Gesta Grayorum, or, The history of the high and mighty prince, Henry Prince of Purpoole ...
Subtitle: together with a masque, as it was presented (by His Highness's command) for the entertainment of Q. Elizabeth, who, with the nobles of both courts, was present thereat
Contributors: Walpole, Horace, 1717-1797, former owner; Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. (James Orchard), 1820-1889, former owner; Barton, Thomas Pennant, 1803-1869, former owner; S. Leigh Sotheby & John Wilkinson (Firm)
Publisher: Printed for W. Canning, at his shop in the Temple-Cloysters
Published: 1688
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 68
Subjects: Masques; Gray's Inn
Other titles: History of the high and mighty prince, Henry Prince of Purpoole
Notes: Account of Gray's Inn revels, 1594-5, under the leadership of H. Helmes (i.e. Henry Prince of Purpoole).

"There are three main points of literary interest in the Gesta Grayorum, namely, a supposed allusion to Shakespeare's Comedy of errors, the speeches of the six councillors [ascribed to Francis Bacon] and the Masque of Proteus ... [Of the masque ...] Francis Davison was ... the main author."--NUC pre-1956.

Epistle dedicatory signed: W.C. [i.e. William Canning], to whom Halkett and Laing attribute the work.

Continued from title page: "... Arch-Duke of Stapulia and Bernardia, Duke of High and Nether Holborn, Marquis of St. Giles and Totenham, Count Palatine of Bloomsbury and Clerkenwell, Great Lord of the Cantons of Islington, Kentishtown, Paddington and Knights-Bridge, Knight of the most heroical Order of the Helmet, and Sovereign of the same, who reigned and died, A.D. 1594 ..."

"Price, one shilling."

Bookseller's advertisement at the foot of page 68.

Signatures: A℗ø B-Íþ K℗ø.

Title page printed in red and black.

Boston Public Library. Catalogue of the Barton Collection, Shakespeariana, page 114

English short title catalogue, entry R5680

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. 1994), entry C444

Cataloged 2015 jmoschella

Boston Public Library (Rare Books Department) copy bound in early black sheepskin panelled and tooled in gilt. The spine is ruled and stamped in gilt with no label. The armorial bookplates of Horatio Walpole and of the Barton Library are present on the front pastedown. An auctioneer's description, from the Halliwell sale of May 23, 1856, is tipped onto the verso of the front free endpaper. Tipped-in directly after is a blue sheet with two paragraphs of binder's instructions in the hand of Thomas Pennant Barton, in which Barton discusses his desire to maintain the appearance of the book, due to its provenance, while also expressing his desire for the volume to be "done up a little."  A pencil inscription regarding the Walpole provenance is present on the front flyleaf recto. Early pen trials are present on the verso of the rear flyleaf.