Saluste du Bartas, Guillaume de
Rare Books, Maps and Manuscripts
Auction: 11 January 2012 at 11:00 GMT
Description
His devine weekes and workes translated. London: Humfrey Lownes, 1613. 4to, pp. (xxxii) 819 (xlvii) 87 (ix), engraved title page by William Hole after C. Swytzer (Johnson 26:4) woodcut portraits, eleven pages with printed central column containing the name of a muse, printed title pages with astronomical diagrams, dedicatory verse to Philip Sidney in the form of a pyramid with his armorial hedgehog at head, full page woodcut of the Garden of Eden on p. 214, white on black 'memento mori' on p. 669, full page woodcut of the Resurrection on p. 671; 'History of Judith' with separate title page with device, woodcut monogram of James I after dedication, large woodcut printer's device on recto of last, contemporary calf, gilt arms of James I and VIth in the centre of both covers, rebacked, upper margin of title page repaired without loss, light water staining at beginning and end, some marginal soiling
Footnote
Note: STC 21652; Lowndes II 679; Grolier I 244 (3rd edn., which has the same collation but not identical composition); Alden 613/5.
Fourth edition, corrected and augmented of Joshua Sylvester's first English translation of Du Bartas' (1544-1590) principal works, his great La Sepmaine on the creation of the world, La Seconde Sepmaine' on the deeds of the early heroes, Urania- a poem in praise of poetry which James VI of Scotland personally translated, an epic of the history of Judith and a very extensive collection of diverse poems
Provenance: 19th century Irish armorial bookplate 'Sir Walter's Study' on front pastedown. An old pencil note on front paste down describes this as 'King James' copy' - of which there is no evidence apart from the arms. It is certainly a work which the King knew and liked well and it could be from one of the Royal libraries; but books with the Royal arms were also presented as gifts, either in diplomacy or to mark favour.