first edition
1794 · Hartford
by Stiles, Ezra
Hartford: Printed by Elisha Babcock, 1794. First Edition. Good in a full leather contemporary binding over boards with a red leather title block on the spine with gilt text and three gilt rules and vestiges of gilt decorations on the edges of the boards. A 16mo measuring 6 5/8 by 4 inches with the leather worn through on the tips of the boards, and with both boards bowed so that the fore edge of the book is considerably wider than the spine. All of the three fold-out plates are creased and folded improperly, the fore-edge of the title page is ragged with no loss to the printed text, the remnants of a stub between pages 12 and 13 represent a binding error as comparisons of another same date copy reveal there is nothing missing. The full title reads: "A History Of The Three Judges of King Charles I. Major-General Whalley, Major-General Goffe, and Colonel Dixwell: Who, at the Restoration, 1660, Fled to America; And Were secreted and concealed, in Massachusetts and Connecticut, for near Thirty Years. With An Account of Mr. Theophilus Whale, of Narragansett, Supposed to have been also one of the Judges." 357 pages of text including an errata slip which is attached to the last page of text and that is followed by a one page ad noting the size of the book and the size of the type used is in conflict with the proposals which initially described the publication allowing the subscribers to either take the book or not "at their liberty". Illustrated with a frontispiece of the author, Plate I (p.29) is a fold-out map of New Haven and its environs; Plate II (p.77) illustrates two views of "Judges Cave" on top of West Rock in New Haven; Plate III (p.80) is a single page showing street maps of both Guilford and Milford, Connecticut; Plate IV (p.114) is a fold-out map showing both the Connecticut shoreline area; and, the Hadley area of Massachusetts; Plate V (p.126) is a street map of a section of New Haven; Plate VI (p.136) is a fold-out plate showing four head and foot stones; Plate VIII (p.202) is a plan of Hadley, Massachusetts and details of Mr. Russels house; and Plate IX (p.345) shows a map of the western towns of Naraganset Bay in Rhode Island. No copies of this title have been seen containing Plate VII. The prevailing opinion being that no such plate was ever produced for inclusion in the title. (Howes, S-999)
(Inventory #: TB28524)