Homer and His Iliads Translated, Addorned with Sculpture and Illustrated with Annotations

London: Kings -Bead Court Wihin Shoe-Lane, 1660. First Edition; First Printing. Leather bound. First edition, folio, 10.5 x 15 ins. Original leather binding, showing signs of age and wear. Later green endpapers. Engraved frontispiece Lacks portraits of Ogilby and Charles II. There are 51 Full page engravings including the frontis, plus some smaller in the text. Various inscriptions of previous owners all neatly written and adding provenance. On the page following the front endpaper there is an inscription which appears to be 'E Johnson Sims 1886, ' below this there is an inscription reading 'John's grandson Peter Sims Mar 1 1918; ' this page is followed by the first full page engraving to be seen in the book, it is a number of classically dressed figures sitting around a bust of who we imagine to be Homer, highlighted just above the group framed by an arch. To the rear of this engraving and opposite the main title page is an elaborate handwritten dedication in decorative script using sepia ink which reads 'This book was a gift of my brother Mr John Colvile of London. June 19th 1662. (John Colvile was a banker to King Charles II) . Following on from the title page there is a five page dedication and preface by John Ogilby beginning with "To the Most High and Mighty Monarch Charles II of England Scotland France and Ireland" After this comes The Life of Homer it begins with a engraved frieze, bold title and opening letter emphasised ' H ' on the word Herodotus, next comes pages about The Country and Time of Homer, at the end of which is an engraving of a statue of Homer, after which is a bibliography of The Editions of Homer. Homer's Iliads follows this opening with a full page pictorial at the bottom of which is an ornamental shield. Opposite, the title page. Is embellished with a frieze and ornamental opening capital letter, The Iliad are presented as Book 1- at the very beginning of most there is The Argument, which gives a brief summary of the plot and people involved. There are 24 books of the Iliad and they all covered in Ogilby's book. There are many expressive full page engraved illustrations covering the trials and tribulations of Odyssyus. Homer's writings are in the form of verse and have been popular for centuries, this book is an early translation that uses the power of illustration to enhance the stories and to fascinate readers. The pages have signs of wear but they are generally clean and fully readable. There is some very light foxing and some browning at the edges of pages a few mild stains and a couple of tears but the engravings are generally fresh and clean. Effective representations of battles slaughtering and scenes of life at the times. The engravers include Francis Clain, Wenceslaus Hollar, William Fairthorne and Pierre Lombart.; Engravings; Folio 13" - 23" tall. Very Good .

OGILBY, JOHN. - Homer and His Iliads Translated, Addorned with Sculpture and Illustrated with Annotations