Collation: A-2H62I4, paged. 2I 4 blank. Double columns. Dedication to Queen Elizabeth on verso of titlepage. Bks. I-III. Commendatory verses signed W. R. (i.e. Walter Raleigh) and Hobynoll (i.e. Gabriel Harvey). 'The Second Part of the Faery Queene', containing Bks. IV-VI, begins at sig. Q5 with separate titlepage 'Imprinted at London for Mathew Lownes. 1609.'. The fragment of the seventh book 'Of Mutability' first appears in this edition with head-title at sig. 2H 4. The copy described in the Huth catalogue, which has the date in the colophon printed '16012' belongs, as the collation shows, to the edition of 1611, and can only have the earlier titlepage prefixed. The copy of the 'Faery Queen' on the other hand in the collected edition of 1611, there described, is properly that of 1609.
BM 1439.
The Faerie Queen: The Shepheards Calendar: Together with the other Works of England's Arch-Poët, Edm. Spenser: Collected into one Volume, and carefully corrected. Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes. Anno Dom. 1611.
Fo. (111⁄4 × 71⁄4). F. 5.
Title within woodcut border originally used in 1593 for Sidney's 'Arcadia'. Collation: A6, with two unsigned leaves inserted after A 1, B-P6Q4R-2H6; ¶8; A-E6F4; A8; A-L6M2; first alphabet only paged. 2H 6, ¶ 8 and F 4 (second alphabet) blank. Wanting A 1 (first alphabet) (? blank). Double columns. Titlepage and dedication to Queen Elizabeth occupying unsigned sheet. 'Faery Queen' Bks I-III, with commendatory verses signed W. R. (i.e. W. Raleigh) and Hobynoll (i.e. G. Harvey) at the end. Bks IV-VI, with separate titlepage 'Imprinted at London for Mathew Lownes. Anno Dom. 1613.' (Some copies, vide infra, have the date 1612, but the difference is in the last figure alone). Bk VII begins with head-title at sig. 2G 6. At the end of this portion appears a colophon with the date printed '16012', followed by one blank leaf. The quire signed ¶ containing letter to Sir Walter Raleigh signed Edm. Spenser and dated Jan. 23, 1589, followed by commendatory verses signed W. R., Hobbynoll (these two same as above), R. S., H. B., W. L., and Ignoto. Also dedicatory verses to Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Burleigh, Earl of Oxford, Earl of Northumberland, Earl of Cumberland, Earl of Essex, Earl of Ormond and Ossory, Lord Ch. Howard, Lord Hunsdon, Lord Grey of Wilton, Lord Buckhurst, Sir Fr. Walsingham, Sir Joh. Norris, Sir Wal. Raleigh and the Countess of Pembroke, each signed E. S., followed by one blank leaf. The second alphabet contains the 'Shepherds Calender'. Separate titlepage with imprint 'At London, Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes, and are to be sold at the signe of the Bishops head in Paules Church-yard. 1611'. Contents as in separate edition, with same woodcuts. One leaf blank at end. The single quire A contains 'Prosopopoia' with separate titlepage bearing imprint 'At London, Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes. Anno Dom. 1613'. Epistle dedicatory to Lady Compton and Mountegle, signed Ed: Sp. The signatures are continuous throughout the remainder of the volume. 'Colin Clout' with separate titlepage having imprint without date. Epistle dedicatory to Sir W. Raleigh signed Ed. Sp. and dated, Kilcolman, Dec. 27, 1591. 'Astrophel' follows with head-title only. 'Prothalamion' 'Amoretti' 'Epitalamion' 'Hymnes' 'Daphnaida' 'Complaints' and 'Muiopotmos' have each a separate titlepage with imprint dated 1611. Some copies of the present volume appear to have been issued containing the 1609 edition of the 'Faery Queen'; copies in this state are in the Cambridge University and Huth Libraries.
BM 1438.
The Faerie Queen: The Shepheards Calendar: Together with the other Works of England's Arch-Pöet, Edm. Spenser: Collected into one Volume, and carefully corrected. Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes. Anno Dom. 1617.
Fo. (11 × 73⁄8). F. 6.
Title within woodcut border as above. Collation: A6, with two unsigned leaves inserted after A 1, B-P6Q4R-2H6; ¶8; A-E6F4; A8; A-L6M2, paged in first alphabet only. A 1, 2H 6 (first alphabet), ¶ 8 and F 4 (second alphabet), blank. Double columns. In this copy the quire signed ¶ is misplaced after the second alphabet, an arrangement also found in the copy in the Cambridge University Library. It is sometimes found at the end of the volume. The inserted sheet contains titlepage and dedication to Queen Elizabeth. The 'Faery Queen' is the same edition as above (1611), but has the date 1612 on the titlepage to Part II; so also is sig. ¶ and the single quire A containing the 'Prosopopoia'. The remainder is a very close reprint, the contents and collation being identical. The separate titlepages have dates as follows (they are all printed 'by H. L. for Mathew Lownes' except the first): 'Shepheards Calender' with imprint 'London, Printed by Bar: Alsop for Iohn Harrison the elder, and are to bee solde at his shop at the signe of the golden Anker in Pater Noster Row, 1617.'; 'Colin Clout' undated, 'Prothalamion' etc. 1617. The peculiarities observable in the various copies of the collected editions of 1611 and 1617 are best explained on the following hypothesis. On Sept. 3, 1604 W. Ponsonby assigned his right in both parts of the 'Faery Queene' to S. Waterson, who on Nov. 5 in the same year passed it on to M. Lownes, who published an edition in 1609. Two years later the question of a collected edition of Spenser's works arose. Lownes caused a complete edition to be printed, and at the same time determined to use up the remaining copies of the 1609 'Faery Queen'. Instead however of printing the new titlepage on A 1 he caused a single sheet to be printed containing title and dedication, which could be substituted for the 1609 title. A 1 consequently remained blank in the new edition as it is found in the present copy, and the title-sheet was inserted after it. The result of using up the 1609 edition was that the stock of some of the additional matter in the 1611 edition was exhausted before the stock of the 'Faery Queen'. In 1617 a new title-sheet was printed and prefixed to the remainder stock, the additional pieces being reprinted when necessary. Even now some of the original copies of 1609 remained and were issued with the general title and additional matter dated 1617. A copy in this state is in the Library. The first part to run out was the fourth alphabet containing 'Colin Clout' etc., which is always found reprinted in copies having the 1617 titlepage. Perhaps the next was the 'Prosopopoia' which is found dated 1613 in the present copy, but which is undated in the copy in the Cambridge University Library. This last-mentioned copy however has the original edition of the 'Shepherds Calender' dated 1611, while the present copy has the reprint of 1617. How this came to bear the imprint given above requires explanation. The editions of the 'Calender' of 1581 to 1597 were all printed for John Harrison the younger (i.e. John Harrison II) and he probably objected when Lownes issued the work with his own name as publisher in the collected edition of 1611. Before the reprint however was required John Harrison the elder (i.e. John Harrison I) either died or retired from business (1616), whereupon John Harrison II assumed the style of 'the elder' to distinguish himself from a John Harrison IV who had started business in 1603.
BM 1438.
The Shepheardes Calender Conteyning twelue Æglogues proportionable to the twelue monethes. Entitled to the noble and vertuous Gentleman most worthy of all titles both of learning and cheualrie M. Philip Sidney. At London. Printed by Hugh Singleton, dwelling in Creede Lane neere vnto Ludgate at the signe of the gylden Tunne, and are there to be solde. 1579.
B. L. 4o. (63⁄4 × 45⁄8). T. 9. 1.