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The Survey of Cornwall. And An Epistle concerning the Excellencies of the English Tongue. Now first Published from the Manuscript. By Richard Carew, of Antonie, Esq; With The Life of the Author, By H*** C***** Esq; London, Printed for Samuel Chapman, at the Angel in Pallmall; Daniel Browne jun. at the Black Swan without Temple-Bar; and James Woodman, at Cambden s-Head in Bowstreet, Covent-Garden. 1723. Fine contemporary leather binding, XIX, [viii], 159 p + [4] p Index + 13 p, 9 x 7 , large octavo. In fair condition. Leather boards normally scuffed at edges and worn/bumped at corners. Modern spine split at head of front hinge; gilt lettering and deco overall bright and clean. Light scuffing to leather covering boards, but overall binding remains attractive. All edges painted red (top edge very dulled/soiled). Previous ownership bookplate found on front paste-down: C.W.H. Sotheby. First title page s text is in red & black ink; red is dulled, but legible. Some instances of light toning throughout text-block. Modern binding intact; front hinge beginning to crack at head. Please see photos and ask questions, if any, before purchasing. Richard Carew (1555 1620) was a Cornish translator and antiquary. He is best known for his county history, Survey of Cornwall (1602), the second English county history to appear in print. Carew was a member of the Elizabethan Society of Antiquaries. Later editions were published in 1723, 1769 and 1811, and Davies Gilbert published an index in his Cornwall, vol. 4, pp. 381 92. He also published an Epistle concerning the Excellencies of the English Tongue (1605). Carew served as High Sheriff of Cornwall (1583 and 1586), and as MP for Saltash in 1584. He was married to Juliana Arundell, the eldest daughter of Sir John Arundell of Trerice. Interested in langue and particularly etymology, Carew's panegyric on The Excellencie of the English tongue constituted a qualified rebuttal of Richard Verstegean's Restitution of decayed Intelligence and of Antiquities (1605), which rejected the British contribution to England's history and languages in favor of Germanic elements. Carew accepted Saxon as the "natural language" of England, but he was much more willing to recognize the contributions of foreign tongues and culture than Verstegan was. RAREB1723DOQC 08/24 - HK1948. Seller Inventory # RAREB1723DOQC
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