The Palace of Pleasure Volume I Part 4

[Transcriber's Note on Bibliographical Notices:

Bracketed text [ ] is in the original. Brackets are also used to demarcate footnotes.

Text originally printed in blackletter ("Gothic") type is shown between *asterisks*. Single asterisks are in the original text.

For complete notes and errata, see the end of the text.]

_BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES._

Of the first volume of THE PALACE OF PLEASURE there were three editions, but of the second only two are known. Each of these, all uncommonly fair and perfect, through the liberal indulgence of their respective owners, are now before me; a combination which has scarcely been seen by any collector, however distinguished for ardour of pursuit and extensiveness of research, since the age of Q. Elizabeth. Their rarity in a perfect state may render an accurate description, though lengthened by minuteness, of some value to the bibliographer. The account of them will be given in their chronological order.

_The Palace of Pleasure_ Beautified, adorned and *well furnished with Plea-* _saunt Histories and excellent_ *Nouells, selected out of* diuers good and commen- *dable authors.* -- _By William Painter Clarke of the_ _Ordinaunce and Armarie._ [Wood-cut of a Bear and ragged Staff, the crest of Ambrose Earl of Warwick, central of a garter, whereon is the usual motto HONI: SOIT: QVI: MAL: Y: PENSE.] 1566. _JMPRINTED AT_--*London, by Henry Denham,* for Richard Tottell and William Iones.[52]--4to. Extends to sig. Nnnij.

besides introduction, and is folded in fours.

[Footnote 52: Herbert has this edition entered as printed by Thomas Marshe, upon the authority of Mr. William White, p. 856. It was licensed to Jones as "certen historyes collected out of dyuers Ryght good and profitable authours by William Paynter." ib. 1319.]

This t.i.tle is within a narrow fancy metal border, and on the back of the leaf are the Arms of the Earl of Warwick, which fill the page. With signature * 2 commences the dedication, and at -- 2 is "a recapitulacion or briefe rehersal of the Arguments of euery Nouell, with the places noted, in what author euery of the same or the effect be reade and contayned." These articles occupy four leaues each, and five more occupy the address "to the reader," followed by the names of the Authors from whom the "nouels be selected;" making the whole introduction, with t.i.tle, 14 leaves.

The nouels being lx. in number, conclude with folio 345, but there are only 289 leaves, as a castration appears of 56.[53] On the reverse of the last folio are "faultes escaped in the printing;" and besides those corrected, there are "other faultes [that] by small aduise and lesse payne may by waying the discourse be easely amended or lightly pa.s.sed ouer." A distinct leaf has the following colophon:

Imprinted at Lon don, by Henry Denham, *for Richard Tottell and*

*William Jones* _Anno Domini_. 1566 _Ianuarij_ 26. *These bookes are to be solde at the long shoppe* *at the Weast ende of Paules.*

[Footnote 53: There is a lapse of signatures from O o. j. to A a a. j. and of folios from 145, (misprinted 135) to 201. What occasioned the castration it is impossible to conjecture; the volume is certainly perfect, as the table of Contents has no article for the omitted leaves.]

This volume is rarely discovered perfect. The above was purchased at the late sale of Col. Stanley's library for 30l. by Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Bt.

The second Tome of the Palace of Pleasure *conteyning manifolde store of goodly* Histories, Tragicall matters and *other Morall argument,* _very requisite for de-_ *light & profit.* _Chosen and selected out of diuers good and commen-_ _dable Authors._ By William Painter, Clarke of the Ordinance and Armarie. ANNO.

1567. Imprinted at London, in Pater Noster Rowe, by Henrie Bynneman, for Nicholas England.[54] 4to. Extends, without introduction, to signature P. P. P. P. p. iiij. and is folded in fours.

[Footnote 54: Herbert, 967. Entered in the Stationers' Register (as Mr. G. Chalmers obligingly informs me) in 1566-7, "to Nycholas Englonde."]

A broad metal border, of fancy pattern, adorns the t.i.tle page. At signature a. ij. begins the Epistle to Sir George Howard, which the author subscribes from his "poore house besides the Toure of London, the fourthe of Nouember 1567:" and that is followed by a summary of the contents and authorities, making, with the t.i.tle, 10 leaves. There are x.x.xiiij novels, and they end at fo. 426. Two leaves in continuation have "the conclusion," with "divers faultes escaped in printyng," and on the reverse of the first is the printer's colophon.

Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Nicholas Englande ANNO M.D.LXVII. _Nouembris 8._

A copy of this volume was lately in the possession of Messrs. Arch, of Cornhill, Booksellers, with a genuine t.i.tle, though differently arranged from the above, and varied in the spelling.[55] When compared, some unimportant alterations were found, as a few inverted commas on the margin of one of the pages in the last sheet, with the correction of a fault in printing more in one copy than the other, though the same edition.[56]

[Footnote 55:

It stands thus: The second Tome of the Palace of Pleasure, conteyning store of goodly Histories Tragicall matters and other mo- rall argument, very re- quisite for delighte and profit, Chosen and selected out of divers good and commen- dable authors. By William Painter, Clerke of the Ordinance and Armarie Anno. 1567.--Imprinted &c.

Similar differences are found in the earliest stage of the English press. Thus a copy of Caxton's Cato, 1483, in possession of the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re, has the first line

-- Here begynneth the prologue or prohemye of the book callid:

and in the fine copy belonging to the Library of Lee Priory, it stands

Here begynneth the prologue or prohemye of the booke callyd.]

[Footnote 56: The second volume is undoubtedly the rarest of the two. The industrious Langbaine does not appear to have seen it, as in the _Account of the English Dramatic Poets_, 1691, he refers more than once to the originals for stories contained in that volume.]

*The Pallace* *of Pleasure Beautified,* _adorned and wel furnished with_ Pleasaunt Historyes and excellent Nouelles, selected out of diuers *good and commendable Authours.* -- By William Painter Clarke of the Ordinaunce and Armarie. 1569. _Jmprinted at London in_ Fletestreate neare to S. Dunstones *Church by Thomas Marshe.*--4to. Extends to K k. viij, & is folded in eights.

The t.i.tle is in the compartment frequently used by Marsh, having the stationers' arms at the top, his own initials at the bottom, and pedestals of a Satyr and Diana, surmounted with flowers and snakes, on the sides. It is a reprint of the first volume without alteration, except closer types. The introduction concludes on the recto of the eleventh leaf, and on the reverse of fo. 264 is the colophon. _Jmprinted at London in Flete_ _streate neare unto Sainct Dunstones_ Churche by Thomas Marshe _Anno Domini._ 1569.[57]

[Footnote 57: Dr. Farmer's copy was Vol. I. 1569, and Vol. II.

1567. Purchased at the sale by Mr. Payne for fifteen guineas.

[Bibl. Farm. No. 5993.] The opinion Dr. Farmer entertained of their rarity may be given in his own words: "The _Two Tomes_, which Tom Rawlinson would have called _justa volumina_, are almost annihilated. Mr. Ames, who searched after books of this sort with the utmost avidity, most certainly had not seen them, when he published his _Typographical Antiquities_, as appears from his blunders about them: and possibly I myself might have remained in the same predicament, had I not been favoured with a copy by my generous friend, Mr. Lort." _Essay on the learning of Shakespeare._]

THE PALACE of Pleasure Beautified *adorned and well furnished* with pleasaunt Histories and *excellent Nouels, selected out* *of diuers good and commendable Authors. By William Painter Clarke*

of the Ordinaunce and Armarie. Eftsones perused corrected and augmented. 1575. Imprinted at London _by Thomas Marshe._--4to. Extends to signature O o, iiij. and is folded in eights.[58]

[Footnote 58: Hence Tanner and others have been erroneously supposed to describe an edition in Octavo, and I have seen copies where the margin, cropped by the intolerable plough of the binder, might have been shown in proof of the conjecture.]

t.i.tle in same compartment as the last. The introduction is given in nine leaves, and the novels commence the folio, and end at 279. The arguments of every novel, transposed from the beginning, continue for three leaves to reverse of O o iiij, having for colophon,

Imprinted at London by *Thomas Marshe*.

Seven novels were added to the former number, and the language improved.

