Beschreibung:

CAMDEN, William (1551-1623). Britain, or a Chorographicall Description of the most flourishing Kingdomes, England, Scotland, and Ireland, and the Islands adioyning... newly translated into English by Philemon Holland. London: George Bishop and John Norton 1610. 2° (321 x 215mm). Two letterpress titles (one supplied from another copy), woodcut initials and occasional decorations and page surrounds, all hand-coloured by a contemporary hand. Engraved additional title, letterpress dedication, both supplied from another copy, the additional title cut-down and mounted with modern colouring, 57 engraved maps, all finely hand-coloured in a contemporary hand, 55 double-page, by William Kip and William Hole after Christopher Saxton, John Norden or George Owen illustrations, some full-page, most hand-coloured. (Engraved title, dedication leaf and the first of the letterpress titles supplied from another copy, second letterpress title somewhat soiled with neat repairs to margins, neat repair to outer corner of G2 and 3P5, maps of Cornwall, Norfolk and Rutland with margin or margins shaved just affecting plate area, small tears to the folds of Middlesex, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Cheshire.) Modern brown morocco by Bayntun, tooled in blind, spine lettered and dated in gilt. FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH, WITH FINE CONTEMPORARY HAND-COLOURING. Camden's work was originally published (in Latin) in 1586, but maps were not included until the sixth edition in Latin of 1607. The plates used were the same as in the present edition, and that of 1637, but all but one map were included within the pagination and have text on their versos. In the present edition none of the maps have text or are included in the pagination, and all but the two single-page maps are mounted on guards. 41 of the maps are after Saxton, six after Norden, one after George Owen and nine maps remain unascribed. Skelton 6. Chubb XIX.