The Library of Stephen J. Farber

Large folio (438 x 279 mm). Engraved portrait frontispiece of Urry, engraved portrait of Chaucer, engraved vignette on title-page, numerous engravings in the text, engraved head-pieces and initials. (Marginal toning to frontispiece and title-page, frontispiece reinserted on as stub, marginal repairs to both, offsetting to text from plates, occasional spotting or toning to text.) Contemporary calf ruled in gilt (rebacked, endpapers renewed, fore-corners worn).

FIRST URRY EDITION, LARGE PAPER ISSUE, of Chaucer's collected works, one of the principal editions of Chaucer, as well as the first to be printed in roman, rather than gothic, type. Urry's work "was the first edition of Chaucer for nearly a hundred and fifty years to consult any manuscripts and is the first since that of William Thynne in 1534 to seek systematically to assemble a substantial number of manuscripts to establish his text. It is also the first edition to offer descriptions of the manuscripts of Chaucer's works, and the first to print texts of 'Gamelyn' and 'The Tale of Beryn', works ascribed to, but not by, Chaucer" (ODNB). This edition was left incomplete upon Urry's death in 1715, was continued by Thomas Ainsworth until his own death in 1719, and was then finished by Timothy and William Thomas, who compiled the glossary printed in the rear. William Boyer printed this work for Lintot, and Boyer's records show only 1250 copies were printed, in 3 paper sizes (all folio variants, with the shorter variant comprising 1,000 of those copies). The present is one of the larger issues, with sheets just over 17.25" tall. ESTC T106027; Hammond, pp.128-130.