TUDOR & STUART HISTORY The Historie of the Reigne of King Henry the Seventh [with] The History of Great Britain [with] The Reign of King Charles

Small folio (26x18cm) in 19th century half calf with marbled endpapers and on the front pastedown the bookplate of Edward Fenwick Boyd de Moorhouse (1810-1889), Newcastle mining industrialist; all edges gilt. The three works appear as follows:

1. Francis Bacon, The Historie of the Reigne of King Henry the Seventh, 1641, Printed by R.Y. and R.H. and R Meighen; lacking preliminary blank and portrait of Bacon; begins with engraved title page [4] pp248, [10] title with architectural border. Light foxing; engraved title page in delicate condition.

2. Arthur Wilson, The History of Great Britain, 1653, Richard Lownds, lacking engraved frontispiece [10] pp 152, f153-160, pp161-292 [8], browned throughout.

3.Hamon L’Estrange, The Reign of King Charles. An History, 1656, Henry Seile, lacking additional title page, [8] pp274 [8] pp48 ESTC R12685.

Bacon produced his history in 1622, being written in an attempt to curry favour with James I. It remained popular until the 20th century. Wilson’s history was published after his death in 1652; he was much less impressed by the House of Stuart and indeed criticised Bacon himself; L’Estrange was a Royalist who wrote his history after he withdrew from public life following the defeat of Charles I. Both L’Estrange and Wilson were Norfolk men.