DE WORDE, WYNKYN. D.1535., HIGDEN, RANULF. 1280-1364.

Polycronicon. The Cronycles of Englonde, with the dedes of popes and emperours, and also the descripcyon of Englonde. London: Wynkyn de Worde, 1528. ["Imprynted at London : In Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn de Worde, the yere of our lorde god. M.CCCCC. [et] xxviij. the .ix. daye of Apryll."]

HIGDEN, RANULF. 1280-1364. Polycronicon. The Cronycles of Englonde, with the dedes of popes and emperours, and also the descripcyon of Englonde. London: Wynkyn de Worde, 1528. ["Imprynted at London : In Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn de Worde, the yere of our lorde god. M.CCCCC. [et] xxviij. the .ix. daye of Apryll."]
2 parts in one volume. Folio (255 x 180 mm). 190 leaves (3 leaves: 150, 151, 152 supplied from the 1502 edition, lacking blanks bb8 and D4). Black letter, large armorial woodcut on title and repeated on verso (lower portion defective and repaired), 2 columns, 45 lines and headlines, woodcut illustrations and diagrams in the text, woodcut device of Wynkyn de Worde [McKerrow 46b] at end of each part, both surrounded by woodcut borders. 19th-century calf gilt, rebacked, lacking folios 150, 151, 152 (supplied from the 1502 edition) and blanks bb8 and D4, a few other small repairs or defects.
Provenance: A few early manuscript notations (some cropped) and the word "pope" crossed out in several places; Thomas Blofeld (bookplate); Gordon A. Block (his sale Sotheby's London, 29 January 1974, lot 51); purchased from Maggs Brothers.

Later edition printed by Wynkyn de Worde. The Chronicles of England is usually referred to as the St. Albans Chronicle after the town where it was first printed. Wynkyn de Worde notes at the end of the first part "Thus endeth the Chronicles ... and was fyrst im-prynted by one sometyme scole mayster of saynt Albons." Wynkyn de Worde's first edition was printed in 1497. RARE: According to American Book Prices Current no copy of this edition has sold at auction in the past 45 years. ESTC (online) S108645.