Leviathan, or, The matter, forme, & power of a common-wealth ecclesiasticall and civill
By: by Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury
Contributors: Crooke, Andrew, -1674, publisher; Wilson, William, -1665, printer; Bosse, Abraham, 1602-1676, engraver, attributed name
Edition: [First edition, first issue].
Publisher: Printed [by William Wilson] for Andrew Crooke, at the Green Dragon in St. Paul's Church-yard
Published: 1651
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 396
Subjects: Political science; Early works to 1800; The State
Other titles: Leviathan, or, The matter, forme and power of a common-wealth; Matter, forme and power of a common-wealth; Cardiff Rare Books Collection Early English Folios.
Notes: In this edition the additional title page vignette is a winged head with scrolls and tassels.

Added engraved title page: "Leviathan, or The matter, forme, & power of a common-wealth ecclesiasticall and civil". By an anonymous engraver; sometimes attributed to Abraham Bosse (1602-1676). cf. Corbett & Light brown. At the head of the engraving: "Non est potestas Super Terram quae Comparetur ei Iob.4t 24."

This is 1st edition, first issue. Two other editions appeared with the same date and imprint: one with a bear vignette (probably printed in Holland), and one with an ornamental vignette and the spelling "civil" for "civill" on the title page (printed 1680?).--cf. Macdonald-Hargreaves, p. 27ff.

The printing of this edition has been ascribed to William Wilson (cf. Virginia University. Bibliographical Society. Studies in bibliography, volume 7, (1955) pages 125-151).

The second plate is a folded letterpress table.

There are two identified states of this edition. In one leaf 3A3 is missigned "Aa3", in the other the leaf is correctly signed.

Signatures: A-3D⁴ (quires 2C to 3D signed on third leaf of signature, all others on first two leaves only).

Errata (13 lines) at foot of A3v.

Woodcut head-pieces and initials; printed marginalia.

English short title catalogue, entry R17253

Macdonald-Hargreaves. Thomas Hobbes, a bibliography (1952), entry 42

Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, entry 491

Corbett, M. Comely frontispiece, No. 20, p. 219-230

Wing, D.G. Short-title catalogue of books printed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, and British America, and of English books printed in other countries, 1641-1700 (2nd ed.), entry H2246

Tisch Library Special Collections copy: Armorial bookplates of "Sir John Leveson Gower of Trentham in Stafford Shire Baronet" and "Gower Earl Gower" on front pastedown.

Tisch Library Special Collections copy: Contemporary full mottled calf rebacked; coat-of-arms of the Order of the Garter blind-stamped on front board along with decorative floral borders and thistle fillets in four corners of both boards.