Vaughan (Henry) Silex scintillans: or sacred poems and private ejaculations, first edition, first issue (with the uncancelled title dated 1650), engraved pictorial title, woodcut head-piece and decorative initials, lacking A1 (Latin verse explanation f.) and final blank, title bound in at an angle and with outer and lower margins trimmed, A4 torn at head and repaired, with loss of drop-head title recto and 4 lines of text verso, printed side-note on B3 trimmed (as often), G7 (final text f.) professionally reinforced at outer margin, some spotting or staining, lightly browned, endpapers renewed, blind-ruled contemporary sheep, rebacked, preserving original backstrip (with little loss), lower corners worn, little stained, rubbed and marked, [Allison 8; Grolier/Wither to Prior 897; Hayward 81; Wing V125], 8vo, Printed by T[homas] W[alkley], for H. Blunden, 1650.

⁂ The Gathorne-Hardy-Col. C.H. Wilkinson- Bent Juel-Jensen-Robert Ball copy of one of the great poetry rarities. 'Vaughan's finest poetry was published in this rare volume' (Hayward). Vaughan's work was rediscovered by Wordsworth at the end of the eighteenth century. The inclusion of 'Silurist' after the author's name on title alludes to his home county of Brecknockshire, which had been the place of the ancient British tribe of the Silures. Since 1989 only three copies have appeared at auction: the Houghton-Garden-Pirie copy (sold Pirie sale 2015, $100,000); the Bradley Martin copy (1990, $45,000 hammer, apparently badly wormed); and the John Heugh-Elkin Mathews-Everard Meynell copy (2017, having not been offered at auction since 1959; lacking A1).

Provenance: Galthorne-Hardy (pencil inscription dated 1953 to front pastedown); Col. C.H. Wilkinson (‘one of the last books he bought was one which he had always most prized - Silex Scintillans.’ (L.W. Hanson’s obituary notice of him in The Book Collector), sold his sale Sotheby's, 25th October, 1960, lot 512, bought by Blackwell's for Juel-Jensen); Bent Juel-Jensen (book label, his pencil acquisition note to rear pastedown and note re. Wilkinson to front free endpaper); Robert Ball (book label to front pastedown).