First edition with most distinguished provenance, having been gifted by the first Lady Rothschild to her daughter in law, the formidable Roszika Rothschild.
Folio bound in imitation of 17th century full calf, signed by ‘Hatchards, 197 Piccadilly’ with 5 raised spine bands, gilt to spine panels and date at the tail of the spine - no doubt executed for Lady Rothschild. Triple fillet to boards. Subsequent to this rebind the book has been repaired with the spine relaid, outer hinges renewed and paper reinforcement applied to inner hinges. New endpapers from the Hatchards rebind with offsetting from the leather turn-ins. Bookplate of Emma Louise de Rothschild to the front pastedown; below it the book’s recipient has written in pencil ‘ex libris ELR [monogram] d[ono] d[edit] Roszika Rothschild’. On the third blank appears an earlier book label with handwritten case mark ‘[P2.6] Dom. Prob. Roehampton’ which appears again on the first of the 3 terminal blanks. The 17th century ownership inscription of ‘W Godolphin...’ appears on the title page - probably Sir William Godolphin (1640-1710) the Cornish MP whose brother Sidney rose to become First Lord of the Treasury. The text collates complete with preliminary engraved title by Guy Faythorne; lacking the first and last blank leaves only. Noted during collation: X1, small ash hole to text (2mm), similarly K3; Ccc2, lower outer corner missing, text not affected. The frontispiece is browned with a couple of short closed tears to the foreedge; otherwise text unmarked but browned and spotting throughout, not affecting final gatherings which seem to have been printed on better quality paper. ESTC R22010. ]
This book was originally owned by Emma Louise Rothschild (1844-1935) who was married to Nathaniel Mayer de Rothschild (1840-1915), 1st Lord Rothschild, and given by her to the wife of their youngest son, Nathaniel Rothschild. Roszika Rothschild (1870-1940) was a former Hungarian tennis player who lived with her husband on his estate at Tring in Hertfordshire who came to be regarded as one of the most influential of all the Rothschild women, notably on the release of the Balfour Declaration. Natalie Livingstone’s recent study, Women of Rothschild, has explored the lives and roles of these women, Jews in a Christian society and women in a deeply patriarchal family who were nonetheless determined to challenge and subvert expectations, supporting each other, building on the legacies of their mothers and aunts. This book is a graphic demonstration of these inter-generational supportive relationships between women. The book itself is of course concerned with dynastic continuity, relating to the diplomatic negotiations that surrounded the potential marriage of the virgin queen, Elizabeth I.
