Box 2

This leaf is from a Guide to "Tounges by John Minsheu", and is said to be the first Comparative Linguistic Dictionary, brought out in England and apparently the first book ever sold by subscription in advance. This dictionary is compiled of eleven languages. It was printed at the charges of the author for John Browne, "Bibliopola", ie, Bookseller, London, 1617. The recto side of this leaflet is page 21; the verso side is page 22.

A leaf from William Camden's "Annalles of Elizabeth", or more accurately from Darcie's translation from a French translation from the Latin of Camden's original work. It was printed for Benjamin Fisher in 1625, in London. The body of the page is roman type, using italics as an accessory. Though it was printed a quarter of a century after Queen Elizabeth's death, the book has an Elizabethan flair to it. This leaflet is marked 127 on the recto side and 128 on the verso side.

A leaf from "The New World of Words", a general English dictionary that also has the functions of an encyclopaedia. The title-page says "Collected and published by E.P. and printed by W.R. for Robert Harford," in 1678 at London. E.P. was Edward Philips, John Milton's nephew and pupil.

A leaf from The Historic Fourth Folio of Shakespeare's plays, printed in 1685 at London. The type throughout is uniformly larger than that of the Third Folio, though three different printers were used, and all of them used slightly different sizes. The paper was made by Van Duvantegard. The recto side of the page is marked 257; the verso is marked as 258.

A leaf from Dryden's translation, The Works of Virgil, published by Jacob Tonson in 1697 at London. Full page engraving, “To Sr Bartholomew Shower of the Midle Temple. Knt”.