Cocke Lorelles Bote. A Satirical Poem.

Aberdeen: J&J.P.Edmond & Spark. 1884.

Limited edition. 44 of 101 copies. 4to. 185x140mm. pp. xvi, 18, [2]. Red quarter morocco, marbled paper covered boards. Rubbing and wear to the extremities and to spine. Internally near fine. Overall a very good copy. The preface offers a helpful history and explanation of this curious work. Printed by Wynkyn de Worde in the early part of Henry VIII's reign, it is a satirical poem of 1414 lines "in which various classes of society, chiefly of the lower order, are passed under review in rapid succession". The "Bote" is a nod to Sebastian Brandt's "Ship of Fools". Cocke Lorrell (a real person) was the leader of a band of robbers and "the most notorious knave that ever lived". The work was rediscovered in the nineteenth century when a number of limited editions were published including this one. " the poem gives the impression of dealing with local and contemporary events, cataloguing the crafts and trades of the time, crudely describing in great detail low-life characters, and naming specific persons and places. Thus the Bote marks a transitional stage in the development from medieval didacticism and allegory to the sociological realism of the rogue pamphleteers".