Hudibras First Second Third Last, First Edition (4 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Good. 1st Edition. London: Printed by T. N. for Henry Herringman (Part I); Printed by T. H. for T. Sawbrudge, R. Bentley and G. Wells (Part II); Printed for Robert Horne (Part III), 1684 First Edition Thus. This is the first edition with the three parts published together; originally published in 1663 (Part I), 1664 (Part II) and 1678 (Part III). Recently rebound in full leather with gilt titles to a dark brown calf label, text block tight and intact, pages tanned with some minor foxing. Hole to the margin of page 19/20 of Part III without loss to the text. Part I 1-221, [1]pp; Part II 223-412pp; Part III 254pp. Hudibras is a vigorous satirical poem, written in a mock-heroic style by Samuel Butler (16131680), and first published in three parts in 1663, 1664 and 1678. The action is set in the last years of the Interregnum, around 165860, immediately before the restoration of Charles II as king in May 1660. The story shows Hudibras, a knight and colonel in the Parliamentary army, being regularly defeated, sometimes by the skills and courage of women, and ends with a witty and detailed declaration that women are superior to men. Provenance: no bookplates or signatures. Approximately 7 inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine very good condition gilt titles and decoration to gilt lined label, gilt lined raised bands to plain compartments. Joints very good condition. Corners very good condition. Boards very good condition blind stamped tooling. Page edges good condition all red, top edges slightly darkened. See above and photos. Internally Hinges very good condition sound and strong. Paste downs very good condition new paste downs. End papers good condition tanned end papers. Title good condition lightly tanned, minor foxing. Pages good condition tanning and foxing, hole to the margin of page 19/20 of Part III without loss to the text. Binding good condition attractive. See photos. Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 1684 Binding: Hardback.

Leder. Condition: Gut. *** "Die schärfste und derbste Verspottung des Puritanismus unter Oliver Cromwell" *** (Butler, Samuel). Hudibras. The first-[und] the second [und] the third and last part. Written in the time of the late wars. Corrected and amended with several additions and annotations. London. 1684. [2], 221, [1]; [2] S.; S. 223-412; [2], 254 S. 8°. Dunkelbraunes Leder der Zeit mit einstigem Rückenschild. stärker beschabt, bestoßen und bekratz sowie berieben, Gelenke brüchig, Vorderdeckel lose, mit Fehlstellen und Läsuren, etwas fleckig, aber gut restaurierbarer zeitgenössischer Einband. Überaus seltener, besonders früher, posthumer Druck des berühmtenVersgedichts ĞHudibrasğ von dem aus Strensham, im Worcestershire stammenden Schriftsteller und Dichter Samuel Butler (1612-1680), der als Bauernsohn gebürtig, sich in der Bibliothek der Gräfin Elisabeth von Kent autodidaktisch bildete. Als Bursche des Samuel Luke, der Offizier Oliver Cromwells war, kam er mit ebenso fanatischen wie sektiererischen Puritanern zusammen, was ihm dermaßen Eindruck machte, das er daraus sein großes burleskes Versepos ĞHudibrasğ komponierte (Erstdruck Teil I 1663, Teil II 1664 und Teil III 1678). William Hogarth war so begeistert von den deftigen Szenen, dass er 1744 eine illustrierte Prachtausgabe des ĞHudibrasğ herausbrachte. ĞAus diesem in achthebigen Reimpaaren verfaßten Werk, das man trotz des Fehlens einer durchgehenden Handlung oft als heroikomisches Epos bezeichnet hat, beruht Butlers literarischer Nachruhm. Mit Ausnahme des ersten Teils, den der Dichter nach eigener Aussage bereits während des Bürgerkriegs und in den Jahren des Commonwealth unter Cromwell geschrieben hat, entstand die Satire in der Restaurationsperiode, als nach dem bigotten Regime der Puritaner Lebensfreude, als Witz und Humor auch in der Literatur wieder zu ihrem Recht kamen. Der Hudibras ist nicht nur die schärfste und derbste Verspottung des Puritanismus jener Zeit, er gilt auch trotz vieler formaler und stilistische Schwächen als die gelungenste englische Burleske überhauptğ (KNLL III, 424f.). ĞAt the age of fifty Butler suddenly became famous. Fifteen years before, in the puritan houses where he had lived, he had strung his pungent observations and jingling satirical rhymes into a long heroi-comic poem. The times had changed, and this could now be produced without offence to the ruling powers. On 11 Nov. 1662 was licensed, and early in 1663 appeared, a small anonymous volume entitled ?Hudibras: the first part written in the time of the late wars.' This is the first genuine edition, but the manuscript appears to have been pirated, for an advertisement says that ?a most false and imperfect copy' of the poem is being circulated without any printer's or publisher's name. Exactly a year later a second part appeared, also heralded by a piracy. The book was introduced at court early in 1663 by the Earl of Dorset, and was instantly patronised by the king. Copies of the first editions of ?Hudibras' not very unfrequently have inscriptions showing that they were the gift of Charles II to their first owner. Butler has himself recorded this royal partiality for his book: He never ate, nor drank, nor slept, But ?Hudibras' still near him kept; Nor would he go to church or so, But ?Hudibras' must with him go. The success of ?Hudibras,' and a rumour that a large quantity of Butler's unpublished manuscript was in existence, encouraged the production of a great many spurious posthumous collections of his versesğ (DNB 08, Buttler). Vorn und hinten minimal säureschattig, papierbedingt durchgehend etwas gebräunt, hier und da einige Fleckchen, aber kaum Papierläsuren, Bindung etwas schwach, sonst im Block durchgehend gut erhaltenes Exemplar in zeitgenössischem, restaurierungsbedürftigen Einband. KNLL III, 425. Reel 784:6.Wing, B6303.Wing, B6317.Vgl. Lowndes II, 334-335.

Two works in one volume, 8vo, pp. [ii], 206, 189-202, [2] blank; [ii], 223-412; [ii], 285, [1] blank, [1] errata; complete despite erroneous pagination; MS notes to the text of first part (see below); a bit browned throughout, but sound; in contemporary panelled calf, a little worn but sound, with old repairs to joints. First collected edition of parts I and II, and first edition of part III. Hudibras was perhaps the single most widely-read poem of the Restoration period, and in both this revised edition of the first and second parts, and the first edition of the third part, we have Butler's final text of the work: these are the texts followed by John Wilders in his standard modern edition of the poem (Oxford, 1967). Wing B6312 and B6314; see Wilders' edition, nos. C1 and D1 (pp. li-liii). Provenance. Early MS ownership inscription on endpaper 'Ed: Bunting', with a transcription of six lines from the first part (p. 18), and a translation of the same by 'Dr Harman' into Latin. Throughout the text of parts I-II, the same hand has noted textual differences between this edition and the previous ones (those designated 'A' and 'B' editions by Wilders). I cannot trace any Edward or Edmund Bunting as early as this signature (it cannot, surely, be the Irish collector of folk music, 1773-1843), but he seems to have been very diligent in comparing texts.

8vo. First edition, first issue, a large paper copy. 8vo. The first and second part of Hudibras were first printed in 1663; the third part first appeared in 1678. The three parts were not issued together until 1684, then again in 1689'. Grolier English 32 (FIRST PART); Hayward 113; Wing B6300, B6309, B6313 Original contemporary brown sheep, laid into a brown cloth drop box, hinge split. With the Seth Sprague and Ward E. Terry Bookplates First edition, first issue, a large paper copy.