First edition, first state with the leaves C7, M8, and O8 all integral. Bound with the errata leaf and separate title page to His Noble Numbers dated 1647, both as called for but seldom present. Bound in eighteenth century russia, lettered in gilt to the spine and decorated in blind to the boards. All edges gilt. Engraved frontispiece portrait by William Marshall, woodcut device of a crown on title. A very good copy with neat superficial repairs to the joints. Internally fresh with repair to the title page at the inner margin and a number of minor paper flaws: slight wear to the upper corner of leaves B6-C4, and small marginal chip to the corners of D5, D6 and E5, none affecting the text, and a small hole to E6. Repair to head of final leaf of text (2E8). Withal, a well preserved copy

The Bliss-Terry-Bradley Martin copy of Herrick's mangum opus, which established his reputation as a leading Cavalier poet. Having come down from Cambridge, Herrick established himself in London as a follower of Ben Johnson, contributing some anonymous verses to a 1640 edition of Shakespeare's Poems. In the wake of the English Civil War and the ejection from his living as a clergyman, Herrick collected his verse for this publication. However, the printer's errors were so numerous on three leaves they required cancels to be printed ready for publication. Herrick refers to this in the following quatrain on the errata leaf.
"For these Transgressions which thou here dost see, / Condemne the Printer, Reader, and not me; / Who gave him forth good Grain though he mistook / The Seed; so sow'd these Tares throughout my Book."
Copies are now scarce in good condition, particularly in an early binding. This copy is one of very few known copies that contain the original uncorrected and uncancelled leaves.

PROVENANCE: Philip Bliss (his ownership marks "P" added before printed signature letter "B" and Bb1); Colonel W. F. Prideaux; Walter Thomas Wallace (bookplate, his sale, American Art Association 1920, sold for $510 to Rosenbach); The Rosenbach Company (pencil note on the front free endpaper signed "A.S.W.R.", sold to:); Roderick Terry (bookplate; his sale, American Art Association 1935); H. Bradley Martin (bookplate on chemise; his sale 1990); James O. Edwards (booklabel).

Grolier, English 29; Hayward 95

Stock ID: 45460