Lot 159: 

[DAY, Richard (1552-ca 1607)]. A Booke of Christian Prayers, collected out of the ancient writers, and best learned in our time. London: Richard Yardley and Peter Short for the assignes of Richard Day, 1590.

4υo (188 x 143 mm). Gothic and roman type. Title within wide woodcut border showing Jesse's dream (McKerrow & Ferguson 128), full-page woodcut border of Elizabeth I on verso, preliminaries and Table at end within ornamental borders, text pages within more elaborate woodcut borders composed of several historiated and ornamental blocks, including 3 historiated series, the first showing Biblical scenes (fols. B1r-L4v), the second with large allegorical figures of the virtues and vices and the five senses (fols. M1r-X1v), and the third a dance of death series loosely based on Holbein (fols. X2r-Oo2r), a few blocks signed with the initials CI, woodcut initials, woodcut printer's device (McKerrow 211) on colophon page at end. (Ee1 with small marginal stain and hole.) Contemporary limp vellum. Provenance: Grace Smyth (early signature on front flyleaf); acquired from Bernard Quaritch, 1981.

Third edition of "Queen Elizabeth's prayer book," previously published by John Day in 1578 and 1581, and sometimes attributed to Richard Day (1552-1607?). The woodcuts illustrate scenes and adages from the scriptures, concluding with the Dance of Death. STC 6431.

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