Raphael Holinshed | Chronicles of England, Scotlande and Irelande. London, 1577, first edition

Raphael Holinshed

Chronicles of England, Scotlande and Irelande. London, 1577

FIRST EDITION, 2 volumes, folio (290 x 197 mm.), gothic type, titles within woodcut border with woodcut armorials on versos, woodcut initials, woodcut illustrations, contemporary russia gilt, gilt edges, marbled endpapers, lacks map of Scotland, vol.1: large dampstain to upper margin of title and preface, pp.187-8 with large closed tear extending down c.2/3 of leaf, vol.2: repaired worming from title-p.310 and K1-end of index (with some loss of text) and further marginal worming from pp. 1511-1752, joints starting

With an extensive marginal annotation by an early reader in volume one, page 11: "I pray thee (honest friend) how does this agree with that thou writest in the next treatise after this; which thou called "The History of England Fol: 147. Where out of good authors thou relatest, with much commendation the conversion of our forefathers from paganism and idolatry to the true Christian faith by St Augustine and his monks sent from Rome, and there shewest that St Augustine's religion and the Briton's was in all matters of faith the very same".

PROVENANCE:

Ownership inscription of "S[ir] T.G." to upper margin of title with manuscript shelfmark "G.4." in the same hand, presumably Thomas Gage, 1^st Viscount Gage of Firle Place, Sussex (c.1695-1754); later printed shelflabel "Case K. | Shelf 4."

LITERATURE

ESTC S93012; STC 13568.5