"O RARE BEN JONSON." 142 JONSON (Ben.). Complete Works. (Comprising his Plays, Poems, Masques, Prose Pieces, etc.) THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE FIRST COLLECTED EDITION. A remarkably fine, tall, clean, and perfect copy (with the engraved title by Hole to Vol I, and the Rare General Title to Vol 2). Two vols, thick sm. folio, very handsomely bound by Riviere in full crushed levant morocco extra, gilt leaves. London, 16161640. £67 10S "The more I read of the literary History of those days the more impressed I am by the predominance of Ben Jonson-a great, careless, hard-living, hard-drinking, not illnatured literary monarch. His strength is evidenced by the deference shown him-by his versatility; now some musical masque sparkling with little dainty bits which a sentimental Miss might copy in her album or chant in her boudoir; and this, matched or followed by some labored drama full of classic knowledge, full of largest woodcraft, snapping with fire-crackers of wit, loaded with ponderous nuggets of strong sense, and the whole capped and booted with prologue and epilogue where poetic graces shine through proudest averments of indifferenceof scorn of applause—of audacious self-sufficiency.”—D. G. Mitchell. 143 KEATS (John). LAMIA, ISABELLA, THE EVE OF ST. AGNES, and OTHER POEMS. BY JOHN KEATS. FIRST EDITION. Fcap. 8vo, fine uncut copy in the original boards (new back), edges entirely uncut. London, Taylor and Hessey, 1820. £42 Enclosed in a morocco pull-off case. THE FIRST EDITION, OF WHICH NEARLY ALL COPIES WERE SEIZED AND DESTROYED BY THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY. 144 KNOX (John). The Historie of the Reformation of Religioun within the Realm of Scotland. The Excessively Rare First Edition. Sm. 8vo, orig. calf, with ties. [Edinburgh (but printed in London), Vautrollier, 1584]. £15 15S 'After John Knox's Death the General Assembly granted Bannatyne (40 (March, 1572-3), to enable him to put in order Knox's Manuscript History of the Reformation' (which he had completed as far as 1564 ?), but nothing was heard again of the work till 1584, when Vautrollier printed in London the first three books. The Printer had set up Sheets B to MM (pages 17 to 560), when by order of the Archbishop of Canterbury the entire impression was seized and destroyed, with the exception of the very few Copies sent away previously as the sheets were finished. The present copy is one that was issued as soon as sheet G" was printed. thus escaping. It consequently finishes on page 480. 145 LAMB (Charles). " SATAN IN SEARCH OF A WIFE; with the whole process of His Courtship and Marriage and who danced at the wedding, BY An Eye Witness. 12mo, fine uncut copy, with the original back and front wrappers, and bound by Riviere in full crushed levant morocco extra, uncut, t. e. g. London, 1831. £12 125 Published without Lamb's name, at his own desire, although Moxon had advertised it " By the Author of Elia," upon which Lamb wrote to Moxon "I wish you would omit by the Author of Elia' now, in advertising that damn'dDevil's Wedding.' "This curious poetical ballad celebrates the Wedding of the Devil with a tailor's daughter; and it is a curious coincidence that the Vicar of Enfield. where Lamb then resided, had wedded a tailor's daughter.”—(Bibliography, 146 LAMB (Chas.). TALES from SHAKESPEAR designed for the Use of Young Persons. By Charles Lamb. Embellished with Copperplates. The First Edition. 2 vols, 12mo, fine copy in the original calf binding. London, 1807. £36 IN THE ORIGINAL BOARDS BINDING. 147 LAMB (Charles).—[White (James).] Original Letters, etc., of Sir John Falstaff and his Friends. Now first made public by a Gentleman, a descendant of Dame Quickly, from Genuine Manuscripts which have been in the possession of the Quickly Family near four hundred years. Frontispiece. The rare First Edition. Fcp. 8vo, original boards, uncut. London, 1796. Fine Copy. £9 9s The above work is by James White, assisted by his friend and Schoolfellow, Charles Lamb. 148 LANDOR (W. S.). The POEMS of WALTER SAVAGE LANDOR. London, Printed for T. Cadell, Junr., and W. Davies, in the Strand, 1795 A very fine uncut copy of the First Edition. 8vo, original boards, leather back. £15 15S Very rare in such state. 149 LEECH (John). ORIGINAL DRAWINGS. A Collection of 17 very clever Original Drawings in pencil by John Leech. Comprising several of his Sketches for "Punch.” The drawings vary in size from one inch to 9 inches, and are inlaid and bound, sm. 4to size, in full crushed levant morocco extra, g. e., by Riviere. £15 155 A charming series of Sketches by this inimitable artist. The first drawing. which is of large size, represents Mr. Punch kissing a charming young lady under the Mistletoe, and is probably a design for one of the Christmas Nos. of "Punch.” 150 LAW.-The Great Charter called in Latyn Magna Carta, with divers old Statutes, newly corrected. (At end) Thus endeth the boke called Magna Carta, translated out of Latyn and Frenshe into Englysshe by George Ferrers. Imprynted at London in Paules Churchyerde. Thomas Petyt, 1542. by 12mo, Black Letter, title within woodcut border. Hand- Contains besides Magna Carta, numerous other Statutes as Assyse of George Ferrers who issued this English Translation, was a celebrated Legal Orator, and in 1542 was elected M.P. for Plymouth. Through becoming a surety he was arrested on his way to the House of Commons and thrown into prison, which when the Commons heard of it, they immediately demanded his release which was refused by the Sheriffs. The matter was laid before the Lords and the Judges, and finally he was released and the Sheriffs sent to the Tower. This case established a precedent for parlia mentary privileges. (See also under Statham.") |