SAMUEL BUTLER
(1612-1680)
32. Hudibras. | The First Part, | Written in the time of the late Wars. | [Device] London, | Printed by J. G. for Richard Marriot, under Saint | Dunstan's Church in Fleetſtreet. 1663.
Although "written in the time of the late Wars," Hudibras was not licensed to be printed until November 11, 1662, two years after the reëstablishment of the monarchy, when a satire on Puritanism could no longer give offense to the ruling party. On the contrary, the satisfaction which it gave to the King and court had much to do with the great success it achieved. Butler himself records the royal favor:
"He never ate, nor drank, nor slept,
But 'Hudibras' still near him kept;
Nor would he go to church or so,
But 'Hudibras' must with him go."
Marriot, the successful publisher of Walton's Angler and some of Donne's books, issued the first part in three different forms, large octavo, like our copy, small octavo, and duodecimo; the last two sizes being sold for a lower price than the former, to meet the popular demand for the work. Besides these there is another edition, in three issues of the same date, which has no name of printer or publisher in the imprint, although, like Marriot's copies, it bears the license, "Imprimatur. Jo: Berkenhead, Novemb. 11, 1662." If it were not for this imprimatur, the following notice, which appeared in the Public Intelligencer for December 23, 1662, would make it seem certain that the nameless edition was really spurious:
"There is stolen abroad a most false imperfect copy of a poem called Hudibras, without name either of printer or bookseller, as fit for so lame and spurious an impression. The true and perfect edition printed by the author's original, is sold by Richard Marriot under St. Dunstan's church in Fleet Street; that other nameless is a cheat, and will not abuse the buyer as well as the author, whose poem deserves to have fallen into better hands." But the presence of the regular license brings us to the very probable theory that Marriot may have issued both editions; the first without his name because he was unwilling to allow it to appear until the fortune of the book seemed certain.
Singularly enough, Marriot did not issue The Second Part. By the Authour of the Firſt, which came out the next year in two sizes, octavo and small octavo, Printed by T. R. for John Martyn, and James Alleſtry, at the Bell in St. Pauls Church Yard. Ten years later we find the volume being issued by Martyn and also by Herringman.