CHARLES I [John GAUDEN]. Εἰκὼν Βασιλικὴ [Eikon Basilike]. The pourtraicture of His Sacred Majestie in his solitudes and sufferings.

CHARLES I [John GAUDEN]. Εἰκὼν Βασιλικὴ [Eikon Basilike]. The pourtraicture of His Sacred Majestie in his solitudes and sufferings. [London: William Dugard.] “1648” [i.e. 1649].

8vo. Contemporary black morocco, rebacked with original spine, covers with double fillet border, central floral lozenge and cornerpieces, flat spine gilt ruled in compartments with later gilt lettering, gilt edges, endpapers renewed; pp. [6], 208, 107-154, 255-302, [8], with double-page engraved frontispiece after William Marshall, woodcut initial and typographic headpieces; spine a little discoloured, extremities very lightly rubbed; the occasional spot, but generally a very good, crisp copy; presentation inscription “Louisa Davis given by her affectionate mother Selina Jawin January 1815” to front free endpaper; earlier signatures of John Hox and John Symes to rear endpaper, ticket of Salisbury Bookbinders to rear pastedown.

Early edition of the Eikon Basilike, Charles I’s spiritual biography and a bestseller of Royalist propaganda, handsomely preserved in a fine contemporary binding.

First published on 9 February 1649, only ten days after Charles I’s execution, the Εἰκὼν Βασιλική (Eikon Basilike, lit. “Royal portrait”) rapidly became one of the most widely read and influential books ever printed in English. Written in a plain yet poignant diaristic style, it blends irenic prayers seeking forgiveness of the king’s executioners with a defence of royalism and of Charles’s political and military conduct. Although long attributed to Charles himself, authorship is now generally credited to John Gauden (1605-1662), Bishop of Worcester, who may have incorporated genuine writings of the king.

Despite Parliamentary efforts to suppress it, the book was a runaway success: thirty-six editions in 1649 alone, including the present one. Central to its impact was William Marshall’s famous allegorical frontispiece, here in a version re-designed specifically for this edition. Depicting Charles as a Christian martyr, the image helped foster the cult of the king as Martyr Rex: Charles holds a crown of thorns symbolising Christ’s Passion and heavenly glory, while his discarded royal crown lies at his feet. In response to the book’s immense success, Parliament commissioned a scathing rebuttal by John Milton, the Eikonoklastes (“Icon-breaker”), published later that same year.

This edition is notable for omitting reference to the “Prayers” on its title page or in the contents, suggesting that they were added in haste. Bound at the end is “A true relation of the Kings speech to the Lady Elizabeth, and the Duke of Gloucester, the day before his death” and “An Epitaph upon King Charles”.

Madan 21; ESTC R29848.

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