CAMDEN'S IMPORTANT 1630 HISTORY OF ELIZABETH I, "AMONG THE BEST HISTORICAL PRODUCTIONS COMPOSED BY AN ENGLISHMAN" (HUME), FIRST COMPLETE EDITION IN ENGLISH

CAMDEN, William. The Historie of the Most Renowned and Victorious Princesse Elizabeth, Late Queene of England. London: Benjamin Fisher, 1630. Small folio, contemporary full mottled dark brown calf rebacked with original elaborately gilt-decorated spine laid down, raised bands, red morocco spine label; pp. (xxii), 138, 120, 104, (6), 105-148, 224, (20).

First complete edition in English of Camden's important history of Elizabeth I—"among the best historical productions which have yet been composed by an Englishman" (Hume)—with fine engraved frontispiece portrait of the Queen, very scarce in contemporary calf boards. The copy of Thomas Hanmer, important 18th-century editor of Shakespeare.

This "most exquisite history" (Lowndes, 358) by the greatest Renaissance historian (and teacher of Ben Jonson) granted William Camden full "claim to be considered as the founder, not merely of antiquarian studies, but also of the study of modern history" (PMM 101). His "friend and patron, Lord Burleigh, had in 1597, a year before his death, urged Camden to compile a history of the reign of Elizabeth. His lordship had carefully noted the events and actors of the time, and his information and literary records were of invaluable assistance to the historian." In his History of England Hume notes that this work "is written with simplicity of expression, very rare in that age, and with a regard to truth. It would not, perhaps, be too much to affirm that it is among the best historical productions which have yet been composed by any Englishman." "With William Camden the chronicle reached its zenith" (Kunitz & Haycraft, 82). Although the first part of his work (covering 1558, the first year of Elizabeth's reign, through the end of 1588) was published in Latin in 1615 as Annales Rerum Anglicarum, Camden requested that the final part (from 1589 through Elizabeth's death in 1603) be published posthumously. Camden died in 1623 and the final part appeared in 1625, again in Latin. The English translation of the first part appeared in 1625 and of the second part in 1629. This 1630 edition is the first complete edition in English of the entire work: "To the Reader" signed in print, "R.N." for Robert Norton. Each book separately paginated, with continuous register. Illustrated with splendid engraved frontispiece portrait of Queen Elizabeth. With elaborate woodcut-engraved initials, ornamental head- and tailpieces. Occasional mispagination as issued without loss of text. With an engraved portrait of Camden tipped in before the frontispiece. STC 4500. See Wing C363A; CBEL I:827. Contemporary owner signature on title page with a date of 1668. With the bookplate of Thomas Hanmer tipped to the verso of the title page. In addition to producing a renowned early edition of Shakespeare, Hamner briefly served as Speaker of the House of Commons (1714-15); he is remembered today as being "among of the last of the amateurs" to produce a significant edition of Shakespeare, which first appeared in 1743-44 (Franklin, Shakespeare Domesticated, 19).

Cropped a bit close, occasionally just touching header; text generally fine, with a two small paper flaws affecting a few letters only, faint marginal dampstain to frontispiece. Contemporary binding very handsome.