GERVASE MARKHAM Country Contentments: or, The Husbandmans Recreations. Contayning the wholsome experiences in which any man ought to recreate himselfe after the toyle of more serious businesse . London: Thomas Harper for John Harrison 1633. 4° (19 x 13.9cm), woodcut initials and typographical ornaments (washed, E1 short at upper margin, residual stain affecting corners of E5-6, without final blank), mottled calf by W. Pratt gilt edges (upper joints cracked, extremities rubbed, lacks one of two spine labels). Provenance : J.W. Leslie Combe Court (bookplate). "Fifth" edition. The title-page gives a short list of recreations which include "Hunting, Hawking, Coursing with Grey-hound, and the lawes of the Lease, Shooting in Longbow or Crosbow, Bowling, Tennis, Baloone ...." A description of the two last comes at the end of a chapter otherwise devoted to the two forms of archery (pp. 56-58), Markham writing: "Not inferiour to these sports, eyther for health or action, are the tenise, or baloone, the first being a pastime in close or open courts, striking a little round ball too or fro, eyther with the palme of the hand, or with racket: the other a strong and moving sport in the open fields, with a great ball of double leather fild with winde, and so driven too and fro with the strength of a mans arme arm'd in a bracer of wood ...." STC 17345; cf. Henderson pp. 179, 180, and 183, citing other editions.
GERVASE MARKHAM Country Contentments: or, The Husbandmans Recreations. Contayning the wholsome experiences in which any man ought to recreate himselfe after the toyle of more serious businesse . London: Thomas Harper for John Harrison 1633. 4° (19 x 13.9cm), woodcut initials and typographical ornaments (washed, E1 short at upper margin, residual stain affecting corners of E5-6, without final blank), mottled calf by W. Pratt gilt edges (upper joints cracked, extremities rubbed, lacks one of two spine labels). Provenance : J.W. Leslie Combe Court (bookplate). "Fifth" edition. The title-page gives a short list of recreations which include "Hunting, Hawking, Coursing with Grey-hound, and the lawes of the Lease, Shooting in Longbow or Crosbow, Bowling, Tennis, Baloone ...." A description of the two last comes at the end of a chapter otherwise devoted to the two forms of archery (pp. 56-58), Markham writing: "Not inferiour to these sports, eyther for health or action, are the tenise, or baloone, the first being a pastime in close or open courts, striking a little round ball too or fro, eyther with the palme of the hand, or with racket: the other a strong and moving sport in the open fields, with a great ball of double leather fild with winde, and so driven too and fro with the strength of a mans arme arm'd in a bracer of wood ...." STC 17345; cf. Henderson pp. 179, 180, and 183, citing other editions.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
