Lot 70: DONNE John

Paradoxes, problems, essayes, characters ... to which is added a Book of epigrams ... Englished by J. Mayne ... as also his Ignatius his conclave, a satyr ... 3rd edition, 1st issue, general title within a border of type ornaments, each page within a ruled border, lacking sig. A other than the titlepage, leaves D5 -D8 and the blanks L3 & l4, 12mo., London: T.N. for Humphrey Mosely, 1652 [bound with]
Essays in divinity ... 1st edition, each page within a ruled border, lacking all of sig. A (i.e. including the titlepage) execept for "To the reader", small tear in p. 81 (no loss), 12mo., [London: T.M. for Richard Marriot, 1651]
Two works in one volume, later half calf, marbled boards, rubbed, covers detached
Note: Keynes 46 & 50; Grolier Donne 28 &24; Wing D 1867 & 1861. The 3rd edition of the The Paradoxes with 7 problems, 2 characters and 59 spurious epigrams added to the 11 paradoxes and 10 problems in the 1633 printing of the Juvenilia. The title in Keynes' variant issue (border of typographical ornaments instead of acorns) which is now established as the earlier of the two (See Grolier Club exhibition no. 29)
In deciding to issue the Essays jointly with the Paradoxes Donne's son decided to remove the dedication to Sir Henry Vane Jr., so that the composite volume could be dedicated to Lord Francis Newport, the dedicatee of the Paradoxes. The uncancelled dedication remains in only five recorded copies.
Keynes notes "The true constitution was greatly confused by the binders, who were themeslves confused by having been instructed to cancel the whole dedication ... thus leaving the titlepage as a detached leaf ... In the composite volume, the cancellation was often very carelessly done". He further notes "In one of my own copies ... the binder became so upset that he cancelled both A2-5 (the dedication) in the first book and A1-6, this including the titlepage, in the second book." (p. 128) This is the case in the present copy where the binder seems to have been further confused by the mispaginations in signature D in the first work, ommitting the leaves D5-D8