A True Description of His Majesties Royall Ship, Built this Yeare, at Wool-witch in Kent. To the Great Glory of our English Nation, and Not Paraleld in the Whole Christian World 1637.

First edition, by John Okes, for John Aston, and are to bee sold at his shop in Cat-eaten streete at the signe of the Buls-head, 1637, engraved frontispiece view of the Sovereign of the Seas woodcut decorations, small 4to, Contemporary mottled calf, rebacked, small tear on title-page repaired without affecting text.

First edition, in prose and verse. The long commendatory poem to Heywood is by his fellow dramatist Shakerley Marmion. An account of the most famous man-of-war of her day: when built, the Sovereign of the Seas was the largest ship afloat, weighing 1637 tons, with 100 guns, almost twice the number of the second largest ship in the fleet. She was 128 feet long at the keel, and 232 from stem to stern on the upper deck; she had three decks and a forecastle. The ship was built with the proceeds of the unpopular ship-money tax, and was painted brilliantly in black and gold. Heywood has provided as well, a brief history of navigation from ancient days to the time of the construction of the ship, mentioning in particular Hawkins, Frobisher, Drake and Cavendish.

STC 13367. THE GREAT MAN-OF-WAR

Provenance: Kimbolton Castle