An Elizabethan Dictionary Shakespeare Used

Item #24

Thesaurus Linguae Romane et Britannicae.... Henry Wykes for Berthelet, 1565. Folio .  [1812] p.  31 x 21 cm. Complete.in Double column, gothic and roman types. 20th century sympathetic binding, some toning, some minor staining, last leaves with some dampostaing.  generally a very good copy.

FIRST EDITION of a significant Latin-English dictionary from the Elizabethan era, which was founded on the earlier efforts of Sir Thomas Elyot and Robert Estienne. The Queen herself was deeply impressed by the dictionary and contributed to Cooper's career advancement. He went on to become the dean of Christ Church, Oxford, in 1567, then the dean of Gloucester in 1569, and eventually, the bishop of Lincoln in 1571, and the bishop of Winchester in 1584.

Dr. Edward Davenant said that "this learned man (Cooper) had a shrew to his wife, who was irreconcileably angrie with him for sitting-up late at night so, compileing his Dictionarie, dedicated to Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester, and Chancellor of Oxford). When he had halfe-donne it, she had the opportunity to gett into his studie, tooke all his paines out in her lap, and threw it into the fire, and burnt it. Well, for all that, that good man had so great a zeale for the advancement of learning, that he began it again, and went through with it to that perfection that he hath left it to us, a most usefull worke."

Price: $2,500.00