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The Workes. Edited by William Thynne (d.1546). [London]: printed by [Richard Grafton for] John Reynes, 1542.
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CHAUCER, Geoffrey (c.1343-1400)
The Workes. Edited by William Thynne (d.1546). [London]: printed by [Richard Grafton for] John Reynes, 1542.
Rare second edition of Chaucer’s collected works. The works of Geoffrey Chaucer are profoundly important for their role in shaping both the English language and literary tradition. By choosing to write in Middle English rather than Latin or French—the dominant literary languages of his time—Chaucer elevated the vernacular and demonstrated its expressive power, helping to establish English as a legitimate medium for sophisticated literature. His magnum opus, The Canterbury Tales, opens the present edition and is handsomely illustrated by woodcuts produced from the original blocks used in Caxton’s first illustrated edition of 1483. The Tales provide a vivid panorama of medieval English society and showcase a rich diversity of dialects and social voices, setting a precedent for character-driven storytelling that endures in modern literature. His works mark a turning point in English literary history, bridging the gap between medieval and modern sensibilities and securing his legacy as the ‘father of English literature’. ESTC S107200.
Folio (325 x 222mmmm). 6pp. of late-18th/early-19th century manuscript preliminaries titled ‘Chauceriana: Consisting of Anecdotes of his Life And an Enumeration of all the Various Editions of his Works’, the third such page with small engraved portrait of the author, 3 additional portraits of the author including 2 by J. Collyer [c.1774], of which one hand-coloured, part-title to ‘The Romaunt of the Rose’ within hand-coloured woodcut border re-purposed as general title page with author, place and date of publication added in manuscript, hand-coloured part-titles and woodcuts within the text, woodcut initials, text printed in double column (lacking a total of 34 leaves [all before D1, as well as K5-L6, P4, S2, 2C3-2D6 and final two leaves], D1 remargined, first and last several leaves remargined, some wormtracks in gutter of a few leaves, repairs affecting text in N1, P3, Y6, Z4, 2E5, 2P6, 2Q4, and more severely in 2T1-4, R6-S1 and S3-Y1 misbound after 2A2, 2S1 and 2S6 inverted, some finger-soiling and occasional dampstains). 20th-century blue library cloth. Provenance: some early annotations, including one relating to the lightning strike on St Pauls in June 1561 – ‘John Williamson’ (inscription partly obscured on ‘The Romaunt of the Rose’ part title – Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire (book labels) – Liverpool Athenaeum.
The Workes. Edited by William Thynne (d.1546). [London]: printed by [Richard Grafton for] John Reynes, 1542.
Rare second edition of Chaucer’s collected works. The works of Geoffrey Chaucer are profoundly important for their role in shaping both the English language and literary tradition. By choosing to write in Middle English rather than Latin or French—the dominant literary languages of his time—Chaucer elevated the vernacular and demonstrated its expressive power, helping to establish English as a legitimate medium for sophisticated literature. His magnum opus, The Canterbury Tales, opens the present edition and is handsomely illustrated by woodcuts produced from the original blocks used in Caxton’s first illustrated edition of 1483. The Tales provide a vivid panorama of medieval English society and showcase a rich diversity of dialects and social voices, setting a precedent for character-driven storytelling that endures in modern literature. His works mark a turning point in English literary history, bridging the gap between medieval and modern sensibilities and securing his legacy as the ‘father of English literature’. ESTC S107200.
Folio (325 x 222mmmm). 6pp. of late-18th/early-19th century manuscript preliminaries titled ‘Chauceriana: Consisting of Anecdotes of his Life And an Enumeration of all the Various Editions of his Works’, the third such page with small engraved portrait of the author, 3 additional portraits of the author including 2 by J. Collyer [c.1774], of which one hand-coloured, part-title to ‘The Romaunt of the Rose’ within hand-coloured woodcut border re-purposed as general title page with author, place and date of publication added in manuscript, hand-coloured part-titles and woodcuts within the text, woodcut initials, text printed in double column (lacking a total of 34 leaves [all before D1, as well as K5-L6, P4, S2, 2C3-2D6 and final two leaves], D1 remargined, first and last several leaves remargined, some wormtracks in gutter of a few leaves, repairs affecting text in N1, P3, Y6, Z4, 2E5, 2P6, 2Q4, and more severely in 2T1-4, R6-S1 and S3-Y1 misbound after 2A2, 2S1 and 2S6 inverted, some finger-soiling and occasional dampstains). 20th-century blue library cloth. Provenance: some early annotations, including one relating to the lightning strike on St Pauls in June 1561 – ‘John Williamson’ (inscription partly obscured on ‘The Romaunt of the Rose’ part title – Historic Society of Lancashire and Cheshire (book labels) – Liverpool Athenaeum.
Brought to you by
Eugenio Donadoni
Senior Specialist, Medieval & Renaissance Manuscripts