London: Robert Clavel, 1680. A rather scarce book with an interesting history. Edmund Borlase (1620–1682) was an Anglo-Irish historian and physician. In 1676, Borlase published at London an octavo volume of 284 pages, with the following title: The Reduction of Ireland to the Crown of England; with the Governours since the Conquest by King Henry II, anno 1172 ; with some passages in their government. A brief account of the Rebellion, anno Dom. 1641. Also, the original of the Universitie of Dublin, and the Colledge of Physicians. The work was mainly a compilation from printed books, and terminated at the year 1672. The compilation of a history of affairs in Ireland from 1641 to 1662 was undertaken by Borlase chiefly with the object of demonstrating that the administrators of the English government there had not acted adversely to the royal interests nor unjustly towards Irish Catholics. For the purposes of his work, Borlase obtained a copy of an unpublished treatise on Irish affairs by Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon. This he unskillfully altered and interpolated, to make it accord with his views. Borlase's work, after expurgation by Sir Roger L'Estrange, was published at London in 1680: 'The History of the execrable Irish Rebellion, trac'd from many preceding acts to the grand eruption, the 23 of October, 1641, and thence pursued to the Act of Settlement, 1662.' The publication attracted little attention, owing to the defective style and absence of the author's name.[Wikipedia]. Folio in contemporary full brown rebacked leather. Binding is scraped, bumped, rubbed. Front hinge cracked but text block is tight. Interior pages are generally very good, with aging and some browning to margins. Includes the fold out chart showing the cost of the rebellion. Library stamp for the Washburn library in Madison WI stamped on front pastedown and title page but no other ex-library signs. 327 pages plus 138 pages of appendixes plus index. IRELAND/041521.

Item #35083

Price: $825.00