First Urry Edition

The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, Compared with the Former Editions, and many valuable MSS. Out of which, Three Tales are added which were never before Printed; by John Urry.

London: Bernard Lintot, 1721.

Price: $1,500.00


About the item

First Urry edition. Engraved portraits of Chaucer and Urry, vignette illustrations at head of each Tale and to title, head and tail pieces, woodcut initials. [52], 626, 81, [1] pp. Printed double column. 1 vols. Folio (40 x 24 cm). First Urry Edition. Contemporary speckled calf, lacework panels to covers, six raised bands. Front joint cracked, lower board re-hinged early on, scuffing to boards, leaves mildly browned. ESTC T106027.

Item #318062

Though editor John Urry (1666-1715) was subsequently criticized for his frequent conjectural emmendations, "the justice of such criticisms should not obscure his achievement. His the first edition of Chaucer for nearly a hundred and fifty years to consult any manuscripts and is the first since that of William Thynne in 1534 to seek systematically to assemble a substantial number of manuscripts to establish his text. It is also the first edition to offer descriptions of the manuscripts of Chaucer's works, and the first to print texts of 'Gamelyn' and 'The Tale of Beryn', works ascribed to, but not by, Chaucer" (ODNB). It is also the first collected edition of Chaucer to be printed in Roman type. Urry died before the edition was brought out, and the work was completed by Thomas Ainsworth, and Timothy and William Thomas.