Sales catalogue 323: Ellis

Date:
1935
Reference:
WA/HMM/CM/Sal/33/10
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sales catalogue 323: Ellis. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/48 page 13
    46 CHAUCER (Geoffrey), The Woorkes of Geffrey Chaucer, newly printed, with diuers addicions, whiche were neuer in printed before: with the siege and destruccion of the worthy citee of Thebes, compiled by Jhon Lidgate, Monke of Berie. Imprinted at London, by Jhon Kyngston, for Jhon Wight, dwellyng in Poules Churchyarde, Anno 1561. Folio, Buack LETTER, fwo or three headlines very slightly shaved, but a good copy, calf, £150. This copy belonged to Margaret Radcliff (daughter of Sir John Radcliff, of Ordsall) one of the Maids of Honour to Queen Elizabeth. She died of grief November 10th, 1599 on hearing of the death of her brother Sir Alexander Radcliff, who fought under Lord Essex and was buried at St. Margarets, Westminster. Her death caused great sorrow at the Court. Ben Jonson wrote the following anagram upon her, printed in his Works, 1616 :— ** Marble weep, for thou do’st cover, A dead beautie underneath thee, Rich as nature could bequeath thee : Grant then, no rude hand remove her. All the gazers on the skies Read not in faire Heaven’s storie, Kixpresses truth or truer glorie, Than they might in her bright eyes. Rare as wonder was her wit ; And like nectar ever flowing : Till time, strong by her bestowing, Conquer’d hath both life and it. Life whose griefe was out of fashion In these times; few so ru’d Fate in a brother. To conclude For wit, features, and true passion, Earth, thou hast not such another.” ‘On the title-page is the inscription : Donu Honoratissime Virginis reginece Margarete Radclif. Go. Buc. 1597. The volume also contains several notes, some signed *‘Robert Tofte’ and in one case with initials only R.T. On the verso of folio 285 after the Prologue to ‘* The Testament of Love,’’ Robert Tofte has written ** In lode de la Madama Maria M— donzella bellezza, et gentildonna,”’ this he has not signed, but the following lines of his in Latin on folio 323 ‘‘The Remedie of Love” are signed in full ;—
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