GEOFFREY OF MONMOUTH.

History of Britain and the foundation of Arturian legend Britannie utriusque Regum Et Principum Origo & gesta insignia ex antiquissimis Britannici sermonis monumentis in latinum traducta: & ab Ascensio rursus maiore accuratione impressa.

      (Paris), Josse Badius Ascensius, 1517.. Sm.4to. 19th century marbled calf, spine ribbed and gilt, with red title-label. With large woodcut printer's device of a printing press on title, large woodcut coat-of-arms of Yves Cavellat at the end of the preliminaries, and numerous fine large and small white on black crible woodcut initials. (8), 101, (1 blank) lvs.. Second edition, like the first edition of 1508 edited by Yves Cavellat, but with the title slightly changed, and beautifully published by the famous Paris humanist and publisher, Josse Badius Ascentius (1462-1535). The "History of Britain" by Geoffrey "Arturus" of Monmouth, Latin Galfridus Monemutensis, (ca. 1100-1154), laid the foundation of Arthurian legend. This first "Brut" made Arhur and Merlin the romantic property of literary Europe, and it became a model and source for poets and chroniclers alike. And for Britain it did what Aeneas had done for Rome, finding in the mythical figure of Brutus, great-grandson of Aeneas, its name-giving founder. In Monmouth's History all Arthurian elements are given: Brutus and his disciple Corineas, the victor of the giant of Cornwall "Gogmagog"; Locrinus and his daughter Saber (cf. Milton's Comus); Bladud, the builder of Bath; Lear and his daughters (cf. Shakespeare); the three pairs of brothers: Ferrex and Porrex, Brennius and Belinus, and Elidure and Peridure, etc. The story of Vortigern and Rowena here received its definitive shape, and here Merlin appears for the first time, in the prelude to the figure of Arthur. Both first printed editions by Badius Ascentius of this epoch-making work are extremely rare. The book is well produced, printed in a fine "lettre batarde", with legenda in the margins, and richly adorned with woodcut initials. Josse Badius Ascensius added 6 distichs of his own, and a foreword to the reader. Good copy, with the bookplate of Charles Arthur Wynne Finch, and with 16th century ms. notes on both sides of first blank.- (Binding sl. splitting at top and bottom of spine; title and last blank sl. soiled; sl. marginal waterst. on first and last. Renouard, Josse Badius, II, pp. 462; STC French p. 196; Adams G 444.