"The Principall Navigations, Voiages, and Discoveries of the English Nation, Made by Sea or Over-land…”

Published in London in 1589 by George Bishop

Richard Hakluyt (1553-1616)

-FIRST EDITION – here complete of all text including the Bowes leaves in 2^nd state and the Drake leaves.

Collation: Folio (1 volume)  xvi, 1-501 (Bowes leaves in 2^nd state from pp 491-501) 506-643 (12 Drake leaves) 644-825 with colophon at end of text (Complete text).

Generally, very good condition. Some side-notes and upper titles are trimmed. Title page backed. Title page backed. 19th Century calf, with spine rebacked. Some annotations and old names to title page and text.

This work is a cornerstone for any travel library and a celebrated work of English literature in its own right. It contains detailed accounts of all early travel before 1590 including many never before published and important early voyages to America.

Two alterations were made during the course of the printing of Hakluyt’s voyages. Francis Drake’s circumnavigation was added at late notice as a 12 leave addition between pages 643 and 644. The Bowes leaves, which described Sir Jerome Bowes’s embassy to Moscow were amended at the request of the Muscovy company (or perhaps Francis Walsingham – Queen Elizabeth’s minster). The second state of the Bowes leaves, as found in this copy, run from pages 491-501 and account for the pagination gap (as the first state leaves were paginated 491-505).

Hakluyt was a strong proponent of exploration, trade and settlement in America, and was a leading member of the Virginia company in London. In the 1580s, he spent 5 years as an English ambassador in Paris, where he learnt of the importance of trade with America. While there, he collected information on English and European merchants and "made diligent inquirie of such things as might yield any light unto our Westerne discoveries in America". Hakluyt returned to London in 1588 and soon after published this his most famous work – “The Principall Navigations”.

Hakluyt is also remembered for his contribution to English literature as the travel works he wrote, and those he encouraged to be translated, directly influenced the writings of Shakespeare.

Annotations: 

 “George Spurstowe is the owner of this B[ooke] - 1594” is written on the last page of the book.

This is likely George Spurstowe (1550-c1604), who was born in the small village of Spurstowe, Cheshire, into the landed class. He was forced into a child marriage at Hatton hall at the age of 6(!), but was divorced by the age of 13 and went on to have 2 children by his second marriage.

Interestingly, another contemporary from George’s small village of Spurstowe, who was likely a childhood friend, was Laurence Aldersey. Laurence travelled to Egypt and Jerusalem on two voyages and had his account published in Hakluyt’s travels (pp224-227). Perhaps George bought the book to read about his friend's adventures?

George annotated the back page with a description of lengths and measures - describing feet, yards, leagues and miles. Inside he annotated the Travels of John Mandeville to Egypt and the Middle East. Perhaps he chose to read and annotate this passage so carefully because he wanted to learn more about where his friend Laurence had been? Despite having many inaccuracies and myths, Mandeville’s account was the go to book at the time to learn about the Holy Land.