The Workes of Our Ancient and Learned English Poet, edited by Thomas Speight, black letter, double column, engraved frontispiece portrait surrounded by a genealogical chart of his “Progenie” (fore-margin shaved with loss to outer rule border), title within wide architectural border, 3 parts titles within wide historiated borders, full-page arms on verso of A6, woodcut illustration of the Knight at the head of the text, decorative initials, without 2 blanks, 4 lines excised from fol.32 (filled in blank), fol.374 with lower fore-corner torn, and one small hole with loss of a couple of letters, some browning, nineteenth century morocco gilt, sides with panels and corner-pieces, spine tooled with 2 lettering labels in six compartments within raised bands, g.e., rubbed at extremities [ESTC S111945; Pforzheimer 177, variant imprint], folio (300 x 195mm.), Printed by Adam Islip, at the charges of Thomas Wight, 1598

Footnotes

The sixth edition of Chaucer and the first to be edited by Thomas Speight, “who had the assistance of John Stowe, Francis Thynne, Francis Beaumont, the elder, and Robert Glover. The most remarkable feature of this edition is the glossary which was largely the editor’s production” (Pforzheimer).

Provenance: Alexander Bannatyne Stewart, nineteenth century bookplate.