Book Description

First edition. Folio, fols. [ii] 737 [xi]. Text in Latin. Printer’s vignette to title-page, woodcut initials and head- and end-pieces. Ink spot to bottom edge encoaching very slightly onto bottom margin. Very light toning to edges, 2P4 with paper flaw causing ragged fore-edge, a few other very minor paper flaws. 18th-century vellum, title inked to spine in an old hand and partially obscured by a recent brown and gilt title label, edges sprinkled dark blue, an old catalogue entry pasted to ffep. Vellum a little darkened with some marks and scuffs, fore-edges worn with boards partly exposed, still very good overall.
Dealer Notes
First complete edition, of Johnston’s history of England and Scotland; parts of which had already been published in English. The work covers the period 1572-1628, during all of which time King James VI and I was reigning in Scotland or also England. Johnston (1567?-1639) was a member of the first class to graduate from the University of Edinburgh (M.A., 1587), and spent his working life as a clerk in London.
“‘A work of great merit, whether we consider the judicious structure of the narrative, the sagacity of the reflections, the acute discernment of characters, or the classical structure of the style’ - Lord Woodhouselee” (Lowndes).
Lowndes 1223:
Author Johnston, Robert:
Date 1655.
Publisher Amstelaedami [Amsterdam]: sumptibus Joannis Ravesteynii [colophon:Goudae [Gouda], typis Guilielmi van der Hoeve.]

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