Rare edition of The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce. This diabolically clever, mercilessly phrased volley of epigrams - alphabetized and documented with a profusion of apocryphal quotations - pointedly defines man's most sacred absurdities and punctures his most comfortably pompous habits of thought. The collection, which H. L. Mencken declared contained "some of the most gorgeous witticisms in the English language," began in a weekly paper in 1991 and ran to 1906, in which year it was published in book form; it did not, however, appear under the name THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY for another five years, since that title was at first thought to be lacking in reverence. The work is addressed, the author said, to all those who "prefer dry wines to sweet, sense to sentiment, wit to humor and clean English to slang." 235 pp.