Lewis Morris's copy of Drayton's Poly-Olbion

A volume comprising Michael Drayton's Poly-Olbion, Part 1 (London, 1622, STC 7228, ESTC S121639), and Part 2 (London, 1622, STC 7229 or 7230, ESTC S121637 or S121634), extensively annotated, 1755, by the Welsh polymath Lewis Morris.
Part 1 appears to be the 1622 edition, omitting however that version's letterpress title page and binding the index after Part 2 (now pp. 169-176); the title page of Part 2 is also missing. Morris's annotations consist of marginal notes and occasional footnotes glossing the printed text, together with underlining of text and manicules. The annotations are mostly confined to the introduction by John Selden and the notes (or 'Illustrations') supplied by him to each song in Part 1 (pp. xi-xvi, 15-21, 34-36, 50-52, 54, 66-74, 83-85, 95-99, 108-110, 122-132, 143-156, 164-169, 182-189, 191, 193-194, 209-210, 224-225, 234-235, 244, 253-256, 267-272, 274-279, 281, 300-303). There are further annotations by Morris to Drayton's songs and elsewhere (Part 1, pp. i-iii, v, vii, ix-x, 1, 4, 29, 83, 87-89, 91, 95, 102-103, 158, 213, 250, 283, 295-297; Part 2, pp. i, iii-iv, 171). Morris's notes, partly in Welsh, mainly concern the Welsh language and Welsh and Ancient British history; he has also emended the text in line with the corrections listed in the errata (Part 1, p. xx).

Lewis Morris ('Llewelyn Ddu o Fôn', 1701-1765) was a poet and scholar.

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Dominic Winter Auctioneers; South Cerney; Purchased at auction, lot 79; 5 October 2016; 99706116402419.

Lewis Morris ('Llewelyn Ddu o Fôn', 1701-1765) was a poet and scholar.

Title based on contents.

'U.4.[?5]' (shelfmark, inside front cover); 'B/O' and 'BXX' (pencil on final endpaper).

All 30 double-page engraved county maps lacking (with leaves removed after Part 1, pp. xvi, 22, 38, 54, 74, 86, 100, 110, 132, 156, 170, 194, 212, 226, 236, 244, 256, 282 and Part 2, pp. viii, 10, 18, 26, 64, 74, 104, 114, 128, 138, 150, 160); upper joint partly cracked; page edges trimmed during re-binding with losses, mostly minor, to the text of Morris's notes on Part 1, pp. xii, 18-20, 51-52, 54, 66, 69, 72-73, 84-85, 98-99, 108-109, 122-123, 125, 132, 144, 147-149, 151, 165, 167, 184, 191, 194, 213, 225, 253, 256, 275, 277, 279, 301; lower inner margins of Part 2, pp. 19-176 damaged with no loss of text; small tears to Part 1, pp. 85-86, 127-128; Part 1, pp. 282-304 and Part 2, pp. i-viii, 161-176 affected by insects.

October 2017.

Description compiled by Rhys M. Jones.

Usual copyright laws apply.

'Lewis Morris 1755' (Part 1, p. iii); 'LM' (p. xvi); 'L. Morris' (p. 303); said by J. H. Davies, in 1907, to have been 'recently for sale in London' (see note in hand of R. Elwyn Hughes, tipped in on end flyleaf); 'MS notes by Lewis Morris' and '£15-15-', [early 20 cent.] (pencil on verso of front flyleaf, partially erased); bookplate, [1905x1918], of Robert George Windsor-Clive, P.C., C.B., Earl of Plymouth, inside front cover; auctioned by Dominic Winter as part of the library of the late Dr R. Elwyn Hughes (1928-2015), Cardiff.

For another printed volume annotated by Lewis Morris see NLW MS 24052E.

Published