393 leaves (of 398, 5 leaves supplied in facsimile; 2 supplied from another copy). 41 lines and headline, double column, woodcut initials, paragraph marks and side-notes. (folio) 25x18.5 cm. (10x7¼"), armorial binding of eighteenth century calf over thick boards, upper cover with gilt lettering "Mr. John Berridge to Christ's Hospital" above the school's gilt arms, rebacked, edges restored or worn. Second Edition.
Second edition of Higden's universal history, printed by Wynkyn de Worde in the precincts of Westminster Abbey, at the press which he had inherited from William Caxton in 1491. The translation, by John Trevisa for Lord Berkeley in 1387, had first been printed in 1482 by Caxton, who modernized the prose, added an alphabetical table, and brought it up to date with a continuation drawn from various contemporary chronicles. The present edition is notable for the first appearance of printed musical notation in an English book. Occasional early ink marginalia and underlining in two or three English hands. Provenance: binding with stamp of John Berridge (1716-1793, Calvinist Vicar of Everton and author of sermons and tracts, much admired by Wesley), recording gift by Berridge to Christ's Hospital, London; Viscount Mersey, Bignor Park; collation note of Bernard Quaritch; bookplate of Walter Goldwater (died 1985, veteran New York bookseller, specialising in incunabula, chess, black studies and radical literature); Walter Goldwater Collection of Incunabula, Swann Galleries, December 1, 1983 (lot 182); Ned J. Nakles Collection of Incunabula, Christie's New York, April 17 2000 (lot 181).
Condition:
Some minor soiling and staining, slight worming affecting first 8 and last 30 leaves; bb2 and q1 supplied from another copy (the latter with side-note cropped), aa1, v3, x2, x7 and x8 supplied in facsimile; X1 rehinged, gutters of X3-6 strengthened, repaired tears to a5, g4,A1 & B1; aa8 remargined & repaired causing loss of several letters (supplied in facsimile); very good copy.