Beschreibung:

WALTON, Izaak and Charles COTTON. A very fine set of the first five editions of the Compleat Angler , comprising: 1. The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation . London: T. Maxcy for Richard Marriot, 1653. Engraved cartouche of title-page and 6 engraved vignettes of fish in text; the cantus and bassus parts of the Angler's Song set to music by Henry Lawes on pp. 216-7, the latter printed upside down to enable two singers to sing from the same book while facing each other; woodcut initials and ornaments. (Lacks the final blank, headline and numeral shaved on p.116 and one letter of headline on pp. 162, 178 and 190, musical notation on p.216 touched at outer edge, end of line 8 on p.245 shaved). FIRST EDITION, with most of the misprints and variations listed in Oliver and Horne, including: A3 recto line 13 reads "diligence"; p.71 is misnumbered 81 and with engraving of trout at the foot of the page; p.88 line 10 reads "Fordidg"; p.245 line 17 reads "contentment." "The text of this charming idyll was greatly expanded in the second and later editions which gives to this edition an importance other than that due its priority" (Pforzheimer). Coigney 1; Grolier English 31; Grolier Wither to Prior 947; Horne 1; Oliver 1; Pforzheimer 1048; Westwood & Satchell 217; Wing W661. 2. The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation... The Second Edition much enlarged. London: T. M. for Richard Marriot, 1655. Engraved cartouche on title-page, 10 engravings of fish in text, music of the Angler's Song on pp.298-9, the latter printed upside down as in the previous, woodcut intials and ornaments. (Title-page remargined, headlines or numerals shaved on pp. 51, 69, 74, 145 and 338 and touched on A4 recto and on pp. 80, 91, 99, 100, 116, 121, 217 and 289; Angler's Song touched at fore-edge, a few catchwords touched.) Second Edition. Horne 2; Oliver 2. 3. The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation... The third Edition much enlarged . London: J.G. for Richard Marriot, 1661. Engraved cartouche on title-page, 10 engravings of fish in text, music of the Angler's Song on pp. 214-5, the latter printed upside down as in the previous, woodcut initials and ornaments. (Title-page remargined, A2 and final leaf with marginal losses renewed.) Third edition. Horne 3; Oliver 3. 4. The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation... The Fourth Edition, much corrected and enlarged . London: Printed for R. Marriot, 1668. Engraved cartouche on title-page, 10 engravings of fish in text, music of the Angler's Song on pp. 214-5, the latter printed upside down as in the previous. (Catchword shaved on A2, A5 with small stain, some pale spotting.) Fourth edition. Horne 5; Oliver 5. 5. WALTON, Izaak, Charles COTTON and Robert VENABLES. The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation... the Fifth Edition much corrected and enlarged . London: Richard Marriot, 1676. Engraved cartouche on title-page to part one, engraved monogram on title-page to part two, engraved title-page to part three, 10 engravings of fish in text, music of the Angler's Song on pp. 225-6 of part one. (Title-page to part one shaved at foot, monogram on title-page of part two shaved at the fore-edge, headlines touched on pp. 5 and 8, small tears/defects repaired on pp. 63, 81-90, affecting a few letters of text.) Fifth edition of the first part, FIRST EDITION of part two, fourth edition of part three. Horne 6; Oliver 6. Uniformly bound in olive morocco gilt, panelled covers, spines richly gilt, tan morocco lettering-pieces, edges gilt, by Bedford; matching morocco folding case. Provenance : John Delaware Lewis (booklabels) -- Alfred Denison (booklabel and note on flyleaf on the first edition) -- Arthur Howard Thompson (booklabel). The first edition is notable for its multitude of type-setting errors, some of which were corrected during printing. Since the corrected and uncorrected sheets were used indiscriminately, variants are plentiful. T