"ONE OF THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED MEN OF THE AGE" (WILLIAM PENN): WHITELOCKE'S MEMORIALS OF THE ENGLISH AFFAIRS, 1709 FOLIO FIRST EDITION, WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY PENN

(PENN, William, editor) WHITELOCKE, Sir Bulstrode. Memorials of the English Affairs, from the Suppos'd Expedition of Brute to this Island, to the End of the Reign of King James the First… Publish'd from [Whitelocke's] Original Manuscript, with Some Account of His Life and Writings by William Penn, Esq; Governour of Pennsylvania. London: E. Curll… E. Sanger… and J. Pemberton, 1709. Folio (8-1/2 by 13 inches), contemporary full brown speckled calf gilt, raised bands, red morocco spine label, marbled endpapers. $1750.

Folio first edition of this epitome of English history beginning with the Roman period, edited from Whitelocke's manuscript and with an Introduction by William Penn—one of the last of Penn's works. A handsome folio in nicely preserved contemporary calf-gilt.

This book, published posthumously, is a history of Roman times up to the turbulent period in which Whitelocke himself participated. Welwood (1652-1727), physician to William and Mary and author of his own history of the 100 years leading up to the revolution of 1688, calls this work in his Preface "the best epitome of its kind of the affairs of England now extant." This edition, which includes several references to the voyages of Raleigh and Drake, was one of the last of Penn's works. "As a young man, William Penn had become acquainted with Sir Bulstrode Whitelocke (1605-75), a Buckinghamshire man who retired to write at the time of the Restoration after an active political career. He served a number of years in Parliament, as ambassador to Sweden, as lord commissioner of the Great Seal, and in other national and county offices. Known for his moderation, he had been more understanding of the Quakers than many of his contemporaries and had become a good friend of Penn's before his death" (Bronner & Fraser, 504).

"[Whitelocke] often preached… A young client, the Quaker William Penn, sometimes came to hear Whitelocke, sometimes to preach himself. Years later Penn published Quench not the Spirit (1711), a selection of Whitelocke's sermons, describing him as 'one of the most accomplished Men of the Age' and quoting his definition of religion as 'the Work of the Spirit of God in the Hearts and Souls of Men'" (ODNB). "In his 'Prefatory Introduction' [to the present volume] Penn wrote briefly about the nature of history and its use to those who study it. He followed with a discussion of the project undertaken by Whitelocke, and something about the author… and told his readers about the way in which Count Oxenstierna, the great Swedish statesman, had encouraged Whitelocke to retire from public life early enough to write books that would be useful to his fellow men" (Bronner & Fraser, 504). With license leaf. Woodcut headpiece and capitals. Sabin 59715. Bronner & Fraser 130A.

Infrequent foxing, faint marginal dampstain to last few leaves of Index only; corners bumped, a few abrasions to covers. An exceptionally good folio in contemporary calf-gilt.