THE SECOND Tome of the Palace of *Pleasure contayning store of goodlye* *Histories, Tragical matters, & other* Morall argumentes, very requi- site for delight and *profyte.* Chose and selected out _of diuers good and commendable au-_ _thors, and now once agayn correc-_ ted and encreased. By Wiliam Painter, Clerke of the _Ordinance and Armarie_. Imprinted at _L_ondon In Fleatstrete by Thomas MARSHE.--4to. Has signature Z z 4, and is folded in eights.

t.i.tle in the compartment last described. The introduction has seven leaves, and the "conclusion" is at fo. 360.[59] The summary of nouels, which stand as part of the introduction in the former edition, follows, making four leaves after discontinuing the folio. There is no printer's colophon, and the type throughout is smaller than any used before. The translator added one historic tale, and made material alterations in the text.

[Footnote 59: Folios 225 and 6 are repeated, and several others are erroneously numbered.]

With respect to the date the year 1582 has been several times given, and it is doubtful if I have discovered the source of the authority. Oldys, among the ma.n.u.script notes upon Langbaine, registers "W. Painter's Palace of Pleasure, &c. 4to. 1569, and in 2 vols. 1575, and 1582:" and Mr. Bindley, whose friendly a.s.sistance it is always gratifying to record, pointed out to my attention the catalogue of the library of the Honorable Bryan Fairfax,[60] where the volumes are increased in number, and with only a single date. It stands thus, Lot "336, Painter's Palace of Pleasure, 3 vols.[61] B.L. 1582:" again in the Osterley catalogue, p. 87, is No. "26, Palace of Pleasure, 1582."[62] To decide positively on such an unexpected repet.i.tion of the date made it desirable to obtain a sight of the copy.[63] That, with some difficulty, has been effected.

On visiting Osterley, strange as it may appear, I found the two volumes bound in one, the same editions as those now printed from, and both wanting t.i.tle pages!!

[Footnote 60: Prepared for sale by auction by Mr. Prestage, of Savile Row, in April, 1756, and sold by private contract to Mr.

Child. It forms the princ.i.p.al part of the library at Osterley Park.]

[Footnote 61: It might be expected that the third volume was formed by adding the inferior performance of George Pettie, who imitated our author's t.i.tle; but that was the article in the succeeding lot. Pettie's work is called: A pet.i.te Pallace of Pettie his Pleasure: contayning many pretie Histories by him set foorth in comely colours and most delightfully dis-coursed.

_Omne tulit punctum_, _qui miscuit vtile dulci_. Col.

Printed at London, by R[ichard] W[atkins]. n.d. but entered in the Stationers' books 1576. Again by Wolfe, n.d. and other editions 1598, 1608, and 1613. The contents of the volume are described in an article by Mr. Utterson in the _British Bibliographer_, Vol. II. p. 392. For an Account of the author see Wood's _Ath. Oxon._ by Bliss, 1813, Vol. I. col. 552.]

[Footnote 62: Cla.s.s (or rather case, the library not being cla.s.sed) IX.; division 2; shelf 7; book 26. This explains the numerals used in the Osterley Cat.]

[Footnote 63: To the unequalled store of bibliography, possessed by the Rev. T. F. Dibdin there has lately been added a copy of the Fairfax catalogue, priced according to the private valuation.

There may be found Caxton's Prince Arthur rated at only fifty-five s.h.i.+llings, and lot 336 (the P. of Pleasure) at _four guineas_: undoubtedly, from the above description in the catalogue, the copy was supposed UNIQUE.]

There is not much temerity in decisively p.r.o.nouncing that there never was an edition in three volumes; that the date of 1582 was intended by Oldys to be only applied to the second volume; and that that date was founded on an erroneous conjecture. Two of these points are already disposed of, and the last can require but few words. The translation of the tale of Sultan Soliman, from the circ.u.mstance of the dedication to Sir William Cobham, as shewn in a former page, must have been finished about 1557-8, and Painter, on the reprinting, mentions that fact as "twenty-two yeares past or thereabouts," which decides that the printing the above volume could not be later than 1580.

The Palace of Pleasure, as enlarged by the Translator, is now reprinted.

The text of the latest edition of each volume has been carefully preserved; except that, instead of numberless abbreviations, every word is given at length. The character of the work did not require such minuteness, being followed for authority; and the rejecting what might seem a disfigurement of the page, it is hoped, will obtain the sanction of the reader: and it may be observed, that in the later editions many words are contracted which were first printed at length, and others given at length which were before contracted.