Books and Manuscripts

Londini: Impensis Geor(ge). Bishop, 1598. First Thomas Speght edition (sixth edition of Chaucer's collected works overall). Edited by Thomas Speght. Folio. 28 l., ff. 394 (many leaves misnumbered), 13 l.; "Faults escaped" leaf wanting at end. Printed in two columns in gothic type. Illustrated with an elaborate woodcut general title-page; the rare full-length engraved portrait of Chaucer, "The Progenie of Geffrey Chaucer," by John Speed after Hoccleve (l. 6, recto); large woodcut Chaucer coat of arms (A6v); woodcut head-piece for "The Knight's Tale" (B1r); elaborate woodcut sectional title-pages for "The Canterbury Tales" (A1), "The Romaunt of the Rose" (Fol. 115), and "The Story of Thebes" (Fol. 369); numerous woodcut initials and tail-pieces. Three-quarter tan calf over old marbled paper-covered boards, stamped in blind, brown morocco spine label, stamped in gilt, boards and extremities rubbed; all edges trimmed; wear on front paste-down from now removed inscription; likely 18th-century ownership signature on front free endpaper, modern ownership inscription below same; margins of title-page worn and chipped, dampstaining in top of same from now removed ownership signature; prelims lightly to moderately soiled; contemporary inscription on verso of Chaucer portrait; scattered toning and soiling to text; small hole affecting a few words, bottom Fol. 54; closed tear, upper fore-edge Fol. 67; closed tear, bottom edge Fol. 113; bottom corner Fol. 150 torn away but not affecting text. Hammond, pp. 122-125; Lowndes, p. 425; ESTC S107208; Pforzheimer 177

A handsome and rare first edition of schoolmaster Thomas Speght's (d.1621) influential edition of the collected works of Geoffrey Chaucer. Speght completed this edition with the assistance of John Stowe, Francis Thynne, Francis Beaumont the elder, and Robert Glover. The text of this edition was largely borrowed from Stowe's earlier 1561 edition of Chaucer's Works, but is notable for Speght's inclusion of the first portrait of Chaucer (engraved by John Speed) and the first biography of the poet. Although the work contains many errors, as Speght admitted due to its rushed publication, and some pieces now known to not be by Chaucer, it is remembered for Speght's editorial work, in particular, his inclusion of a glossary of “hard words” to help readers understand Chaucer’s Middle English, as well as a list of authors cited by Chaucer. This edition--along with Speght's second edition of 1602--proved to be extremely influential to English letters and was the definitive edition of Chaucer's work read during the Renaissance and into the 18th century, and was used by luminary English authors such as Samuel Pepys, John Milton, John Dryden, and Alexander Pope.

This is the first issue (of three) of Speght's first edition that was published in 1598. The other two were printed by Adam Islip (ESTC lists Islip as the printer of this issue), with different title-pages and imprints, one with "Printed by Adam Islip, by the Charges of Bonham Norton" and another with "Printed by Adam Islip, and the Charges of Thomas Wright". We can locate only one other copy with this Bishop imprint at auction.