The Faithful, yet Imperfect, Character Of a Glorious King, King Charles I, his Country's & Religions Martyr. Written by a Person of Quality.
London: Printed for Richard Royston, 1660. First edition. Hardcover. A biography written by a committed royalist intended to restore Charles I's image. The copy of Henry B. H. Beaufoy, FRS, noted collector of Shakespeare and prestigious hot air balloonist, with his armorial bookplate. Beaufoy may have acquired the biography due to a Charles I and Shakespeare connection: in 1633 Shakespeare's version of 'The Taming of the Shrew' was performed at court before Charles I and Henrietta Maria.
Henry Benjamin Hanbury Beaufoy (1786-1851), member of a wealthy Quaker family, was a philanthropist, artist and coin and book collector (the "Beaufoy Shakespeares," the first four folio editions of Shakespeare's works were sold at Christie's).
Beaufoy famously made a hot air balloon flight with James Sadler (first English balloonist), from Hackney, Middlesex, to East Thorpe, Essex. In numerous other flights he collected valuable information for cartographers, meteorologists, and physicists.
Slim, small 8vo, frontispiece portrait, 71pp, [1]pp advertisement, all edges gilt. Full tan calf ca. 1840s, rebacked spine gilt decorated, with the initials E. G. H. stamped at the front board; gilt title labels, "Historic Memoirs" and "Character of Charles I" at spine. Top of front board slightly sunned, lower corners slightly rubbed. Wing F 291. OCLC: 84781729. In 1912 a copy bound by Clarke was sold by Anderson Auction Company, provenance Library of Robert Doe. Light penciled name on the ffep of J. J. Blade, 1909.
A very pleasant copy. Very good overall. Item #24392
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