Bibliographic Notes on One Hundred Books Famous in English LiteratureKent, Henry Watson
History
Bibliographic Notes on One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature
Kent, Henry Watson
Best books; English literature -- First editions -- Bibliography; English literature -- History and criticism
Marriot, the successful publisher of Walton's _Angler_
and some of Donne's books, issued the first part in three
different forms, large octavo, like our copy, small octavo,
and duodecimo; the last two sizes being sold for a lower price
than the former, to meet the popular demand for the work.
Besides these there is another edition, in three issues of the
same date, which has no name of printer or publisher in
the imprint, although, like Marriot's copies, it bears the
license, "Imprimatur. Jo: Berkenhead, Novemb. 11, 1662." If
it were not for this imprimatur, the following notice, which
appeared in the _Public Intelligencer_ for December 23, 1662,
would make it seem certain that the nameless edition was
really spurious:
"There is stolen abroad a most false imperfect copy of a
poem called _Hudibras_, without name either of printer or
bookseller, as fit for so lame and spurious an impression. The
true and perfect edition printed by the author's original, is
sold by Richard Marriot under St. Dunstan's church in Fleet
Street; that other nameless is a cheat, and will not abuse
the buyer as well as the author, whose poem deserves to have
fallen into better hands." But the presence of the regular
license brings us to the very probable theory that Marriot may
have issued both editions; the first without his name because
he was unwilling to allow it to appear until the fortune of
the book seemed certain.
Singularly enough, Marriot did not issue _The Second Part. By
the Authour of the Firſt_, which came out the next year in
two sizes, octavo and small octavo, _Printed by T. R. for John
Martyn, and James Alleſtry, at the Bell in St. Pauls Church
Yard_. Ten years later we find the volume being issued by
Martyn and also by Herringman.
_The Third and laſt_ | _Part_. | _Written by the Author_ |
_Of The | First and Second Parts_. | _London_, | _Printed for
Simon Miller, at the Sign of the Star_ | _at the Weſt End of
St. Pauls, 1678._ was only published in one size, the octavo.
We get an idea of the great interest the book created, when,
after a lapse of so many years, this last part ran into a
second edition in a twelvemonth.*
Mr. Pepys is our authority for the cost of the spurious book.
He says, in his Diary on Christmas Day, 1662: "Hither come Mr.
Battersby; and we falling into a discourse of a new book of
drollery in verse, called Hudebras, I would needs go find it
out, and met with it at the Temple: it cost 2s. 6d. But when
I came to read it, it is so silly an abuse of the Presbyter
Knight going to the warrs, that I am ashamed of it; and by and
by, meeting at Mr. Townsend's at dinner, I sold it to him for
18d." He afterward tried to read the second part, so we learn
from his notes dated November 28, 1663; but which issue he
used we shall never know. He says:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account