Dekker, Thomas | Another copy, from the Duke of Gloucester's library

Dekker, Thomas

English Villanies: Seven Severall Times Prest to Death by the Printers…At the End a Canting Dictionary, to teach their Language, with Canting Songs … London: Printed by M. Parsons and to be sold by James Becket, [1638]

4to (174 X 130 mm). Woodcut of a bellman on title-page verso, title printed in roman type, text in black letter, woodcut initial, printer's ornaments on preliminaries; lower right corner of title-page torn away costing bookseller's surname and imprint date, title inlaid on another leaf, some signatures and catchwords shaved, title-page and terminal leaf lightly washed with residual soiling, inner margin of terminal leaf O4 neatly repaired. Twentieth-century straight-grained brown morocco paneled gilt by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, smooth spine lettered gilt, blue endpapers, edges gilt.

Another copy, which belonged to the Duke of Gloucester, fourth son of George V.

REFERENCE:

ESTC: S109529; Grolier, Wither to Prior, 252 (earlier edition); STC 6492

PROVENANCE:

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester (1900–1974, his bookplate on front pastedown with his monogram "H" encircled with the Order of the Garter and surmounted by a princely coronet)