Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

The Royal Martyr: or, the History of the Life and Death of K. Charles I. [WITH] Eikon Basilike, or the Pourtraiture of His Sacred Majesty in His Solitudes and Sufferings [WITH] A Vindication of King Charles the Martyr

King Charles I.

London: Richard Royston, 1693. Third edition. Hardcover. Octavo. (1) 12, 288 (10), (1) 14, 272, 54pp. Modern brown leather with gilt ruling on covers, gilt tooling and lettering on spine; raised bands. Gilt edges. Marbled endpapers. Two frontispieces. Dedicated "To The Kings most Excellent Majesty Charles II. By the Grace of God KING of Great Britain, France and Ireland, &c." Soon after King Charles I. execution the "Eikon Basilike (Royal Portrait) appeared for sale, a memoir purporting to be written by the King. A parliamentary rejoinder composed by John Milton had little effect in view of the pathos of the royalist book. The copy bound into this volume is printed by R. Norton in 1885. All three works bound into this volume, the "Vindication" from 1693 being the second edition, with additions, are testimony to a controversial figure in history who was considered a "dynamic man of conscience" by some (Kevin Sharpe) and "the most incompetent monarch of England since Henry VI" by others (Barry Coward).

Charles reign included the first two English Civlil Wars (1642-1649), the second ending with his execution for high treason in 1649. The Civil Wars pitted Royalists against the supporters of the Long Parliament and the extension of the conflict after the King's execution in the third English Civil War ended with supporters of the Rump Parliament defeating the King's son Charles II. at the battle of Worcester in 1651. Some wear of binding along edges with scuffing of joints of spine. Ex Libris of Ivor A. B. Ferguson on inside front cover. Light sporadic foxing of some pages, especially at front and rear. Small printed clipping on Charles the first glued to lower left corner of inside back cover. Binding in overall good, interior in goo+ to very good condition. g to vg. Item #39361

Price: $650.00