me that the trial scene has not sufficient dramatic value. I am sorry, for the scene is taken practically intact from the court records. I beg the reader to forgive the lack of good theatre and to accept the actuality.

EP, revelling in what Izzo called Mahl’s “documentary,” is one of the very few to have recognised Mahl, recommending his work in Introduzione alla Natura Economica degli S.U.A. (Venice, 1944, Gallup A53a), translated into English by John Drummond and published as Peter Russell’s Money Pamphlet, No. 1 (London, 1950, Gallup A53b).

“Novelists and playwrites, once in a while, give on a clearer idea than professors. One can learn more from Ernest Poole’s THE HARBOUR about fast sailing-ships; and from William Mahl’s TWO PLAYS OF THE SOCIAL COMEDY about the attempt of monopolizing the gold in 1869, than he is likely to learn from historiographers.”

A scarce book in its own right, published privately in New York, 1935, and seemingly Mahl’s the second and last publication following Madame, His Mother; a play in three acts on Letizia Buonaparte, Napoleon’s mother, printed by the same Vail-Ballou Press of Binghamton, N.Y. and published privately in 1931. Ezra Pound’s copy, with his ownership inscription and via Marsala address (1925-1944) twice, once to fpd with fountain pen, a little offsetting, and again in pencil to ffep, the impression visible verso. No further inscriptions. Top corners bumped; some very light age to the cloth. Spine loosened in reading.

Very unusual to find a book from Pound’s own library on the market. Provenance as yet unknown, including how Pound obtained the book. Possible that Izzo used this same copy.