Orphée

1626 · réf. 182961 — London: Francis Williams 1626. A remarkable piece of colonial propaganda and one of the earliest books concerned with America First edition published to promote Vaughan's Newfoundland settlement. This fanciful work "draws a parallel between the mission conducted by Jason and his fellow Argonauts to win the golden fleece and the opportunities offered to colonists especially Orpheus junior's 'countreymen of Wales' in Newfoundland" ODNB. William Vaughan 1577-1641 was concerned about the poor economic conditions in Wales and became interested in colonization as a means of improving standards of living. In 1616 he purchased a portion of the Avalon Peninsula and the following year dispatched a few ill-prepared colonists. In honour of its Welsh origin the colony was named Cambriol. Hiring the English mariner Richard Whitbourne in 1618 and as governor Vaughan hoped to attract more colonists: "Whitbourne did his best to reorganize the colony by moving it to a better location but at the same time had to deal with a piratical attack on one of his ships from deserters of the Guiana fleet of Sir Walter Raleigh" Howgego. The colony collapsed in 1619. His attempts to promote it continued throughout the 1620s. Wishing "to obtain more settlers he wrote this allegory in praise of his colony in which truth and fiction are mixed to such an extent that the reader of the present day can hardly separate the one from the other" Church. The map of Newfoundland by Captain John Mason here in facsimile is very rarely found with the book. Small quarto 180 x 134 mm in 3 parts pp. 28 150 106 96 with pagination errors as issued. With facsimile map as often and bound without blank leaves V4 and 2O2. Early 19th-century calf smooth spine divided by gilt rules and lozenges gilt crowned monogram of Arthur Blundell Sandys Trumbull Hill 3rd Marquess of Downshire 1788-1845 to the head of the spine sides ruled in gilt marbled endpapers speckled edges. Fox Pointe Manor library of Howard and Linda Knohl bookplate on front pastedown. Spine and corners sometime repaired minor loss to headcap joints starting in a few places but firm lacking spine label rear endpapers adhered too tightly at gutter 2F3 with minor paper repair at foot: a very good copy. ESTC S119039; Sabin 98693; Church 409; Howgego V18. unknown