32. Hudibras. " The First Part, " Written in the time of the late Wars. " [Device] London, " Printed by J. G. for Richard Marriot, under Saint " Dunstan's Church in Fleet?treet. 1663.

Although "written in the time of the late Wars," Hudibras was not licensed to be printed until November 11, 1662, two years after the reËstablishment of the monarchy, when a satire on Puritanism could no longer give offense to the ruling party. On the contrary, the satisfaction which it gave to the King and court had much to do with the great success it achieved. Butler himself records the royal favor:

Marriot, the successful publisher of Walton's Angler and some of Donne's books, issued the first part in three different forms, large octavo, like our copy, small octavo, and duodecimo; the last two sizes being sold for a lower price than the former, to meet the popular demand for the work. Besides these there is another edition, in three issues of the same date, which has no name of printer or publisher in the imprint, although, like Marriot's copies, it bears the license, "Imprimatur. Jo: Berkenhead, Novemb. 11, 1662." If it were not for this imprimatur, the following notice, which appeared in the Public Intelligencer for December 23, 1662, would make it seem certain that the nameless edition was really spurious:

"There is stolen abroad a most false imperfect copy of a poem called Hudibras, without name either of printer or bookseller, as fit for so lame and spurious an impression. The true and perfect edition printed by the author's original, is sold by Richard Marriot under St. Dunstan's church in Fleet Street; that other nameless is a cheat, and will not abuse the buyer as well as the author, whose poem deserves to have fallen into better hands." But the presence of the regular license brings us to the very probable theory that Marriot may have issued both editions; the first without his name because he was unwilling to allow it to appear until the fortune of the book seemed certain.

Singularly enough, Marriot did not issue The Second Part. By the Authour of the Fir?t, which came out the next year in two sizes, octavo and small octavo, Printed by T. R. for John Martyn, and James Alle?try, at the Bell in St. Pauls Church Yard. Ten years later we find the volume being issued by Martyn and also by Herringman.

The Third and la?t " Part. " Written by the Author " Of The " First and Second Parts. " London, " Printed for Simon Miller, at the Sign of the Star " at the We?t End of St. Pauls, 1678. was only published in one size, the octavo. We get an idea of the great interest the book created, when, after a lapse of so many years, this last part ran into a second edition in a twelvemonth.*

Mr. Pepys is our authority for the cost of the spurious book. He says, in his Diary on Christmas Day, 1662: "Hither come Mr. Battersby; and we falling into a discourse of a new book of drollery in verse, called Hudebras, I would needs go find it out, and met with it at the Temple: it cost 2s. 6d. But when I came to read it, it is so silly an abuse of the Presbyter Knight going to the warrs, that I am ashamed of it; and by and by, meeting at Mr. Townsend's at dinner, I sold it to him for 18d." He afterward tried to read the second part, so we learn from his notes dated November 28, 1663; but which issue he used we shall never know. He says:

"... To Paul's Church Yarde, and there looked upon the second part of Hudibras, which I buy not, but borrow to read, to see if he be as good as the first, which the world do cry so mightily up, though it hath not a good liking in me...."

Octavo.

Collation: Title; A-R, in eights.

* It should be noted that some copies of the volume have the record of the license and some have none.