313. Halle (Edward) The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre families of Lancastre & Yorke, black letter, woodcut pictorial title (trimmed to border and laid down), woodcut initials, a few ff. misbound (A4 before A2&3; 3H4 before 3H3), 2F4&5 repeated, 3L2&3 duplicated, marginal repairs to A2&3 and more extensive marginal repairs to 23 ff. at end, neat tear to 2A2 within text, but with no loss, occasional marginal staining, heavier towards ends and here touching text, a number of small wormholes throughout, affecting single letters on a number of occasions, last few ff. with many more wormholes, in all instances no loss of sense of text, final f. with 2 repaired tears, touching text, but with no loss, antique style brown morocco, rubbed, [STC 12723], small folio, [R. Grafton], 1550.
est. £2500 – £3000
Rare in any condition. The work was proscribed and suppressed in the reign of Catholic Mary Tudor and consequently few copies escaped destruction. Halle’s chronicles are considered to be one of the main sources for the Historical plays of William Shakespeare, particularly for Richard III and the Battle of Castillon in Henry VI.