Leaf from the Holinshed’s Historie of Scotlande
London: Imprinted for John Harrison, 1577. Disbound. London: Imprinted for John Harrison, 1577. This disbound leaf measures 7½” x 10¾”. Some soiling along the margins; rough along the binding edge. It is from the Holinshed’s Chronicles, which was published in three volumes, on for England, one for Scotland, and one for Ireland. It was begun by Reginald Wolfe in 1548 for consortium of London stationers. Wolfe hired two assistants, William Harrison and Raphael Holinshed. When Wolfe died in 1573, the work was still unfinished, and the stationers placed Holinshed in charge of completing the project. He, in turn, employed Harrison, Richard Stanyhurst, Edmund Campion. and John Hooker. The work was finished and published in 1577. The Chronicles are most famous for providing source material for a number of Renaissance authors including Christopher Marlowe, Edmund Spenser, George Daniel, and especially William Shakespeare. The Chronicles provided source materials for all of Shakespeare’ history plays as well as Macbeth, King Lear, and Cymbeline. This leaf contains two macabre illustrations. One shows the Scottish Duke of Albany witnessing the beheadings of Lord Alexander Home and his brother William for treason in 1516. The second shows both Lord Home’s head displayed on a spike above the entrance to Edinburgh. Very good. Item #010019
Price: $150.00