- description
- # No. XXI. British Museum (2).
## Overview
This section, titled "No. XXI. British Museum (2).", is a textual document extracted from a larger file and is part of [Chapter III](arke:01KG6S4EM1AKPD5T35XS8GTZ8A). It focuses on various copies of the 1624 edition of "The Rape of Lucrece" by William Shakespeare, detailing their provenance, physical characteristics, and current locations.
## Context
This section is part of the [PDF Workflow Main Test 2026-01-30T00:26:53 collection](arke:01KG6NWQ2H2K4PGG7H4ZHYCZ3Y) and was extracted from the file [pdf-01KG6Q7Q25RHMFT3SJXPV18VFF.txt](arke:01KG6S2X2EBB305ENM00G16GWA). It follows the section titled [No. XX. British Museum (1) (Grenville).](arke:01KG6S5KFECDFQXRDRCKRB1PZ1) and precedes [No. XXII. Mr. Dwight Church's copy.](arke:01KG6S5KFE6EYA0ZMXZSFP0H67).
## Contents
The section describes several copies of the 1624 edition of "The Rape of Lucrece." It highlights two copies held at the British Museum, providing details such as their measurements, binding (red morocco and green morocco), and press-marks (C. 34. a.44. and C. 39. a. 37 (2)). One of these British Museum copies is from the Grenville collection (No. 11179).
It also discusses a copy in the Bodleian Library, part of Thomas Caldecott's bequest, and a copy in the Lenox Library in the New York Public Library, tracing its possible ownership back to Thomas Pearson's library in 1788. Another copy, formerly owned by Frederick Locker Lampson and Frederick Ouvry, is noted as belonging to Mr. E. Dwight Church of New York.
The section further provides a general description of the 1624 edition, noting its small octavo format, the number of traceable copies (six, with only two in England), and its title page inscription: "The | Rape | of | Lvcrece. | By Mr. William Shakespeare. | Newly Revised. | LONDON | Printed by I. B. for Roger Jackson, and are | to be sold at his shop neere the Conduit | in Fleet-street, 1624." It mentions that the text, contents list, and marginal notes follow the 1616 edition, with thirty-two unpaginated leaves and identical signatures.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-30T06:25:56.547Z
- description_model
- gemini-2.5-flash-lite
- description_title
- No. XXI. British Museum (2).
- end_line
- 3984
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-30T06:24:08.801Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 3966
- text
- No. XXI. British Museum (2).
which were defective, have been repaired in facsimile. The measurements are $ \frac{5^{2/3}}{2} \times 3^{2/3} $. The volume was in recent times bound by Bedford in red morocco. The press-mark is C. 34. a.44.
The copy in the Bodleian Library was part of the bequest of Thomas Caldecott and reached the Library in 1833 (Malone 892). The leaves have been much cut by the binder. The measurements are $ \frac{5^{1/2}}{16} \times 3^{3/2} $.
There is a copy in the Lenox Library in the New York Public Library which has been cut close at top and bottom. This was probably the one priced by the bookseller Rodd in his catalogue of 1837 at four guineas, and may be that sold with the Venus and Adonis of 1636 and other poetical tracts at the sale of Thomas Pearson's library in 1788.
The copy formerly in the library of Frederick Locker Lampson, of Rowfant, now belongs to Mr. E. Dwight Church, of New York. Measuring $ \frac{5^{1/2}}{16} \times 3^{1/2} $ and being bound by Riviere, it was formerly in the library of Frederick Ouvry. It is cut in the lower margin. It was bought in the Ouvry sale, in 1882, by Bernard Quaritch, for £35 10s. od., and shortly afterwards went to Rowfant. It passed to the present owner early in 1905.
Of the edition of 1624, in small octavo, six copies are now traceable, of which only two are now in England, and both of these are in the British Museum. The text with list of contents and marginal notes follows that of 1616. The signatures are the same, and the leaves number thirty-two, without pagination. The title runs:—The | Rape | of | Lvcrece. | By Mr. William Shakespeare. | Newly Revised. | LONDON | Printed by I. B. for Roger Jackson, and are | to be sold at his shop neere the Conduit | in Fleet-street, 1624.
A fair copy is in the Grenville collection (No. 11179) at the British Museum. It was possibly bought at the Jolley sale in 1844. The measurements are $ \frac{5^{2/3}}{16} \times 3^{2/3} $. The title and last leaf are not in good condition and a few of the headlines are cut into. It is bound in green morocco.
The second copy now known to be in Great Britain is also in the British Museum—press-mark C. 39. a. 37 (2). It
<!-- [Page 188](arke:01KG6QCD6WJGMABKRKVMATPDCY) -->
LUCRECE 49
SIXTH EDITION, 1624.
- title
- No. XXI. British Museum (2).