Select Pieces of Early Popular Poetry: Re-published Principally from Early Printed Copies in the Black Letter

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good+/Near Fine. Two volumes. 8vo. Full calf. Gilt dentelles to spine and perimeter of boards Bound by Hering (1794-1844). Marbled text block edges. Beautiful marbled endpapers. Binding is tight and square. Calf is lightly rubbed in a few places. Missing some of the spine labels. The missing title label is inserted in the book. It can be used as a template to replace the missing "Vol. I" and "Vol II" labels. Interior pages are clean with some light spotting to endpapers. Includes Syr Tryamour, Syr Isenbras, Syr Degore, Syr Gowghter, The Hye Way to the Spyttell Hous, The Schole House of Women, The Defence of Women, The Proude Wyues Pater Noster, The Wife Lapped in Morels Skin, and a Glossary. A beautiful set.


In 1794 Charles Ernst Christian Hering, a German immigrant set up a business as a master bookbinder in St. Martin's Street, Leicester Square and soon built up a reputation for fine craftsmanship through the accuracy and elegance of his work. By the time of his death in 1815, Charles Hering had a successful and prosperous bookbinding business that was continued by John and Charles Hering,Jr., brother and eldest son respectively. The firm continued to be recognized as producing good quality craftsmanship even after Charles Hering's death and the business went from strength to strength, remaining in the Hering family until 1845.

For the binding: Judith Marks, "Bookbinding Practices in the Hering Family, 1794-1844," pp. 44-60 in "The British Library Journal" Vol. 6, No. (Spring 1980).