[Footnote 61: It might be expected that the third volume was formed by adding the inferior performance of George Pettie, who imitated our author’s title; but that was the article in the succeeding lot. Pettie’s work is called: A petite Pallace | of Pettie his Pleasure: | contayning many pretie Histories | by him set foorth in comely colours | and most delightfully dis-coursed. | _Omne tulit punctum_, | _qui miscuit vtile dulci_. | Col. Printed at London, by R[ichard] W[atkins]. n.d. but entered in the Stationers’ books 1576. Again by Wolfe, n.d. and other editions 1598, 1608, and 1613. The contents of the volume are described in an article by Mr. Utterson in the _British Bibliographer_, Vol. II. p. 392. For an Account of the author see Wood’s _Ath. Oxon._ by Bliss, 1813, Vol. I. col. 552.] [Footnote 62: Class (or rather case, the library not being classed) IX.; division 2; shelf 7; book 26. This explains the numerals used in the Osterley Cat.] [Footnote 63: To the unequalled store of bibliography, possessed by the Rev. T. F. Dibdin there has lately been added a copy of the Fairfax catalogue, priced according to the private valuation. There may be found Caxton’s Prince Arthur rated at only fifty-five shillings, and lot 336 (the P. of Pleasure) at _four guineas_: undoubtedly, from the above description in the catalogue, the copy was supposed UNIQUE.] There is not much temerity in decisively pronouncing that there never was an edition in three volumes; that the date of 1582 was intended by Oldys to be only applied to the second volume; and that that date was founded on an erroneous conjecture. Two of these points are already disposed of, and the last can require but few words. The translation of the tale of Sultan Soliman, from the circumstance of the dedication to Sir William Cobham, as shewn in a former page, must have been finished about 1557-8, and Painter, on the reprinting, mentions that fact as “twenty-two yeares past or thereabouts,” which decides that the printing the above volume could not be later than 1580. The Palace of Pleasure, as enlarged by the Translator, is now reprinted. The text of the latest edition of each volume has been carefully preserved; except that, instead of numberless abbreviations, every word is given at length. The character of the work did not require such minuteness, being followed for authority; and the rejecting what might seem a disfigurement of the page, it is hoped, will obtain the sanction of the reader: and it may be observed, that in the later editions many words are contracted which were first printed at length, and others given at length which were before contracted. In the punctuation some slight alterations have been made, where the sense or uniformity materially required it.