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Full description: HOLINSHED, Raphael. The First and second volumes of Chronicles, comprising 1 The Description of England, 2 The Description and Historie of Ireland, 3 The Description and Historie of Scotland: First collected and published by Raphael Holinshed, William Harrison and others: now newlie augmented and continued with manifold matters of singular note and worthie memorie) to the year 1586 by John Hooker alias Vowell Gent and others. [London: at the expenses of John Harrison, George Bishop, Rafe Newberie, Henrie Denham, and Thomas Woodcocke, 1587]. [Together with:] HOLINSHED, Raphael. The Third volume of Chronicles, beginning at duke William the Norman, commonlie called the Conqueror; and descending by degrees of yeares to all the kings and queenes of England in their orderlie successions. [London: at the expenses of John Harrison, George Bishop, Rafe Newberie, Henrie Denham, and Thomas Woodcocke, 1587]. Second edition of the true Shakespeare edition. Three volumes bound in four. Four folios (13 7/8 x 9 1/8 inches; 353 x 232 mm)). [viii], 250, [iv], 202, [27, table], [1, blank]; [8], 9-61, [1, blank]; 121, 183, [1, blank], [10, table]; 431, 437-438, 431-432, 438-464, [16, table]; [viii], 132, 135-798; 799-1080, 1080-1189, 1191-1192, 1192-1371, 1371-1592, [58, table]. Seven title pages within engraved woodcut borders (McKerrow and Ferguson 147a,148, 122, and 138), numerous ornamental intials, head- and tailpieces. Black letter, double column. Index to Vols I and II divided and bound at end of each section. The History of Scotland is bound after the two parts of the History of Ireland in Volume II, as in Lowndes. Complete but with many of the usual excised leaves apparently supplied from 18th-century printings as is commonly found, and mostly in the third volume. Full 18th-century tan calf. Boards ruled and stamped in gilt. Spines ruled and lettered in gilt. Board edges ruled in gilt. Gilt dentelles. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. Green silk page-markers. Some rubbing and repairs along outer joints. Title-page for History of Ireland with a small marginal tear, not affecting engraving. Vol III, part I: Title-page is trimmed and mounted. There is some staining to inner margin. Volume III, part II with the penultimate leaf with repairs and the final leaf being cut down and mounted to verso. Previous owner's bookplate on front pastedown of each volume. Still overall a very good, clean copy. Holinshed s Chronicles was the source for many of Shakespeare s plays, including Richard II, Richard III, the Henry Plays, Macbeth and Cymbeline. The first edition of the Chronicles was originally thought to be Shakespeare s source, but the work of Boswell-Stone and Anders established this second edition as the true Shakespeare edition. The Chronicles were always politically sensitive. This newlie augmented edition contained several passages, which were brought to the attention of Queen Elizabeth I. These were mainly concerned with Anglo-Scottish affairs, Mary Queen of Scots, the Babington conspiracy and Leicester s campaign in the Low Countries. Elizabeth ordered the Archbishop of Canterbury to recall the book, which resulted in the numerous cancels to be found in volumes II and III. "In 1587 a second edition of Holinshed's Chronicles appeared. It was a substantial undertaking. The colophon to this text indicates that it was printed cum privilegio, that is, under a royal privilege, by Henry Denham at the sign of The Star in Aldersgate at the expense of John Harrison, George Bishop, Ralph Newbury, and Thomas Woodcocke. Holinshed's Chronicles of 1587 were castrated and reformed in three stages. The hands of Randolph, Killigrew, and Hammond clearly dictated the earliest stage of censorship evident in the earliest revised state of the text. Their work removed passages in the continuation of the Scottish history that might jeopardize Anglo-Scottish relations, especially those concerned with English intervention in Scottish factional p. Seller Inventory # 68909
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