Books

London: Printed for Thomas Hodgkin and sold by William Whitwood, 1687. The first illustrated edition in English. Also the first Hodgkin printing and the first Edition of John Philips translation. Quarto (12 1/2 x 7 3/4 inches; 317 x 195 mm). [20], 161, [3], [1, blank] pp. According to ESTC the Frontispiece, S3, and 2P3 are integral engravings. The catchwords on the proceeding leaves show this to be true. With seventeen engravings on nine plates, including the frontispiece. With the errata and 3 pages of poems which are often found lacking. Full contemporary calf, rebacked with original spine laid down. Boards tooled in gilt. Red morocco spine label, lettered in gilt. All edges marbled. Previous owner's armorial bookplate and other smaller bookplate on front pastedown. Some minor repair to spine. Internally very clean. Overall a very good copy. "The first illustrated Don Quixote in English, in the translation of John Phillips, Milton's nephew, continuing Milton's disenchantment…

"Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes is a seminal work in Western literature, often regarded as the first modern novel. Published in two parts, the first in 1605 and the second in 1615, it tells the story of Alonso Quixano, a middle-aged gentleman from the region of La Mancha in central Spain. Obsessed with the chivalric romances of the Middle Ages, he loses his sanity and decides to become a knight-errant, renaming himself Don Quixote. He chooses a simple farmer, Sancho Panza, as his squire, promising him the governorship of an island. The duo embarks on a series of adventures, with Don Quixote seeking to right wrongs and bring justice to the world, driven by his absurdly outdated moral code and understanding of reality. The novel is famous for its satirical examination of the discrepancy between Quixote's fantasy world and the actual world of 17th-century Spain. This theme is most famously illustrated in the episode where Don Quixote fights windmills, mistaking them for giant monsters. Throughout their journeys, the pair encounters thieves, prostitutes, a chain gang, and various other characters, often causing more harm than good in their attempts to help. "Don Quixote" explores themes of truth and justice, the transition from the old world to the new, and the idea of madness versus sanity. Cervantes employs a narrative structure that includes stories within stories, allowing him to critique the social and literary conventions of his time. The novel has had a profound influence on the development of prose fiction and is considered a precursor to the modern novel. It is celebrated for its humor, moral integrity, and its deep humanity, offering a complex reflection on the nature of reality and the importance of empathy.