_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 title 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
title, 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 passed
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 title 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 title, 10 leaves. There are
xxxiiij 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 title, 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 Devonshire, 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