From the Library of Clayre and Jay Michael H♛aft

[Voragine (Jacobus De)]

[The Golden Legend. Translated by William Caxton. London: Julian Notary, 16 February, 1504]

244 (of 260) leaves. Double column, 55 lines, black letter, full-page woodcut, numero🦩us smaller woodcuts in text, woodcut initials (some historiated); lacking 15 ½ leaves, of which 11 are in facsimile (a1-3, b1; P1,8, 2L1, 2L8-10, with F1-2, 2B3 and 2L2 lacking entirely, and ꦯO7 lacking the outer ½ sheet [one column of text]), repaired tears crossing text on H5, K1-2, and U1, other smaller repairs, browning and occasional staining. 17th-century blind-ruled calf, large central arabesques on sides, red morocco lettering-piece; recased, rubbed.

The first dated book printed by Julian Notary after he took over his new shop near Temple Bar, possibly the house vacated by Pynson. Some of the woodcuts were previously used by Caxton and Wynkyn de Worde, but of special interest are the five criblé metal engrav🔯ings, probably of French origin, and some unusual initials after the style of Andre Bocard. Notary himself was a native of Vannes on the south coast of Brittany.

The Golden Legend is a medieval manual of ecclesiastical lore, largely composed of the lives of saints. It was translated by Caxton and was one of the most successful of the early books printed in English, running to ten editions by 1527. This edition is exceedingly scarce: no complete copies have appeared at auction since that sold in our London rooms, 27 June 1985, lot 47 (the Sir Edward Sulliva♛n-Britwell copy). Only one other incomplete copy has been sold: Swann, 2004, lacking 130 leaves, and with approximately one-third of those remaining defectiᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚve. ESTC records 8 copies in the UK and 5 in the US.

REFERENCE:

STC 24877; ESTC S101014