20. Chaucer, Geffrey. Lidgate, John

Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.
Publisher: Kyngston for Ihon Wight, 1561. First Stowe edition.
Modern full ruled calf; black morocco labels. Folio, Black Letter. Woodcuts on title page with the armorial bearing of Chaucer; before Knight's Tale at B1; below the Colophon; and ornamental initial letters throughout. The title to the Canterbury Tales is enclosed within a large woodcut representing the family trees of John Duke of Lancaster and Edmund Duke of York. Top inch of title page replaced with Japan paper (not affecting text). This first Stowe edition of Chaucer's collected works contains, in addition to all the previously printed writings by the poet, a final section entitled "Other works of Chaucer, never before imprinted, as hereafter foloweth." Fourteen leaves of ballads, court of love, etc., were published for the first time in this 1561 edition, including: "A balade, teaching what is gentilnes" "A proverbe against covetise" "A balade against unconstant women" "Now all thing in this worlde is variable, save women only" "The crafte of Lovers" "A pleasaunt balade of women" "The X. comandements of love" "The IX. ladies worthie" "Certaine balades" "Now mercurie with the goddesses, appered to Paris" The 20th-century provenance of this rare volume is documented on its endpapers. Ex Libris bookplates inside its front cover record the following owners: The Library of Wellesley College (presented by Mr. and Mrs. Durant); George Herbert Palmer; Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Kennedy Morse Opposite the bookplates is a letter which reads: "This copy of the Works of Chaucer, 1561, bearing the stamp of Wellesley College on its title, has been sold as a duplicate. (signed) Henriette St. B. Brooks, Librarian, Wellesley College, 15 Jan. 1912." Attached to an endpaper at the back of the volume is a letter from Cris Clair Takacs of Chardon, Ohio recording the procedures used to rebind the text in English calf in 1994. Inside the back cover are three printed descriptions of the volume from antiquarian dealers. A fourth paper label reads "Bought of N. R. Campbell and Co. Booksellers, Harvard Square."

8000/12000     SOLD: $7,015.00

Condition: Fine.