MONTEMAYOR, Jorge de (1519-1561). Diana ... translated out of Spanish into English by Bartholomew Yong. London: Edm[und] Bollifant for G. B[ishop], 1598.
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MONTEMAYOR, Jorge de (1519-1561). Diana ... translated out of Spanish into English by Bartholomew Yong. London: Edm[und] Bollifant for G. B[ishop], 1598.

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MONTEMAYOR, Jorge de (1519-1561). Diana ... translated out of Spanish into English by Bartholomew Yong. London: Edm[und] Bollifant for G. B[ishop], 1598.

2° in 6's (278 x 86mm). Title within woodcut allegorical border [McKerrow and Ferguson 167]. Woodcut tailpiece to the preface, woodcut historiated and floral initials. (Title with several expertly repaired tears, the longest across middle part of page affecting right-hand border and touching on two words, another affecting left-hand border, a4 with closed tear, A2 with lower corner restored, B5 with repaired tear through 11 lines of text, closed tear through much of text on F5, intermittent browning, E6r slightly soiled, final leaf soiled on verso, occasional thumb-soiling.) Olive morocco by R. Wallis, double gilt fillet borders and board edges, spine in six compartments with double rule and dots on bands, two compartments directly lettered, the remainder plain, gilt-ruled turn-ins, gilt edges. Provenance: Jacob Lyell (bookplate from an earlier binding).

FIRST RECOGNISED EDITION IN ENGLISH of Los siete libros de la Diana. Montemayor accompanied Philip II of Spain to England in 1554. Although of Portuguese birth, his great pastoral romance was written in Castilian and first published at Valencia, c. 1559. An earlier English version, adapted from a French translation, did appear in c. 1594 under the title Adventures [Headline: 'The troublesome and hard adventures in love']. However, Bartholomew Young or Yong (fl. 1577-1598) finished his translation sixteen years before it was actually published in 1598; like the original, it is partly in verse, partly in prose, and is dedicated to Lady Rich, the original of Sidney's 'Stella.' The episode of Félix and Felismena is taken from a novella by Bandello and reappears in Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona. Bartlett 265; STC 18044.
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