London: Adam Islip, at the charges of Bonham Norton, 1598. Fifth Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. Folio. Old paneled calf, with new spine and original red spine labels affixed. Besides the new spine there have been a few page repairs - primarily to arrest some minor tears. This edition was edited by Thomas Speght with assistance from John Stow, Francis Beaumont, Francis Thynne and Robert Glover. Woodcut title page and two woodcut divisional title pages. These two divisional pages are identical to the title page from the famous 1550 edition of The Union of the two noble and Illustre families of Lancastre and Yorke... by Edward Hall. This title page and those replicated within this volume are quite famous for their execution and detail. This is the first edition to include a glossary, a remarkable innovation for its time and is also the first edition to contain an engraved portrait of the author. Inserted after a8 is an egraved plate depicting "The Progenie of Geffrey Chaucer." It is worth noting that this was the most contemporary edition available to Shakespeare as he worked on his Troilus and Cressida. Scholars remain divided as to how much Chaucer's version influenced Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. This collection also contains several works now known not to be by Chaucer. The book now is extremely solid and pleasing and can be easily and safely studied and enjoyed. Now housed in a new clamshell drop-back box with leather label, lettered in gilt. There are included several pages with noticably different fonts, most striking at the headings. These pages match up perfectly regarding content and are clearly from a very early edition. This volume is complete save for the "Faults Escaped" leaf. This page is mentioned in Lowndes but no mention is made of this in either Grolier or Pforzheimer. See Lowndes p. 425; Grolier p. 35 and Pforzheimer pp. 176-177.

Price: $8,500.00