Emblemes

E M B L E M E S

By

Fra Quarles

London

Printed for J Williams at

The Crowne in St. Pauls Churchyard

1684

DESCRIPTION

(ii) + A1 to A4 + 381pp + (ii)

Book measures 165mm x 115mm approximately.

Bound in original full brown richly polished calf. Spine with four raised bands decoration to compartments and maroon title / author label. Boards with double blin-tooled fillet borders and further blind-tooled decorative margins. Contains around 45 wonderful but rather grotesque small vignette engravings throughout.

CONDITION

Binding is in firm condition with boards holding quite well although with partial cracking along most of hinges. Spine has some losses to head and crumpling to foot. Boards retain a deep rich lustre exhibiting general surface scratches, occasional scuffs, the odd minor nick and blemish, with wear to edges and moderate bumping to corners.

Internally the pages are age-toned and show consistent moderate foxing and spots throughout. Rear paste-down and end-paper heavily browned. Front end-paper and title page (plus verso) have some paper strip repairs undertaken. First 16 pages and last 2 pages are a little fragile to leading edges have some small paper losses. Crossed-out previous owner ink inscription to top of title page dated 1702.

Overall, a nice smaller volume of Quarles' Emblems with lovely vignettes throughout.

Please always refer to photo images for a clearer indication of condition.

We are always happy to provide further photo images if required.

INTERESTING

Francis Quarles (about 8 May 1592 – 8 September 1644) was an English poet most notable for his emblem book entitled Emblems.

The work by which Quarles is best known, the Emblems, was originally published in 1634, with grotesque illustrations engraved by William Marshall and others. The forty-five prints in the last three books are borrowed from the designs by Boetius à Bolswert for the Pia Desideria (Antwerp, 1624) of Herman Hugo. Each "emblem" consists of a paraphrase from a passage of Scripture, expressed in ornate and metaphorical language, followed by passages from the Christian Fathers, and concluding with an epigram of four lines.

In 2022 some kitchen re-fitters found murals in a flat on Micklegate in York city centre (not far from Melmoth Books) which are thought to be based on scenes from Quarles's Emblems.