Geoffrey Whitney | A Choice of Emblemes, and Other Devises, Leiden, 1586, 2 parts in one, the Landwehr copy

Geoffrey Whitney

Whitney, Geoffrey. A choice of emblemes, and other devises, for the moste parte gathered out of sundrie writers, Englished and moralized. And divers newly devised, by Geffrey Whitney. [part 2:] The seconde parte of emblemes, and other devises, gathered, Englished, and moralized, And diverse newlie devised, by Geffrey Whitney. Leiden: in the house of Christophe Plantin by Frans van Ravelingen, 1586

FIRST EDITION, 2 parts in one volume, 4to (219 x 163 mm), title-page within woodcut border, woodcut device of Plantin, full page woodcut of the arms of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester to verso of title, 248 woodcut emblems within woodcut typographical borders, nineteenth century brown crushed morocco, ruled in gilt, red endpapers, part 2 with repaired tears to d3 and d4 (touching text, but without loss), and to f1-3 (mostly marginal), some light soiling, extremities slightly rubbed

First edition of the first English illustrated emblem book, and probably the only English book issued by the Plantin Press, dedicated to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Geoffrey Whitney initially produced a manuscript emblem book which he presented to his patron on the eve of Leicester's journey to the Low Countries to lead an English campaign in support of the Protestant cause in the Netherlands. Whitney soon followed, matriculating at the University of Leiden in March 1586 and producing this printed work only months later. Whitney was able to make use of the stocks of woodblocks held at the Plantin Press, and selected around 200 initially used in the related works of Alciati, Paradin, Junius and Montenay. Fifteen newly devised emblems were created, using original woodblocks. Among these is the emblem dedicated to Richard Drake, in praise of his cousin Sir Francis Drake, the illustration for which is drawn from the crest on the coat of arms of Sir Francis Drake.

PROVENANCE:

Fountaine Walker: engraved bookplate; the John Landwehr collection of Dutch Emblem books: bookplate, his sale, Bloomsbury Book Auctions, 15 November 2006, lot 21

LITERATURE:

Landwehr, Emblem Books of the Low Countries 898 (this copy); Luborsky & Ingram, English Illustrated Books 1536-1603 25438; STC 25438