Described in Stein, Harold. Studies in Spenser's Complaints. New York, 1934. p. [171]-172, [176]-179., Signatures: A-Z4 (Z4 blank and wanting)., The ruines of time -- The teares of the muses -- Virgils gnat -- Prosopopoia, or, Mother Hubberds tale -- Ruines of Romes / Bellay -- Mviopotmos, or, The fate of the butterflie -- Visions of the worlds vanitie -- The visions of Bellay -- The visions of Petrarch., and The tears of the muses, 1591 ; Prosopopoia, 1591 ; and Mviopotmos, 1590 have special title pages.
Publisher:
Imprinted for VVilliam Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops head,
Eliz 221: Bound by Rivière in blue goatskin, gold tooling on cover and spine, gilt edges. Gift of Alexander S. Cochran, December 1911. and The first edition.
Publisher:
Imprinted for William Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the signe of the Bishops Head
Copy belonging W.H. Ireland with his forged Shakespeare autographs and ms. annotations, and his tipped-in transcriptions of those annotations. Imperfect: lower portion of t.p. torn away with partial loss of title and imprint and, on verso, Spenser's name, in the dedication; "1590" written in ms. above "London" in imprint; some headlines, signature notations and catchwords shaved; some minor worming. Page 309 misnumbered 319, Welsh and English words in lines 4 and 5 of p. 332 supplied in ms. Cancellans Qq1-4 not present (hence, pagination is [2], 606). Two bookseller descriptions pasted in, one annotated to say that the book had been owned by Wm. Harrison, Esq., of [Saintsbury?] Hall, Lancashire, and sold by Sotheby's in 1881. Ms. annotations. Frontispiece of Edmund Spencer inserted. Armorial bookplates of Robert Lang and Francis Freeling, bookplates of William Berry and Henry Cunliffe., One of three variants of this edition. This one has dedication on title page verso signed 'Ed. Spenser'; first digit of imprint date is under the 'r' of 'for'., Printed by John Wolfe., Quire Qq is intended to cancel 2P6,7, but the latter are usually retained., Signatures: A-2P⁸ 2Q⁴., and The first edition of books I-III, with blank spaces left on p. 332; printer's device of John Wolfe with motto "Vbiqve floret" on t.p.
Eliz 222: Bound by Rivière in purple goatskin, gold tooling on cover and spine, gilt edges. Title page remargined. Qq⁴ in incorrectly bound in between Pp₇ and Pp₈. Gift of Alexander S. Cochran, December 1911. and The first edition, containing only books I-III, with an ending that Spenser changed when he added Books IV-VI.