The First [and Second] Volume of the Ecclesiasticall History Contayning the Actes and Monumentes [...]. Also known as The Book of Martyrs. By John Foxe. London: John Daye, 1576, folios.
THE THIRD OF THE FOUR "GREAT" AND MOST DESIRABLE EDITIONS OF THE BOOK OF MARTYRS PRINTED DURING FOXE'S LIFETIME.
-------------------
The important third of the four lifetime editions of Foxe's Book of Martyrs, very rare in any condition, here a substantially complete, abundantly illustrated copy with noble provenance.
VERY RARE. 35 copies are recorded institutionally, about half of which are defective, many of which significantly so (see ESTC), and those in private hands are practically always defective most often lacking dozens of leaves and some or all of the four foldout plates. Only one copy is held institutionally outside of the UK and US.
-------------------
Provenance:
Contemporary ownership inscription of Elizabeth Galpind to verso of the colophon leaf in volume one (3X4), interesting early modern female ownership.
Later in the collection of the Countess of Blessington, Marguerite Gardiner, with her inscription to the front blank of volume one. She was an important Irish novelist and literary hostess, who "... exploited her plethora of influential contacts including Dickens, Disraeli – who wrote his novel Venetia while staying with her – Wellington, Captain Marryat, Bulwer-Lytton and Walter Savage Landor, and before long she was the nation’s highest-earning writer, enjoying an opulent lifestyle and presiding over London’s most influential salon. During this time she wrote novels, poetry, cod philosophy, travelogues and editorials, while serving as editor for popular annuals such as The Book of Beauty and The Keepsake. Probably her most popular and enduring work was 1834’s Conversations with Lord Byron, though her Idler in Italy, published in 1839, and Idler in France, released in two volumes in 1841, were also bestsellers." (The Irish Times, Martin Cohen, 25 Oct 2017).
-------------------
Size: 226 x 315 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
Vol. I: [(2), ¶4, ✠4, A–Y⁶, Aa–Yy⁶, AA–TT⁶, UU–XX⁴, (2)]
Vol. II: [(2), [1], A⁶, BBb–YYy⁶, AAA–RRR⁶, SSS–TTT⁴, AAAa–YYYy⁶, AAAA–YYYY⁶, AAAAa–MMMMm⁶, PPPPp², NNNNn³–⁴, (2)]
18th century full reverse calf. Spines with some loss; boards rubbed with expected shelf wear. The front board of vol. I and both boards of vol. II are detached but present. No bookplates. Two woodcut folding plates present, bound after 4M4 and 5F1, each laid down with loss. Text blocks generally clean and bright, with intermittent spotting and mild dampstaining. Abundant woodcut illustrations throughout both volumes.
Volume I: Gatherings ¶ and ✠ misbound but complete. First two gatherings with marginal losses, neatly repaired with blank paper; stain in blank margin of ¶3. Quires 3T6–3X1 with substantial losses repaired with blank paper; two leaves with loss to illustrations and some text. Final leaf (3X4) laid down at foot; contemporary female ownership inscription on verso. Lacks the first four preliminary leaves, including the title leaf.
Volume II: Title leaf laid down. Seven leaves (AA5, UU1–2, TTt3–4, AAA1–2) with repaired text loss, some affecting illustrations. Two leaves with loss to lower corners. The two surviving folding plates (of four) are laid down with loss. Several gatherings in the central portion of the volume with marginal edge repairs, generally not touching the text. Additional marginal repairs elsewhere, typically confined to blank margins though occasionally catching signatures. Lacks 5N1–2 and the terminal leaves after 5N4, except 5P2 (misbound before 5N3). Otherwise textually complete.
[STC 11224; ESTC S121348; USTC 508189; Pollard & Redgrave 11224].
