The Works Of that Famous English Poet, Mr. Edmond Spenser. Viz. The Faery (Fairy) Queen, The Shepherds Calendar, The History of Ireland, &c. Whereunto is added, An Account of his Life; With other new Additions Never before in Print. Licensed, October 24th 1678. Roger L'Estrange.
London: Printed by Henry Hills for Jonathan Edwin at the Three Roses in Ludgate-Street, 1679. Third edition. Hardcover. Folio. (12), 339 (1), 16, (8), 1-2, 10-11, 9-11, 10-11, 14-258 (Calen- in brackets, w/o advertisement leaf), 369-391 (1)pp. Rebound in 19th century full calf with gilt lettering and ruling on spine and raised bands. Gilt edges. Marbled endpapers. Frontispiece engraving, signed R White sculp, depicting Spenser's funeral monument. The title page is printed in double-framed red and black lettering. Decorative initials. (The editorship has been attributed, probably erroneously to Dryden. See: Johnson, F.R. "A critical bibliography of the works of Edmund Spenser," 1933, p. 53-56... Includes "Brittain's Ida" (First appears in the third edition)... The title words "The feary... &c" are gathered by a left brace / ESTC R7177/ Wing S4965). Despite erroneous pagination text printed continuously.
Contents: A Summary of the Life of Mr. Edmond Spencer (half-title); The Fairy Queen, books 1-3 (three half-titles); The Second Part of the Fairy Queen: Containing the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Book (title page with three half-titles); Two Cantos of Mutability: Which both for Form and Matter, appear to be parcel of some following Book of the Fairy Queen (half-title / Seventh book of the Fairy Queen); Prosopopoia: or, Mother Hubberds Tale (title page); The Shepherds Calendar: Containing Twelve Aeglogues, Proportionable to the Twelve Months (title page); Colin Clouts Come home again (title page) incl. Astrophel. A Pastoral Elegy Upon the Death of the most Noble and Valorous Knight, Sir Philip Sidney (half-title); The Mourning of Thestylis (half-title); A Pastoral Aeglogue Upon the Death of Sir Philip Sidney, Kt. etc. (half-title); An Elegie; or, Friends Passion For His Astrophel (half-title); Prothalamion; or, A Spousal Verse Made (title page); Amoretti and Epithalamion (title page); Epithalamion (title page); Four Hymns (title page); Daphnaida: An Elegy Upon the Death of the Noble and Vertuous Douglas Howard (title page); Complaints Containing sundry small Poems Of The Worlds Vanity (title page); The Ruines of Time (half-title); The Tears Of The Muses (title page); Vigils Gnat (half-title); The Ruines of Rome: By Bellay (half-title); Muiopotmos; Or, The Fate Of The Butterfly (title page); Visions Of The Worlds Vanity (half-title); The Visions of Bellay (half-title); The Visions of Petrach (half-title); A Letter of the Authors... (half-title); A Vision Upon this Conceit of the Fairy Queen (half-title); Brittain's Ida (half-title); A View Of the State of Ireland (half-title); Calendarium Pastoral (half-title); Glossary. (Thirteen title pages)
Exquisite 17th century edition compiling the works of Edmund Spenser (c. 1552-1599), one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English language. This volume contains Spenser's masterpiece, "The Faerie Queen", an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. Also included in this work, the author's controversial "A View of the State of Ireland", in which Spencer argued that Ireland would never be totally pacified by the English until its indigenous language and customs had been destroyed, if necessary by violence. The author even recommended scorched earth tactics, such as he had seen used in the Desmond Rebellions, to create famine.
Later binding with light scuffing along edges, front joint with 3/4 closed tear at head, back joint with 1/8 inch. Ex Libris of Seymour Nebenzahl and two bookplates of K. Perrin on inside front cover. Some faint inked names on main title page. Few short penciled notations in block. Light sporadic spots and light age-toning along edges in block. Good to very good condition. Item #49455
Price: $1,500.00