Bonhams 1793 : CECIL (WILLIAM, 1st Baron Burghley)] The Copie of a Letter Sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza Ambassadour in France for the King of Spaine, 1588

The Copie of a Letter Sent out of England to Don Bernardin Mendoza Ambassadour in France for the King of Spaine, declaring the state of England, contrary to the opinion of Don Bernardin, and of all his partizans Spaniardes and others. This letter, although it was sent to Don Bernardin Mendoza, yet, by good hap, the copies therof aswell in English as in French, were found in the chamber of one Richard Leigh a seminarie priest, who was lately executed for high treason committed in the time that the Spanish Armada was on the seas, 2 parts in one vol., black letter, woodcut device on titles, cropped with loss to side-notes, final 2 leaves repaired with slight loss of text, early twentieth century calf, upper cover detached [STC 15412], small 4to, I. Vautrollier for Richard Field, 1588

Sold for £6,875 inc. premium

Footnotes

FIRST EDITION OF THIS CONTEMPORARY ACCOUNT OF THE DEFEAT OF THE SPANISH ARMADA, previously attributed to Richard Leigh, whose name appears on the title, but generally thought to be by Cecil, amongst whose papers the manuscript was found.

There are several variant settings of the text. This copy has the second part ("Certaine late advertisements", relating to battles in the Irish Seas), and collates A-E4, F2, A-B4, [C]2, with the final line of text "Totall 17. ships of men 5394" on [C]1v, and {C]2 with table of additional ships. See illustration on preceding page. See illustration on preceding page.

Category: Books / Books, Maps and Manuscripts

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