"This little volume in calf binding, about 12mo size, is doubtless one of those referred to by Ed. Blount in his address to the Reader. The MS. is written in an exceedingly neat and small hand on the pages of the previously bound book, with margin lines ruled in red. At the top of the first page is written in a different hand, 'Edw. Blunt, Author.' The MS. contains 46 Characters in all, and is free from some evident blunders in the first printed copies, as if they had been done from dictation."
This MS. in the Durham Cathedral Library is entered in the catalogue (of the Hunter MSS.) as "Characters by Edward Blunt," and dated "about 1636," the date in the MS. having been overlooked.
Dr. Fowler in Notes and Queries, Nov. 4th, 1871.
EARLE'S MICROCOSMOGRAPHY.
| Edition. | Bliss, 1811 | Bliss, 1812-57. | Bliss Sale, 1858. | British Museum | Bodleian | ||
| "W. Stansby for Edward Blount,"[EV] | 1628(a) | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| "W. Stansby for Robert Allot," | 1628 (b)[EW] | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| "W. S. for Ed. Blount," | 1628 (c)[EX] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 4th | No | No | No | No | No | ||
| 5th | 1629 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 6th | 1630 | No | No | No | Yes | No | |
| "6th" | 1633 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| 7th | 1638 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| (A reprint of one of the first four) | 1650 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| (Very doubtful) | 1659 | No | "Mr. Gilchrist" told him he possessed a copy by the same printers as in 1669 but with "1659." | No | No | No | |
| 8th | 1664 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 9th | 1669 | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | |
| (1669 edition, with new title) | 1676 | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | |
| (Reprint of 1633 edition) | 1732 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| (1732 edition, with new title and small changes) | 1740 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ||
| (Reprint of 1650 edition) | 1786 | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ||
| (Bliss's edition) | 1811 | Yes | Yes | Yes | |||
| (Arber's edition) | 1868 or 1869 | Yes | Yes | ||||
| British Museum. | Bodleian. | Bliss. | |||||
| As to the three 1628 editions— | A is regarded as | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |||
| B is regarded as | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | ||||
| C is regarded as | 3rd | 1st | 1st | ||||
C has "Newly composed for the Northerne parts of this Kingdome."
F. Madan, Sub-Librarian Bodleian Library,
February 11th, 1897.
This table was compiled for me most kindly by Mr. Madan. It answers the question, what editions Bliss knew of at various times.