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Literature and History
Lot 88

RARE FIRST EDITION OF A BEN JONSON PLAY.
JONSON, BEN. 1572-1637.
Volpone, or the Foxe. [London: Thomas Thorpe, 1607.]

24 April – 4 May 2023, 12:00 EDT
Online, New York

Sold for US$5,100 inc. premium

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RARE FIRST EDITION OF A BEN JONSON PLAY.

JONSON, BEN. 1572-1637. Volpone, or the Foxe. [London: Thomas Thorpe, 1607.]
Small 4to (175 x 130 mm). Woodcut initials. Early 19th century red half Morocco and green marbled boards. Lacking first blank, title page (unsigned), leaves A1, B1-B4, and leaves O1-O2; A1 and N4 supplied from another copy; text of last 2 pages (from leaf O1) supplied in manuscript, spine perished, several leaves loose, including all of quire A, margins trimmed into headers on some leaves, some staining and soiling to edges.

RARE LARGE PAPER COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION of Jonson's Volpone, on thick wide-margined paper, with 49 (of 60) original leaves, and 3 leaves supplied from a standard copy. It is believed that only 5 large paper copies were printed, for presentation to Jonson's friends; the only other large paper copy known is the British Library example, a presentation to Jonson's friend John Florio. Arber III, 445; ESTC S122050; Greg I:259b; Pforzheimer 557; STC (2nd edition) 14783.

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