Herrick, Robert

8vo, FIRST EDITION, engraved portrait of the author by William Marshall (on verso of [A1]), errata leaf, three cancelled leaves (C7, N8, O8), divisional title page (dated 1647) and separate pagination and signatures to His Noble Numbers: or, His Pious Pieces, annotations throughout in the hand of Thomas Caldecott to c.50 pages and additional underlining of words and passages, tipped in leaf at front endpaper with a note in the hand of Richard Farmer about a portrait of Herrick ("...The print is extremely like Mr Sam. Heyrick, an attorney of Leicester in my memory...") and a subscription by George Daniel ("The above account of Herrick is in the handwriting of Dr. Farmer to whom this very beautiful copy in old blue morocco belonged..."), mid-18th century full dark navy morocco gilt, all edges gilt, binding with repairs along upper edge, lacking two silk ties spine rubbed, some spotting

"R. Philips. ex dono H. Aubrey Junioris"; Rev. Richard Farmer (1735-1797), inscription (his library, sold by Mr King at King Street, Covent Garden, 6 June 1798, lot 6303, where described as "Heyrick's Poems"); James Bindley (1737-1818) (sale of the second part of his library, sold by Mr Evans at 26, Pall Mall, 13 January 1819, lot 448); Thomas Caldecott (1744-1833) (his library, Sotheby's London, 11 December 1833, lot 583); George Daniel (1789 - 1864), inscription (his library, Sotheby's London, 22 July 1864, lot 801); Henry Huth (1815-1878), by descent to Alfred H. Huth, bookplate (sale of the third part of his library, Sotheby's London, 11 June 1913, lot 3627); John Whipple Frothingham, bookplate

Grolier Langland to Prior 441; Hayward 95; Pforzheimer 468; Wing H1596

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

ENRICHED WITH A VARIETY OF MANUSCRIPT NOTES AND WITH DISTINGUISHED PROVENANCE FROM THE IMPORTANT LIBRARIES OF FARMER, CALDECOTT, BINDLEY, DANIEL AND HUTH.

Herrick (1591-1674) himself considered Hesperides his "definitive life's work"(ODNB), and it provides the only printed record of his collected poetry published in his lifetime, accompanied by striking portrait of the poet facing the title page. Wood records that the appearance of this volume "made him much admired in the time... especially by the generous and boon loyalists" (Wood, Athenae Oxonienses (1721), 2.122-123).  

It is from Wood's account of the poet's life that Rev. Richard Farmer transcribes Herrick's biographical details onto a leaf subsequently tipped in at the front endpaper of this copy. Master of Emmanuel College Cambridge, Farmer's "bold black scrawl" (de Ricci, English Collectors of Books and Manuscripts (1969), p.58) identifies many of the books sold from his library on his death. From Farmer, the book entered the collection of James Bindley. Bindley, an "incurable Bibliomaniac", amassed an impressive library of English Elizabethan and Stuart books on which he spent almost his entire income.

The next significant hands this copy entered were those of Thomas Caldecott, barrister and literary editor. Caldecott's manuscript notes and commentary enrich numerous pages of this volume; he similarly annotated his copies of Milton's Poems on Several Occasions and Reid's 1813 edition of Shakespeare, both of which are now held in the collections of the British Library.

With additional provenance from the Daniel library and that of Henry Huth, whose "poetry and drama [library] were as complete as any man could make them" (de Ricci, ibid, p.150), this remarkable copy includes the manuscript or bookplate of each - save Bindley - of its owners, who are counted amongst most notable collectors of the last 250 years.