Sinker 814. BM 1405. The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia, written by Sir Philippe Sidnei. _London Printed by Iohn Windet, for william Ponsonbie. Anno Domini_, 1590. 4^o. (7¼ × 5¼). R. 10. With the Sidney arms on the titlepage. Collation: A⁴B-2Z⁸, folios numbered. Wanting A 1 (? blank). Epistle dedicatory to the Countess of Pembroke, signed. Printer’s note. This first edition is imperfect, breaking off in the middle of the third book. The division into chapters and the arrangement of the verse was the work of the ‘ouer-seer of the print’. The edition seems probably to have been printed from a corrected copy of the first portion of the romance left by Sidney in the hands of Fulke Greville, afterwards Lord Brooke (see Greville to Walsingham, August 23, 1586, in the State Papers, quoted by O. Sommer in Introd. to facsimile edition, 1891). The remainder of the romance was made up by the Countess of Pembroke from Sidney’s loose papers, and published by Ponsonby in 1593. The rarity of the present edition suggests that the publication of the complete work was intrusted to Ponsonby on condition of his recalling the earlier issue. The 1590 edition cannot be regarded as surreptitious, but there was an attempt at a surreptitious edition in 1586, of which Ponsonby gave warning to Greville. This seems to be the only recorded copy having the printer’s name on the titlepage, which is otherwise printed from the same setting up of the type. The text is identical, but slight differences in the type seem to point to the present being the earlier issue. Sinker 634. BM 1405. The Countesse Of Pembrokes Arcadia. Written by Sir Philip Sidney Knight. Now the sixt time published, with some new Additions. Also a supplement of a defect in the third part of this Historie, By Sir W. Alexander. _London, Printed by W. S. for Simon Waterson._ 1627. F^o. (11¼ × 7½). F. 7. Title within ornamental border. Collation: three leaves unsigned, A-3F⁶, paged. Epistle dedicatory to the Countess of Pembroke, signed. Address to the reader signed H. S. Alexander’s addition occupies sigs. 2E 2-2F 5, and at the end is a note signed S. W. A. At sig. 2S 2 begins a sixth book with separate titlepage: ‘A sixth Booke, to the Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia: Written by R. B. of Lincolnes Inne Esquire. Sat, si bene; si male, nimium. London, Printed by H. L. and R. Y. 1628.’. Address to the reader signed R. B. (_i.e._ Richard Beling). At the end of the ‘Arcadia’ are Sidney’s miscellaneous poems, ‘Defence of Poesie’, ‘Astrophel and Stella’ and the entertainment at Wansted (‘The Lady of May’). This is in reality the ninth edition. SKELTON, JOHN.