| Editionnotes: | First edition of Books 1-3.
In verse.
Printer's name from STC (2nd ed.).
Dedication, on title page verso, signed "Ed. Spenser." Three "variants" of this edition have been distinguished based on states of the title leaf: STC 23080 ("1" of date under "r" of "for", verso blank); STC 23081 ("1" of date under "r" of "for", dedication on verso); and STC 23081a ("1" of date under first "i" of "William", dedication on verso). These are isolated press variants (reflecting stop press corrections), with no bearing on issue and no fixed relation to variant states found in other sheets of the book. See Johnson. Title vignette (printer's device of John Wolfe: a fleur-de-lis with motto "Ubique floret."); head- and tail-pieces; initials; caption at head of each canto enclosed in ornamental border. Signatures: A-2P⁸ 2Q⁴. The intended cancellation of leaves 2P6,7 and substitution of 2Q⁴ was almost never carried out. See Johnson. Lines 4-5 of p. 332 are found in two variant states: with blank spaces left for text in Welsh; and with the Welsh text filled in (including variant incorrect and corrected "Seuith"/"Scuith"). Errors in pagination: 79 as 81, 82-83 as 84-85, 86-87 as 88-89, 90-91 as 92-93, 94 as 96; 309 as 319, 317 as 217, 403 as 40[upside down 3], 439 as 493, 510 as 600, 562 as 592, and 586 as 589. "Faults escaped in the print": p. 606.
Library's Rare copy corresponds to ESTC S121920 and STC 23081 (second state of title leaf described above). Library's Rare copy has p. 332, lines 4-5 with blank spaces left for text in Welsh. Library's Rare copy has leaves 2P6 and 2P7, as well as the four leaves of 2Q at end. Library's Rare copy has edges closely trimmed, affecting some running titles and page numbers. Library's Rare copy has a stanza of verse on p. 600 written in an early hand, and several manuscript corrections in the same hand at various places in the text.
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