The Triumphs of Gods Revenge against the crying and Execrable Sinne of (Wilful and Premeditated) Murther

5RR John Reynolds, London: Printed for Sarah Griffin for William Lee, 1656. Third printing.

Notes

An extraordinary book on murder. Reynolds allegedly used this book to show the horror of murder and so prevent it from happening. In doing so, it gave him the opportunity of revealing in bloodthirsty descriptions of historical murder. The thirty stories begin with a precis of the story and a half page woodcut illustration, telling the tale in the form of a comic strip. Detailed and graphic illustrations of violent ways to murder such as stabbing, poisoning, strangling, and torture along with decapitation or being burned at the stake. On page 46 after the story of Alsemero and Beatrice Joana is a manuscript note: “From this history was composed a very good tragedy by Thos. Middleton printed in 1653 and again in 1660 - but in the play Alsemero is represented a most amiable character.”

Description 

Bound in red Morocco, blind-tooled boarders on upper and lower covers and lavishly decorated spine. Second compartment lettered in gilt. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. Frontispiece engraving. Title page trimmed at bottom edge cutting off most of the last line. Front paste down has armorial bookplate of Sir Richard Levinge. Library stamp “Duplicate Bridgew. Liby” - the Bridgewater Library was one of the great English Libraries. One small tear not affecting the text but two small holes and one small tear with minimal loss of text. Otherwise in very good condition.