The Chronicle of Fabyan

Robert Fabyan, The Chronicle of Fabyan. London: John Kingston, 1559.

Fabyan was Sheriff of London at the end of the 15th century. He was an amateur historian who expanded his personal diary into a full history of England, which he claimed to have completed in 1504, and it was published posthumously in 1516. A second edition in 1533 brought the narrative down to Henry VII and this third edition (1559) down to Queen Elizabeth.

Source for Shakespeare's Henry VI plays and Richard III. (See M. M. Reese, The Cease of Majesty: A Study of Shakespeare's History Plays [London, 1961].)

Folio. 276 mm x 118 mm. Volume 1 only (of 2). Collation: A-B6, a-z6, A-G6, H4. [24] 369 pages [lacking title-page, supplied in manuscript on 19th-century wove paper, mistakenly listing printer as W. Rastell and publication date as 1533].

Early 20th-century smooth calf binding.

Pasted overslip on c5v correcting a printing error affixed by means of an old pin, unrecorded in any other known copy.

Signature d3r col. 1 line 7 reads "slayne" (other copies have "slain") and sig. o1r col. 2 line 7 reads "English" (other copies have "Englishe").

English black-letter printing with numerous engraved initials in the text and some contemporary manuscript annotations. Outer margins of fols. A2-4 extended with old paper, fore-edge margins of A5-B8 with rust corrosion, perhaps from early metal clasps.

Ownership inscription on the title-page: "John Evans his book 1842 July 22" and engraved bookplate. Ink inscription on front flyleaf: "John Poindexter Landers"

STC 10663