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Vision of Pierce Plowman

Vision of Pierce Plowman

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Vision of Pierce Plowman: Newlye imprynted after the authours olde copy, with a brefe summary of the principall matters set before euery part called passus. Wherevnto is also annexed the Crede of Pierce Plowman, neuer imprinted with the booke before.

by LANGLAND, William

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About This Item

London: Owen Rogers, 1561. Full Description:

LANGLAND, William. The Vision of Pierce Plowman. Newlye imprynted after the authours olde copy, with a brefe summary of the principall matters set before euery part called passus. Wherevnto is also annexed the Crede of Pierce Plowman, neuer imprinted with the booke before. London: Owen Rogers, 1561.

Fourth edition. Quarto (7 3/8 x 5 1/8 inches; 185 x 130 mm). 127 leaves. Bound without the 'Crede' as usual. Text in black letter. Woodcut engraved initials throughout, and tailpiece on title-page.

19th-century full calf. Boards double ruled and tooled in blind. Spine with tan calf label, lettered in gilt. All edges speckled red. Some minor rubbing to boards and edges. A bit of toning throughout. But still a very good copy of this scarce title.

All early editions are rare with Pforzheimer listing only this and the second edition of 1550. The 'Crede' (absent from most copies, including ours) is particularly scarce. "Its rarity, about half a dozen copies have survived, is probably due to contemporary proscription because of its Wyclifite doctrine ... Except as linked in the title, the Crede has no connection with the Vision". (Pforzheimer, p.823)

This poem was an effective transition from the medieval to the modern mind. Also, it contains the first mention of Robin Hood. Aside from Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales', this work is regarded as the most important of early English literature.

"The poem is a sequence of 22 dream visions, called ‘passus', which means ‘step' in Latin. In these visions, the narrator, Will, meets a series of allegorical characters. The poem is an exploration of Christian faith, as the narrator strives to uncover how to live a good Christian life. It is a highly learned work, filled with quotations from the Bible and from patristic writers (the so-called ‘Fathers of the Church', i.e. early Christian writers)." (British Library).

ESTC S114908. Pforzheimer 799.

HBS 68856.

$22,500.

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Details

Bookseller
Heritage Book Shop, LLC US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
68856
Title
Vision of Pierce Plowman
Author
LANGLAND, William
Book Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Publisher
Owen Rogers
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
1561
Keywords
English Literature|Poetry|Religion

Terms of Sale

Heritage Book Shop, LLC

30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.

About the Seller

Heritage Book Shop, LLC

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2006
Beverly Hills, California

About Heritage Book Shop, LLC

Owned and operated by Ben Weinstein, who has been in the business of antiquarian books for over fifty years, Heritage Book Shop\'s inventory consists of some of the finest items in the areas of first editions, early printed books, bindings, illustrated books, literature, and manuscripts. Heritage Book Shop serves a clientele base consisting of private collectors as well as esteemed public institutions. We take great pride in the dedication we offer our clients. Whether you are building a first-rate collection of a favorite author or an extensive library, we look forward to offering the experience of our knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Rubbing
Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
Leaves
Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
Gilt
The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
Calf
Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
Quarto
The term quarto is used to describe a page or book size. A printed sheet is made with four pages of text on each side, and the...
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
Edges
The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...

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