book;
book-illustration;
print
- Museum number
- 1861,0810.495-498
- Description
-
Reid 4818. Illustrated booked entitled: "Ancient mysteries described especially the English miracle plays." by William Hone. with illustrations by George Cruikshank. Bound in cardboard covers.
Lettered on the title-page in black and red ink:
"The ancient mysteries described especially the English miracle plays founded on apocryphal New Testament story extant among the unpublished manuscripts in the British Museum including notices of ecclesiastical Shows. The festivals of fools and asses- The English boy bishop- The descent into Hell- the Lord Mayor's Show- The Guildhall giants- Christmas carols &c.
By William Hone. With engravings on copper and wood." With a quotation from Shakespeare and the publisher's details at the foot of the page:
"London: Printed for William Hone, 45 Ludgate Hill, By J. McCreery, Took's Court."
1.The frontispiece "Fool." "From a print by Sandredam after H. Golzius" with "M. Reading sc(?)" lettered in the lower left hand corner represents a half length figure in jester's motley standing in a landscape. Lettered above the image: "An Ideot(?) holds his bauble for a God." and below:
"When friars monks and priests of former days,
Apocrypha and scripture turned to plays,
The festivals of fools and asses kept,
Obey'd boy-Bishops and to crosses crept,
They made the mumming Church the people's rod
And held the grinning bauble for a God."
At the foot of the page: "Frontispiece to Hone on Ancient Mysteries, 1823.
The additional illustrations are listed as follows, two of which are attributed to George Cruiksank:
Copper:
2. "Herne's descent into Hell." p. 138.
3. "Giants in Guildhall." p. 262.
Reid 1139. "The Giants in Guildhall, Gog and Magoc." Drawn and etched from statues by George Cruikshank.
4. "Fools' Morris dance." p. 270.
Reid 1140. "Fool's Morris Dance." Faithfully etched by George Cruikshank from an oil picture 15 inches high and 25 inches wide in posession of William Hone."
Wood.
5. "Triangular Candle."p.78.
6. "Triune Head." p.86.
7-10. "Impressions from Christmas carol blocks." pp. 100-101.
11. "Tail-piece." p. 142.
12. "St Nicholas' Miracle. "p.193.
13. Boy Bishop. p.197
1823
Letterpress book with etched illustrations
- Production date
- 1823
- Dimensions
-
Height: 196 millimetres (approx. page height Hearne's print of "The descent into Hell.")
-
Height: 221 millimetres
-
Width: 240 millimetres (Approximate page width of Hearne's print of "The descent into Hell.")
-
Width: 135 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Description from GW Reid "A descriptive catalogue of George Cruikshank's Works."
Reid does not give catalogue numbers for the woodcut illustrations but lists the vignette on the title and the tail-piece in his general description which suggests an attribution of these illustrations to George Cruikshank.
An ornate book-plate with the name George Richard Corner is affixed to the inside of the front cover.
- Location
- Not on display
- Condition
- Some damage to the spine and tearing of individual pages.
- Acquisition date
- 1861
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1861,0810.495-498
