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Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Robert SOUTHEY (1774-1843). - Thomas GOFFE (1591- 1629)

[Tragedies] Three Excellent Tragoedies. Viz., The Raging Turk... The Courageous Turk... And the Tragoedie of Orestes.

Southey's copy with bookplate and inscription

Published: printed for G. Bedell and T. Collins, London, 1656

Edition: 1st collected edition

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Robert SOUTHEY (1774-1843, poet, historian and author). - Thomas GOFFE (1591- 1629, Jacobean dramatist)

Three Excellent Tragoedies. Viz., The Raging Turk; or, Bajazet the Second. The Courageous Turk; or, Amurath the First. And the Tragoedie of Orestes. Written by Tho. Goff [sic.], Master of Arts, and Student of Christ-Church in Oxford; and Acted by the Students of the same House. . . carefully corrected by a friend of the Authors.

London: printed for G. Bedell and T. Collins, 1656. 3 parts in one volume (as issued), octavo. Pp. [i-ii; 1-] 263, [i-vii]. One general title, three part titles, 5pp. publisher's advertisements at the end.

Condition of contents: Neat repair to upper outer corner of general title, headlines occasionally slightly shaved, some spotting.

Contemporary sheep

Condition of binding: neatly rebacked to style, later endpapers.

Provenance: Thomas and Anne Purcell (early inscriptions on final page); Robert Southey (inscription at foot of title 'Robert Southey. Bristol. 1802', shaped armorial bookplate on verso off title); Cornelius Paine (inscription dated 1876 at foot of title, signature on front free endpaper); Pickering & Chatto (small label to foot of front free endpaper); Frederic Morrell (ink stamp on front pastedown). 

Poet laureate Robert Southey's copy of the first collected edition of these three plays: the 'second edition' on the titles indicates that each play had been printed before, but separately. Rare on the market: the last copy at auction was in 1966. Cornelius Paine's library was sold by Sotheby's in 1891 but I have not been able to check if the present work was included.

"Thomas Goffe was an active playwright during his days at Christ Church. Since it is unknown the order in which his plays were written, scholars believe that his first play was most likely The Raging Turk, also titled Bajazet II. The play is a tragedy and was produced at Christ Church circa 1613-1618. However, the play was published after his death in 1631. Goffe’s second play in believed to be The Tragedy of Orestes which was produced circa 1613-1618 and published in 1633. His final play produced at the Christ Church was The Courageous Turk, or Amurath the First. It was produced on 21 September 1618 and published in 1632. All of his plays were published in 1 volume as Three Excellent Tragedies in 1656....

The Raging Turk is a tragedy of Emperor Bajazet II, who is desperately trying to hold onto his power. However, plotting sons, and a usurping brother prevent him from doing so. While trying to prevent his successor, confusion consumes the people, and leads to the death of at least 16... The end of the play resolves with Bajazet being poisoned, and his grandson Solyman is crowned emperor. Many scholars believe in this play, Goffe appears to be fascinated with the reputed evil of the Turks and their insatiable greed.

The Tragedy of Orestes is the story of Aegisthus’s murder of Agamemnon with Clytemnestra’s help. Orestes, unsure of who murdered his father, asks the help of his good friend, Plyades. Together, the two of them dress in disguise and let it be rumored that they have killed themselves by jumping off a cliff. Orestes is told that if he brings his fathers bones to a magic woman named Canidia, she will reveal his father’s murderer. When the truth is revealed, Orestes kills the baby born of Aegisthus and his mother and forces the parents to drink the child’s blood. After Aegisthus and Clytemnestra are killed on stage, Orestes is denied the crown and banished. Eventually, Orestes and Pylades die by running on each other’s sword.

The Courageous Turk breaks into two parts. The first part is concerned with Amurath’s passion for his concubine Eumorphe, his officers’ discontent with Amurath’s affair, and death of Eumorphe. The second part contains a series of events consisting of Amurath’s various war exploits in Serbia (Battle of Kosovo), the Christians’ martial confusion, the marriage of Amurath’s son Bajazet to Hatam, Amurath’s conflict with his son-in-law Aladin, the mutual stabbing deaths of Amurath and the Christian Capitan Cobelitz, and the raising of Bajazet to Emperor with the subsequent death of his brother Jacup." (wikipedia).

Not in Sotheby's posthumous catalogue "Catalogue of the valuable library of the late Robert Southey" (1844).

Greg, III, p.1066; Thomason, E.1591[2]; Madan, III 2290; Wing G1006; ESTC R202218 6 5/8 x 4 1/4 ins; 168 x 112mm.

  • Binding Condition: Acceptable
  • Overall Condition: Acceptable
  • Size: 6 5/8 x 4 1/4 ins; 168 x 112mm
  • Sold By: Shadowrock Rare Books
  • Contact Person: Adam Langlands
  • Country: United States
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 001-860-248-1547
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