Britannia: sive Florentissimorum Regnorum, Angliae, Scotiae, Hiberniae, et insularum adiacentium ex intima antiquitate Chorographica descriptio;

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In contemporary glazed panelled calf, decorative blind tooling, corners worn. Re-backed, raised bands, gilt titles to black calf label. Internally, MS note in Latin, title page in red & black inks, [16], 671, [1], [2], 675-762 pp, [21] index, pagination errors at 220/156, 298/292, 477/447, 494/394, index with final page blank, later endpapers, bookplate to fpd, early Camden ms notes to ffep, title page in red & black inks, large woodcut & old repair, with the usual pagination errors, several marginal chips (with loss of several letters in shoulder notes), (191*116 mm). This History of Great Britain, was first published in Latin, in 1586; an English translation was issued in 1610. The product of ten years' work, Camden "had to get some knowledge of the Welsh and Anglo-Saxon languages, to read and read again both native and other historians, many of whose works still remained in manuscript. [The book's] success was great; nothing of the kind had been attempted since the days of Leland, and by him only in briefer outline" (DNB). Printing and the Mind of Man 101 (for the first edition), "William Camden has some claim to be considered as the founder, not merely of antiquarian studies, but also of the study of modern history. The long tradition of accurate and coordinated antiquarian study in Great Britain is almost entirely due to Camden." Nicholson, quoted by Lowndes, "The common sun, whereat our modern writers have all lighted their torches." Camden's Britannia was the most scholarly and detailed history and topographical analysis of Britain of its period, and represented a considerable advance on Holinshed's 'Chronicles' of 1577 (see No. 1531). It was originally published in Latin in London by Ralph Newbery in 1586 (STC 4503; ESTC s107379). An expanded second edition followed from the same publisher in 1587 (STC 4504; ESTC s107382), and a revised third edition came out in 1590 (STC 4505; ESTC s107384). The present edition appears to be a page-for-page copy of the third London edition, and was issued in the same year. The titlepage statement that this is the first German edition is therefore accurate, but the description of this as the third edition is probably erroneous. However, it is possible that the present form of the work preceded the English publication of 1590 since, when George Bishop issued a new edition in quarto format in 1594, he described it as 'magna accessione post Germanicam æditionem adaucta' (see STC 4506; ESTC s107385). In 1599 Ralph Brooke published A discoverie of certaine errours published in print in the much commended Britannia. 1594... (STC 3834; ESTC s106718) and, when Bishop issued a new quarto edition in 1600 (STC 4507; ESTC s107385), the address 'Ad Lectorem' included Camden's answers these criticisms. Bishop issued a new quarto edition in 1607 (STC 4508; ESTC s122157). The work was first translated into English by Philemon Holland as Britain, or A chorologicall description of the most flourishing kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland (London: impensis Georgii Bishop & Ioannis Norton, 1610; STC 4509; ESTC s107167). The number of illustrations included with editions gradually increased, and by 1610 numerous engraved maps, plates and textual figures were present. After Camden's death a popular English abridgement appeared in 1626 (STC 4527; ESTC s107395), and many new editions followed. For further details of Camden and his works see Nos 528 and 529 above; H.R. Trevor-Roper's Queen Elizabeth's first historian: William Camden and the beginnings of English 'civil history' (London: Cape, 1971)