[Ariosto, Ludovico]

4to (10 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.; 270 x 197 mm). Engraved allegorical title-page by Thomas Cockson (Colvin, p. 58) with medallion portrait of the translator (Hind, Engraving in England I, no. 15), 46 full-page text illustrations, all in bright contemporary hand coloring heightened with gold, large woodcut printer's device with colophon on last leaf; some marginal soiling throughout with marginal dampstain on page 21, soil mark in lower margin of page 64 and rubbing on image affecting one face, small tear in lower and in gutter margin of title entering image, small tear in outer margin of leaf A1 ("Advertisement to the Reader") mended with cello tape. Contemporary calf, gilt-tooled in a panel design with fleur-de-lys stamps at corners of central frame and leafy spray stamps at four corners, spine richly gilt in compartments, later ms. paper label on spine, in a red half-morocco drop-box; rebacked with original spine laid down, corners mended.

Contemporary signature erased from blank portion of title — initials "E. G. C." in gilt on spine — Hopetoun House (presentation label from [Samuel?] Martin dated 1822, and bookplate) — W. A. White (signature dated 4 June 1890, his catalogue, p. 46) — A.S.W. Rosenbach (at the time of the Pforzheimer catalogue, 1940) — Arthur Houghton (sale, Christie's, 13 June 1979, lot 10) — Sotheby's 27 September 1988, lot 107 (unnamed consignor)

STC 746; Pforzheimer 447; Grolier, Langland to Wither 130

First edition in English, one of five known copies re-imposed on quarto paper and one of eight colored copies known (three of which are folio issues).

The project of a colored issue of this work is recorded (Greg, Stationer's Company Court Records, p. 46), and Pforzheimer points out two known copies so colored, the present Houghton copy, and the Bemis copy (in folio). The engravings are close copies of Girolamo Porro's illustrations for the Venice edition of 1584, done by several unnamed hands (Colvin suspects Jodocus Hondius was one).

Some copies have a printed slip pasted onto the title with the word "Esquire" below Harington's name, not found in this copy which has the word written in a contemporary hand.