Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Politie, Eight Books by Richard Hooker. London: Will Stansby for Mat. Lownes, 1617. Fifth book title page dated 1616.
[Bound with] Certayne Divine Tractates, and other Godly Sermons by Richard Hooker. London: Henrie Fetherstone, 1618.
VERY RARE WITH THE 1618 IMPRINT OF CERTAYNE DIVINE TRACTATES, NOT RECORDED IN ESTC, AND THE 1616 IMPRINT OF THE SECOND ENGRAVED TITLE PAGE FOR THE FIFTH BOOK.
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These works have beautiful engraved title pages and stunning classic early 17th century typography. These were printed in the wake of the publication of the King James Bible in 1611 and the banning of the Geneva Bible in 1616. A fantastic example in a contemporary, probably original, full calf English binding.
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Size: 193 x 292 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[A1-2U6, A1-M4]
Contemporary full calf binding, rubbed with some loss to the leather as typical, notably along the raised bands, with loss of the backstrip at the head and foot. Generally shows very attractively on the shelf. Would benefit from the careful application of a leather conditioner. Shelf and edge wear with a little loss at corners. Joints rubbed and exposed but uncracked with both boards attached, the binding secure, and without shelf lean. Loss to front blank but remains present. Endpapers edge toned as commensurate with the calf binding. Occasional stamp of P P Benedictinos Biblioteca Chorrillos (Argentina?) with a scored out ink ownership inscription at the head of the first main title page dated 1734 and another below dated 1819. Some contemporary English marginalia with theological commentary discussing Calvin etc as well as some light pencil marks to the preface. Preface unpaginated as published but with pencil page numbers added, collated according to the signatures instead above. A small amount of loss at the head of F3 catching a quarter of the title but leaving the main text unaffected. Some wormhole tracks to some leaves but these are very small (pinhole size) leaving the text without loss of sense. An excellent example overall, collated as complete including the often lacking blank leaf 2U6.
[ESTC S483202].
