Description:

BEN JONSON
(1572 - 1637) English playwright and poet best known for his satiric comedies. An immensely learned man with an irascible and domineering personality, he was, next to his friend Shakespeare, the greatest dramatic genius of the English Renaissance. English literature, and particularly the drama, had already entered its golden age when Ben Jonson began his career. Jonson's special contribution to this remarkably exuberant age was his strong sense of artistic form and control. Although an accomplished scholar, he had an unusual appreciation of the colloquial speech habits of the unlettered, which he used with marked effect in many of his plays, which included "Volpone, or the Fox", "The Alchemist", and "Bartholomew Fair". Excessively rare signed book Valerii Maximi Dictorum Factorum;que Memorabilium libri IX, published in Antwerp in 1574 by Christopher Plantin, small 8vo., rebound in full light green morocco with gilt trim. This book originated from Jonson's library and was signed by him Su. Ben Jonsonii" at the bottom of the title page. The title page bears two or three tiny stray scribbles and a 1/4" strip of paper was removed from the top of the page, which has been expertly restored. There is some scattered underlining in the text, which previous owner autograph expert Kenneth Rendell attributes to Jonson. The front pastedown bears a previous owner's bookplate, the front flyleaf bears some old glue stains. Opposite the front flyleaf an owner also pasted a ca. 1940 Maggs Bros. catalog listing of this book (price obliterated) which also notes that the volume is listed in "Herford & Simpson's 'Ben Jonson', under 'Books in Jonson's Library', p. 267". Also present is the original Kenneth W. Rendell descriptive sheet sold with the book. Finally, there is a clipping from an article by book reviewer Paul W. Schmidtchen. The author points to this book as having been quite influential in Jonson's works. He notes that these "Nine Books of Memorable Deeds and Sayings" by Valerius Maximus, compiled at about the time of Christ, loosely draw on Roman and Greek history to illustrate some human virtue or vice, and also offered a first-hand look at the Roman Empire during the reign of Tiberius, a prime target of Renaissance writers. Jonson's only two tragedies ("Sejanus" and "Catiline") were very likely influenced by what he learned from the anecdotes in this book. Schmidtchen further speculates that since "Sejanus" was published before any of Shakespeare's Roman dramas, it is entirely conceivable that the "The Bard" himself may have used this book for reference during his early friendship and collaboration with Jonson. An important literary find.

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December 9, 2011 11:00 AM EST
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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