First edition of the ‘Prospect’. An analysis of the plate wear in this example as described by Skelton indicates this to be an early issue of the edition. Following the death of George Humble in 1640 the publishing business was inherited by his son William. He either continued or began the project of producing a similar miniature version of the folio ‘Prospect’ first published by his father in 1626. It was printed by Miles Fletcher. A unique example of the ‘Prospect’ exists with the title page dated 1626 in error. In that example two plates, the world and America, bear the date 1642. It seems as if the completion of the work was delayed by the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 and was finally published the year it ended, 1646. The new plates were all engraved by an aged Pieter van den Keere after those of Speed. The British section lacks a date but can be differentiated from earlier ones by the type setting.

In binding this example of the ‘Prospect’ and the ‘England, Wales …’ together the former title is omitted and was replaced by that of the latter. The verso of it bears some offsetting from the ‘Catalogue’ which is at the front of the British section. Between the two is found the original endpaper with some contemporary manuscript writing. Provenance: the final leaf of the book bears the manuscript imprint of ‘Edwd. Wellings’s … gave him by his Grandma 1792’. Shirley BL T.Kee 2a and T.Kee 1f; Skelton 37; STC 23035; Wing S4882.