The Whole Works of Homer; Prince of Poetts. In his Iliads, and Odysses.
Translated according to the Greeke, By Geo: Chapman. De Ili: et Odiss:
Omnia ab his; et in his sunt omnia: siue beati
Te decor eloquij, seu rer[~u] pondera tangunt. Angel: Pol:
_At London Printed for Nathaniell Butter._
F^o. (11-3/8 × 7-1/4). F. 4.
Engraved titlepage signed William Hole. Collation: 2 leaves
unsigned, replacing original engraved titlepage. * 2-6, with two
leaves inserted after * 5 (* 4 misprinted A 4), A-2F^{6}2G^8;
A3-6B-Q^6R^8 S-2H^{6}2I^8; paged. R 8 and 2I 8 in second alphabet
blank. Wanting the two leaves inserted in sig. *, and * 6, also 2G
8 (? blank). This edition is made up of earlier editions of both
parts; the 'Odessey' is also inserted between the new title-sheet
and the 'Iliad' instead of following the latter. The title-sheet
contains, engraved titlepage, with engraved portrait of the
translator on the verso; engraved memorial to Prince Henry on
second leaf. (In some copies the engraved titlepage is found
without the portrait on verso, and these seem to be the earlier
impressions.) This sheet takes the place of the original titlepage
(_c._ 1612-13) and the dedicatory verses to Sir Edward Philips
found in some copies of the original issue. Dedicatory verses to
Prince Henry, signed by the translator. Anagram on Prince Henry.
Verses to Queen Anne, signed. Verses to Viscounts Cranborne and
Rochester and Sir Edward Philips, occupying the two inserted leaves
(wanting in the present copy). Verses to the reader (first leaf
wanting). Preface. Errata. Twenty-four books of the 'Iliad'. Verses
to the Duke of Lenox, the Lord Chancellor, Earl of Salisbury, Earl
of Suffolk, Earl of Northampton, Earl of Arundell, Earl of
Pembroke, Earl of Montgomerie, Lord Lisle, Countess of Montgomerie,
Lady Wrothe, Countess of Bedford, Earl of Southampton, Earl of
Sussex, the Lord Warden, and Sir Thomas Howard, signed at the end.
The edition of the 'Odessey' had appeared in 1614, with an engraved
title 'Homer's Odysses. Translated according to y^e Greeke. By Geo:
Chapman. Imprinted at London by Rich: Field, for Nathaniell
Butter'. This and the blank leaf preceding it have been cancelled
in the present as in most other copies of the collected edition. In
some copies, _e.g._ in that in the Cambridge University Library, is
found a printed titlepage: 'Homers Odesses. Translated According to
the Greeke. By George Chapman. [Motto.] London, Printed for
Nathaniel Butter'. Epistle dedicatory in verse and prose to Robert,
Earl of Somerset. Translations of Greek epigrams. Twenty-four books
of the 'Odessey' with a few verses at the end. The present which
was the first collected edition appeared about 1616. It seems to be
generally assumed that the collected edition of 1616 contained, not
the 1612-13 'Iliad', but a reprint. Copies in this state are found
in the Cambridge University Library and the British Museum (G.
8837). The reprint, however, which appears in these copies must be
of considerably later date, as is evident from the constant use of
'v' medially. It was probably printed about 1640. Two of the
woodcut figures used as head-pieces were so used (with the same
break in the St Francis) in a book printed, probably by T. Harper,
in 1641 (namely the reprint of 'The Devil is an Ass' found in some
copies of the second volume of Ben Jonson's works, _q.v._).
Evidently the stock of the 'Iliad' gave out before the 'Odessey'
and the first part of the volume had in consequence to be
reprinted. Probably therefore the majority of copies of Chapman's
'Homer' described as being of the edition of 1616 were not in
reality issued till some twenty years later.