Herbert, Edward, Baron of Cherbury

8vo (6 1/4 x 3 5/8 in.; 158 x 92 mm). Typographic and woodcut headpieces, decorative woodcut initials; the editor's name "Henry Herbert" written on the title, small hole in blank portion of title, some soiling and spotting, light dampstains in lower portion, lower outer corner of a few leaves torn without loss. Contemporary red morocco, gilt double-fillet border, triple-fillet central panels with small floral cornerpieces and floral stamps at four corners, gilt-stamped armorial supralibros imposed later; rebacked, hinges cracked and corners torn with some mends.

Thomas Davies (manuscript ex libris dated 25 April 1812) — Colonel C.H. Wilkinson (armorial bookplate, Sotheby's, 24 October 1960, lot 233 "arms of a Royal Duke"). acquisition: Bernard Quaritch

Wing H1508; ESTC R2279; see J. Hayward, comp., English Poetry : a catalogue of first & early editions of works of the English poets from Chaucer to the present day, exhibited by the National Book League at 7 Albemarle Street, London (1947)

the editor's name "Henry Herbert" written on the title, small hole in blank portion of title, some soiling and spotting, light dampstains in lower portion, lower outer corner of a few leaves torn without loss. Contemporary red morocco, gilt double-fillet border, triple-fillet central panels with small floral cornerpieces and floral stamps at four corners, gilt-stamped armorial supralibros imposed later; hinges cracked and corners torn with some mends.
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First edition. "An edition of Herbert's poems in English and in Latin (but not including the three that appeared in 1645) was published by Sir Henry Herbert, his brother, in 1665. While the poems show the influence of John Donne and Giambattista Marino, the later ones in particular show qualities that suggest that Herbert may be considered to be an unwarrantably neglected poet" (ONDB). A rare book in the trade, there being no copy offered at auction in the past fifty years.

The present volume was exhibited at the National Book League exhibition in 1947 (no. 114). That catalogue entry (a copy of which is laid in the present volume) devotes itself to identifying the armorial supralibros (rather than extolling the virtues of the poetry), and arriving at the unlikely conclusion that they are of Charles I as Duke of York.