Είκὼν Βασιλική. The portraicture of his sacred majestie in his solitudes and sufferings

ff. [2] (blank), pp. [8], [2] leaves of plates, pp. 263, [1], f. [1] (plates, folded). Contemporary calf. Portrait of Charles (unsigned, but by Wenceslas Hollar), folding frontispiece with ‘Explanation’ by William Marshall (see F. Madan, A new bibliography of the Eikon Basilike of King Charles the first, with a note on the authorship. London, 1950, 3), portrait of Charles aged nineteen (Madan 3; E. Almack (A Bibliography of the King’s Book, or Eikon Basilike. London, 1896, 43) says ‘wanting in about half the copies seen’). Place of publication from Madan. Includes headpieces, initials. Royal coat of arms on page preceding title page. Signed on a preliminary blank: ‘Walter Cradock,’ with his transcript on the verso of the ‘Anglesey Memorandum,’ together with a preliminary paragraph on its discovery.

The ‘Eikon’ was originally attributed to Charles I, but according to Madan (pp. 125-133), the work was written by John Gauden who probably included some authentic writings of the king. This edition is described by Madan as one of the two "best printed" editions of the ‘Eikon,’ and probably the "commonest" of English printings. The present copy is distinguished by containing a full manuscript transcript, in the hand of its early owner, of the famous/infamous 1675 "Anglesey Memorandum" on the authorship of the ‘Eikon,’ together with a preliminary (untraced) paragraph on its discovery in 1686. This disclosure forcefully renewed the original controversy of 1649-1651 with its first public introduction of the claim of John Gauden. It finally led to the discreditation of King Charles as the sole author of the ‘Eikon.’ A long account of the memorandum and this copy appears in A. Freeman, Hoax, fake, and fraud. Literary forgery from Ctesias to Wise. One hundred books and manuscripts. London, 2013, item 39. See also D. Wing (ed.), Short-title Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America, and of English Books Printed in Other Countries, 1641-1700. 4 vols. New York, 1982-98 (2nd ed.), E307; ESTC, R34429.

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