Ovid in Virginia
OVIDIUS NASO, Publius, translated by George SANDYS.
Ovid's Metamorphosis Englished by G. S.
London: [William Stansby,] 1626.
Small folio (256 × 150 mm.), pp. [xx], 326, [6], including engraved portrait frontispiece depicting the head of Ovid within elaborate border (by William Marshall) and engraved title within architectural border, the figures of love and knowledge to each side (by T. Cecill), printer's device to final leaf. Signature Ii (4 leaves) misbound before Hh. Light old waterstains to margins of a few leaves at opening and end, marginal paper flaws to D4 and Y1 with very minor loss, tear to b6, affecting text but with no loss, occasional early pencil annotation and underlining. Contemporary sprinkled calf, plain panelled spine. Rubbed, lower forecorners with further wear, foot of spine chipped with minor loss. ?Eighteenth-century inscription "John Stephenson, Hull Bridge" to front free endpaper. A very good copy, pleasingly free of later restoration or sophistication and rare thus.
First complete edition of George Sandys' elegant and influential translation from Ovid, praised by Drayton and Pope and influential on the work of poets from Dryden to Keats and beyond. Sandys was a member of the Virginia company, his name appearing in the list of persons to whom the second Virginia charter was granted by James I and he travelled to the colony as its treasurer in 1621. His Ovid thus has the distinction of including the first published verse by an Englishman written on American soil. "Before leaving for Virginia, Sandys had published a verse translation of the first five books of Ovid's Metamorphoses (1621). Two further books were completed on the voyage to Virginia, 'amongst the roreing of the seas, the rustling of the Shrowdes, and Clamour of Saylers' as Sandys later wrote... the remaining books were completed during the long evenings in the colony. On 24 April 1626 Sandys was granted a patent from the king for exclusive rights to print and sell the work for twenty-one years, and the completed Ovid's Metamorphosis Englished was published in the same year" (Oxford DNB).
Grolier Wither-Prior 781, STC 18964, Sabin 76456.
£5000.00
US$9929.00*
* Given as a guide only. Based on an exchange rate of £1 = US$1.985799 for the day 25 July 2008 but liable to fluctuate.
25 July 2008