A Full and True Account of the Wonderful Mission of Earl Lavender, which Lasted One Night and One Day; with a History of the Pursuit of Earl Lavender and Lord Brumm by Mrs. Scamler and Maud Emblem

Following in the tradition of "Don Quixote," "Earl Lavender" is the story of two impecunious gentlemen who run away from their conventional lives, style themselves 'Earl Lavender' and 'Lord Brumm', and set out to preach the new creed of Evolution. Their hilarious romp across London leads them to all sorts of strange adventures, such as a wild hansom cab chase, a sojourn among a subterranean society of flagellants, and the discovery of the evolutionary 'Missing Link'.A key Decadent text, "Earl Lavender" (1895) is also Davidson's response to what he saw as some of the more ridiculous ideas and behaviours of the age. This new edition features a new introduction by Mark Valentine and a reproduction of the original frontispiece by Aubrey Beardsley.John Davidson (1857-1909) was a Scottish poet, playwright, and novelist. Although during his lifetime he was compared favourably with Hardy, Housman, and Yeats, and admired by Shaw and T. S. Eliot, Davidson's reputation has languished since his tragic suicide. Long out of print, "Earl Lavender" is now restored to modern audiences, who will find that Davidson's humour and satire are as fresh today as in 1895. A Full and True Account of the Wonderful Mission of Earl Lavender, which Lasted One Night and One Day; with a History of the Pursuit of Earl Lavender and Lord Brumm by Mrs. Scamler and Maud Emblem , is a comical novel, written by Scots poet and playwright John Davidson, published in 1895. The story is set in contemporary London (late 19th century) and tells the story of two male friends who are testing Earl Lavender's own version of 'The Theory of Evolution'. It includes two scenes of flagellation. The book is better known for its frontispiece by Aubrey Beardsley, which does not depict any described scene in the book, than it is for its actual text. (Wikipedia)