Itinerarium Cambriae seu Laboriosae Baldvini Cantuariensis Archiepiscopi per Walliam Legatonis Accurata Descriptio; Cum Annotationibus Davidis Poweli
Londini: Typis Gulielmi Bulmer et Socii, 1806. Hardcover. Very good. Item #17637
4to. xxxii,237,(6)pp. Engraved frontispiece, three full page engraved plates, and a large hand-colored folding map. Contemporary full calf binding; spine in six compartments with raised bands, gilt, gilt title, gilt rules on the boards and gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. With the armorial bookplate of Henry Drummond (1786-1860) of Albury Park, Surrey, now Albury Estate. Early edition of Giraldus' 12th century Itinerary through Wales. According to Lowndes, only 200 copies were printed, and he calls Giraldus, the Bishop of St. David's, the "oldest topographer of Wales...." Lowndes, p. 896. The Merlin reference: Myrddin Emrys is first named by Giraldus Cambrensis in this Itinerarium Cambriae where he makes a distinction between two Myrddins: Merlinus Ambrosius (Myrddin Emrys) and Merlinus Celidonius who is also known as Merlinus Sylvester (Myrddin Wyllt). Rebacked with the original spine nicely laid on, one plate lightly foxed, tiny closed inner marginal tear to the map at a fold (no loss) else a near fine fresh copy.
Price: $1,000.00