Rees Abraham Longman Hurst Orme (1 results)

6 vols, modern green cloth, gilt spine-titles, all edges marbled, 4to. xi, [1], 766, [2], + [8], 871 + 1071 + 932 + 756 + [8], 461 pp and unpaginated index of approximately [258 ]pp. A sturdily-bound set with an interesting and strong association to the founders of Christian Socialism. The text is Henry Ellis's reconstruction of the unexpurgated 1587 second (revised and enlarged) edition, which was the edition used by Shakespeare for many of his plays. From the Oxford Handbook to Holinshed's Chronicles: "the Chronicles were at once the crowning achievement of Tudor historiography and the principal source for contemporary playwrights and poets, above all Shakespeare, Spenser, and Daniel. " From the publisher's 'Advertisement': "From the introduction - ".it has been a Law with the Publishers, not to alter a single Letter, but to print the Work with the utmost Fidelity from the best preceding Edition, with the Author's own Orthography, and with his marginal Notes. The only Liberty taken, has been to use the Types of the present Day, instead of the old English Letter of the Time of Elizabeth." Volume I has a presentation leaf bound in bearing a manuscript inscription to 'Revd Fred[eric]k D. Maurice' on the occasion of his second marriage, (July 1849) with 18 signatures below. This presentee is John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805-1872), Anglican theologian, one of the founders of Christian Socialism and co-founder and first principal of the Working Men's College, now 'Europe's oldest extant centre for adult education'. The signatories comprise most of the other founders and earliest supporters of Christian Socialism, including such names as John Malcolm [Forbes] Ludlow, Thomas Hughes (author of Tom Brown's Schooldays) and Charles Kingsley (author of The Water-Babies). Library stamps of the Working Mens College in each volume on lower edges of text block, and typically about 5 pages, a number stamped on each title-page, minor wear to edges and joints, contents mildly agetoned with just a few leaves being substantially darkened, scattered foxing, overall a Good set.