Johnson, Charles | The Hoe copy of a celebrated work on highwaymen

Johnson, Charles

A General History of the Lives and Adventures of the Most Famous Highwaymen, Murderers, Street Robbers, etc. To which is added A Genuine Account of the Voyages and Plunders of the Most Notorious Pyrates. London: Printed for & Sold by J. Janeway, 1734

Folio (353 x 223 mm). Title-page printed in red and black, 26 engraved plates by J. Basire and others after W. Jett and J. Nicholls, woodcut initials and ornaments; occasional light browning. Full red morocco, bound by Bedford, covers with multiple gilt rules, gilt floral cornerpieces, spine with raised bands in seven compartments, second and third gilt-lettered, other with repeat floral and filigree motif in gilt, all edges gilt, inner dentelles gilt, marbled endpapers; joints and extremities professionally refurbished.

First edition, and a tall, clean copy.

Johnson's famous compilation of excerpts from Alexander Smith's History of the Lives of the Most Noted Highwaymen, published 1714, and Johnson's own earlier publication A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the most Notorious Pyrates (1724). The book was published in 72 weekly numbers. "Charles Johnson" is thought to be pseudonym, and although his work was attributed to Defoe in the 1930s, this claim has since been generally rejected. Featured in this rogues' gallery are outlaws Sir John Falstaff and Robin Hood and pirates Henry Morgan and Blackbeard, among many others.

REFERENCES:

ESTC T112552

PROVENANCE:

Robert Hoe III (booklabel to front pastedown; sale of his library, Anderson Auction Company, 8 January 1912, lot 1797) — Sotheby's London, 11 July 2017, lot 55