Lot 211
Anderton, Lawrence
Rare Books, Maps and Manuscripts
Auction: 11 January 2012 at 11:00 GMT
Description
The Protestants apologie for the Roman Church. [St. Omer: English College Press], 1608. First edition thus, 4to., pp. [xxvi] 56 [iv] 57-751 [i.e. 756] [lxxii], woodcut initials and ornaments, contemporary polished calf, joints cracked, small chip at foot of spine, title page a little browned and frayed at outer edge, touching one letter; two small holes to title and subsequent page affecting three letters, small water stain to lower outer blank corner of a couple of prelims, early ownership inscription of Thomas Clark on the title page
Footnote
Note: STC 3604.5; Milward, Religious Controversies of the Jacobean Age, 514; Lowndes I, p. 262. An expanded version of Brerely's 1604 Apologie of the Roman Church.
Brerely was a pseudonym, and the true author is supposed to be the seminary priest Lawrence Anderton, though the text is sometimes attributed to James Anderton. It represents the beginnings of a new sort of controversial literature that aimed to refute its opponents using his, or his supporters', own words. This work aimed to establish Catholic claims "by the testimonies of the learned Protestants themselves". The original version proved "something of a sensation" on publication and was "frequently praised and imitated
by subsequent Catholic apologists" (Milward).
Provenance: Armorial bookplate of the Earls of Macclesfield on pastedown and armorial blind stamp to title. Thomas Clark was a favourite of the first Earl of Macclesfield, and, possibly, his illegitimate son. Educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, he became Master of the Rolls in 1754. At his death, he left his monies and books to the then Earl.