Lot 1169 , ° [The Workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed with dyvers workes which were never in print before....prynted by John Reynes....1542]. ie. lacks title - supplied in facsimile. The second edition of the editor, William Th

° ° [The Workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed with dyvers workes which were never in print before....prynted by John Reynes....1542]. ie. lacks title - supplied in facsimile. The second edition of the editor, William Thynne (the first being 1532). These were the original editions of Chaucer's collected works - earlier printings (from Caxton 1475 onwards) being mainly of only The Canterbury Tales. Added here, for this 1542 edition, was 'The Plowman's Tale'. The 3 'architectural' part titles are present for The Caunterbury (sic) Tales, The Romaut of the Rose and Boetius (sic) De Consalatione Philosophie; 20 woodcut illus. (of the Canterbury pilgrims) from the original blocks of Caxton's second (1483) edition, decorated initial letters, black letter in double column. Present are folios (x) and 1-366 (? ex382); signatures A4, B-Z6, Aa-Yy6, Aa-Ss6. Canterbury Tales part title with 4 line 1610 (?) ownership note at foot - (?) Richard Byrkhard; a few early marginal notes also present. Late 19th cent. calf backed marbled boards, blind decorated panelled spine, gilt lettered direct, folio. Provenance: From the private collection of the late Terry Jones (1942-2020), known for his roles as a writer, comedian, and member of the Monty Python comedy troupe.

Note: Geoffrey Chaucer, the father of English literature, and the first great English poet – establishing English as a major literary language. For these (Thynne’s) editions - The first major contribution to the existence of a widely recognised Chaucer canon (despite the inclusion of a number of apocryphal works). This edition not in Pforzheimer.
£2,000-3,000

Condition:
Text complete to f.366 (although some discrepancies in folicing this number is correct); contents lack Of the Cuckowe and the Nyghtingale; Scogan unto the Young Lordes and Gentylemen....; Dyvers Other Balades....; Colophon. Part titles (as general title) are pictorial and decorated within black rules, and all 3 bases of the pillars enclosing their titles have the initial letters 'W' and 'R' respectively, possibly having been produced for an earlier book - a not uncommon practice at the time. Other defects - f(2) heading The Preface cropped but still legible; clean marginal tears approx. 16; clean text tears approx. 10; Others -f.55 affects 6 lines (6 words r and v), most legible or sense present; f117 extends down most of edges (inside r and outside v) of columns, i.e. first and last words, unsightly but most legible; f.313 sm. hole over 2 lines with 2 word loss (r and v). Stains - mostly light, marginal and text legible; these more marked but legibility present - ff. 138-141 mostly gutter, 140r heavier, gutter and 9 words; f163 mostly marginal plus 10 words; f193r several ink splashes; f267 corner over few words; ff. 282-end corner stain and some touching text, more extensive along some top margins; 346r-350 scored quite neatly around some text cols., 354r marginal ink splashes; 366r marginal soiling over few words. nb. ms. marginal in - 16r 5 line note around top left corner, 31v 3 line note lower margin, 98v 10 words top leaf corner, 206r 8 words rh margin; Binding - some spine wear, minimal leather used for corners, e/ps. replaced (no blanks before or aft present); the facsim. title is 'acceptable'.

Sold for £4,800