Beschreibung:

More (Sir Thomas) The Apologye of Syr Thomas More Knyght, first edition, printed entirely in black letter, title within pictorial woodcut border, woodcut initial, early ink underlining and marginal annotations, final blank leaf laid down, about a dozen leaves with corners or margins restored, some light water-staining, later blind-stamped morocco by Zaehnsdorf, g.e., [STC 18078; Gibson, More 46], 8vo, Prynted by W. Rastell, 1533. ⁂ A very good copy with a distinguished provenance of this important defence of his own actions and those of the clergy in general, published in response to a 1532 treatise, generally ascribed to Christopher St. German, entitled A Treatise concerning the Division between the Spirituality and Temporality, in which the anonymous author argued for the supremacy of the King and for the drastic limiting of church power. No copy at auction since this one last appeared in 1990. Provenance: John Ravens (ink name on title); Montacute House (ink annotation on front free endpaper); John Burns (ink name, dated 1916, on front free endpaper); H. Bradley Martin (bookplate - his sale at Sotheby's NY, April 30th 1990, lot 3064 $2,500)