Early English Prose Romances Edited by William J. Thoms (3 Vol. Set) (PT229)

Published 1858: Second Editions Enlarged / Hardcovers / Very Good Condition / 3 Volume Set

Original quarter leather over green decorated cloth with gilt titles and decoration on the spines. 1079 combined very clean and bright slightly age-toned pages, gilt top edges, previous owners stamp ''Cowley Manor - Cheltenham'' on the first few opening pages off Vol. 1 and on the inner cover of Vol. 2. Boards slightly rubbed with time and bumped on the corners consistent with age but remain firm and intact. A very scarce original set. (PT229)

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Early English Prose Romances: With Biographical and Historical Introductions Edited by William J. Thoms

Dive into the rich tapestry of early English literature. "Early English Prose Romances" offers a fascinating glimpse into the narrative styles and storytelling traditions of the past. Edited by antiquary William J. Thoms. Each volume provides bibliographical and historical insights into several captivating tales that have shaped English folklore and narrative arts.

Composed of eleven tales, divided into three volumes originally published in 1827 and 1828. Volume I contains: The Lyfe of Robert the Deuyll, a Romance from the edition by Wynkyn de Worde, The History of Thomas of Reading; or The Six Worthy Yeomen of the West by Thomas Deloney, The History of Friar Bacon, and The Pleasant History of Friar Rush. Volume II contains: The Lyfe of Virgilius from the edition be Doesborcke, Tthe Noble Birth and Gallant Achievements of that Remarkable Outlaw Robin Hood, The History of George A Green; Pindar of the Town of Wakefield, and The History of Tom A Lincoln, the Red Rose Knight by Richard Johnson parts I and II. Volume III contains: The History of Helyas, Knight of the Swan from the edition printed by Copland, The History of the Life and Death of Dr. John Faustus, and The Second Report of Doctor John Faustus. Complete in three volumes, each with a vignette title. William John Thoms (1803–1885), antiquary. Thoms began his working life as a clerk in the secretary's office at Chelsea Hospital, a position he held until 1844. His principal interests, early conceived, were in literature and bibliography, especially the latter. In bibliography he received much help from Thomas Amyot, the antiquary, through whom he became acquainted with Francis Douce. Douce encouraged Thoms in his studies, lent him books and manuscripts from his great library in Gower Street, and gave him much assistance in editing his first publication, Early Prose Romances. Thoms's next publications were Lays and Legends of France, Spain, Tartary, and Ireland and Lays and Legends of Germany, in which he was assisted by Douce; both appeared in 1834. In 1832 he had tried his hand at periodical literature as the editor of The Original, a ‘miscellany of humour, literature, and the fine arts’. It lasted a little over four months, running to twenty-two numbers. In 1838 Thoms was elected a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and in the same year was appointed the first secretary of the Camden Society, a post he held until 1873. DNB Google Books.