England Helicon

Davison, F. ; Bullen, A.H. Davison's Poetical Rhapsody. [ 2 vols, complete ] George Bell & Sons, London, first edition, 1891.
Limited edition of 520 numbered copies. "In some respects Davison's Poetical Rhapsody is the most valuable of our old anthologies. Regarded as a whole it is inferior in literary merit to England's Helicon; but it has this important advantage over the earlier collection - that it was in great part compiled from unpublished writings. Had England's Helicon perished and only a bare list of the first lines of the poems been preserved, we could succeed in restoring it (almost in its entirety) from printed books; but the destruction of the 'Rhapsody' would mean the irretrievable loss of much excellent poetry. The editor, Francis Davison, who also contributed largely to the miscellany, was the eldest son of William Davison, Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth, and was born about 1575." - from the introduction.

2 vols, cloth, 8vo, top edges gilt, title-pages in red and black, 21 cm, xc, 137 + ix, 207 pp. Copy No. 163. Partially unopened, endpapers browned, a Good bright set.

[SW: DAVISON, F.wykbooks 07118 English poetry Early modern, 1500-1700. Davison, Francis;Bullen, A. H.]

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Macdonald, Hugh [Ed]: England's Helicon. Edited from the Edition of 1600 with additional Poems from the Edition of 1614, Ed. Hugh Macdonald. [England's Helicon]. London: Routledge 1949. (Muses' Library)

xxviii 260p cloth with grey illustrated paper dj, small format, hardly used, pages clean VG+

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BICKHAM, George after CHATELAIN: A View in the Elysian Fields, from the Spring of Helicon in the Gardens of Earl Temple at Stow in Buckinghamshire: Vüe dans les Champs Elisees, prise de la Fontaine de l' Helicon,

London: Printed for Robt. Sayer, at the Golden Buck in Fleet Street, & T. Bowles in St. Pauls Church Yard & J. Bowles & Son at the Black horse in Cornhil, 1750. Engraving with lovely original colour. Later publication by Bowles and Sayer circa 1755. Printed on laid paper. In excellent condition, with the exception of two small puncture marks on left margin where it was bound. Image size: 8 7/8 x 15 1/16 inches. 10 1/4 x 15 3/4 inches. 12 3/4 x 18 1/2 inches. A view in the Elysian Fields at Stow garden from George Bickham's famous series of garden prints "The Beauties of Stow". Towards the middle of the eighteenth century a trend developed amongst English artists and printmakers, which sought to visually record the natural beauties of England and Wales. Sparked by a sense of national confidence and patriotism, English printmakers began to publish topographical prints of the important sights in the British Isles. Prints and guidebooks of famous gardens were particularly popular at this period and many contemporary engravers produced beautiful sets of prints illustrating the most famous estates in the country. These views were aimed at English and foreign tourists who desired a memento of their travels, or at those vicarious tourists who collected topographical prints instead of traveling. According to Clayton, print buying garden tourists were becoming far more common at mid-century which encouraged a number of illustrated guidebooks and decorative suites. In 1750 George Bickham joined this trend and produced an illustrated guide of Viscount Cobham's gardens at Stowe. The series of 16 prints, which illustrates the major views and features of this famous garden, was described when published as "a necessary Pocket Companion for such as Visit those Gardens". Stowe was one of the most famous gardens in England, boasting designs by some of the most celebrated English gardeners. Charles Bridgeman, Richard Kent, and Capability Brown all had a hand in designing the garden, and it opened its doors to a flurry of eager tourists. Bickham's guidebook would have been published to help visitors appreciate and understand the garden's complicated design, and explain the philosophical and historical meaning imbued in the landscape. Clayton, The English Print 1688-1802 p. 155-160

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Brydges, Sir Samuel E. & Haslewood, J. The British Bibliographer. AMS Press Inc., New York, 1966 reprint of 1810 first edition.
An extraordinary early essay in literary antiquarianism which drew attention to numerous neglected and forgotten works and contains much "recondite matter". A continuation of Brydges' earlier "Censura literaria, containing titles, abstracts, and opinions of old English books". Volume 3 is devoted to reprinting three works : (1) A hundredth good points of husbandrie, by Thomas Tusser, gentleman, copied from the first edition, 1557. (2) The paradise of daynty deuices reprinted from the first edition, 1576, with the additions of 1580 and 1600. (3) England's Helicon, from the second edition, 1614.

Cloth, 8vo, 4 vols, x, 588 + x, 664 + 248 + xii, 260 pp, facsims. Fine.

[SW: BRITISH BIBLIOGRAPHER. bibliography bibliographies bibliographical bibliographie bibliografia wykbooks 00439 English literature Early modern, 1500-1700 black letter printings Brydges, Sir Samuel Egerton & Haslewood, Joseph]

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