The Early Oxford Press A Bibliography of Printing and Publishing at Oxford, '1468'-1640; With Notes, Appendixes and Illustrations — A Closer Reading

Theological Dominance and Controversial Edge

The preface states that theology is 'predominant, animated on its controversial side with fierce opposition to the Church of Rome.' This is borne out in entries like Francis Mason's The Authority of the Church (1634), which concerns 'things indifferent' and obedience to the Church of England. The catalog also includes Calybute Downinge's Discourse of the State Ecclesiastical, a second edition 'revised and enlarged,' showing the demand for such works. However, Madan notes that 'the quieter fields of classical work are well represented,' and side by side with theology appears an increasing study of English literature.

The entries themselves rarely editorialize on content; instead, they provide cross-references to Anthony Wood's Athenae Oxonienses and note rarity. For example, Charles Fitz-Geffry's The Blessed Birthday (1634) is marked 'Rare,' and the entry details its contents and later editions. This approach allows the reader to infer the theological climate from the sheer number of such titles, without the author imposing interpretation.

Lighter Works and Occasional Pieces

Despite the weighty theological focus, Madan records a surprising number of lighter works. He mentions 'some volumes of English poems and plays, by Skelton, Nicholas Breton, Churchyard, Fitz-Geffrey, Randolph, Cartwright, Fletcher, and others.' Among the most unusual is a 'Masque at Richmond, partly in Wiltshire dialect,' and 'Bushell's Rock,' both from 1636. The preface also notes that 'of chapbooks perhaps only one' survives (1603, no. 5), indicating the rarity of ephemeral print.

The catalog entry for Lucian's Certain Select Dialogues (1634), translated by Francis Hicks and edited by his son T. H., includes a life of Lucian and notes on each dialogue. This work represents the classical strand. Madan's inclusion of such entries alongside theological treatises demonstrates the range of Oxford printing, from university curriculum staples like logic and philosophy to 'rhetorical poems' produced for royal occasions—what he dryly calls '180 pages of mechanical grief' at Elizabeth's death followed by '200 pages of equally mechanical congratulations' to James I.

Physical Bookmaking and Bibliographic Detail

Madan's entries are a treasure trove for those interested in the physical book. He records format (folio, quarto, etc.), pagination, typeface (e.g., 'Pica Roman'), and even the first words of page 11 as a collation aid. One entry describes a book 'made up of folio sheets (each containing two folio leaves) folded once and bound oblong,' with the binder instructed to cut through the folding line and bind as quarto—a peculiarity that Madan explains in detail.

Color printing is noted: in one title, 'the words underlined in the above title are in red ink, as well as Oxoniæ and anno salutis M.DC.XXIV. in the imprint.' Such details are not mere pedantry; they reveal the printer's craft and the economic decisions behind book production. The bibliography also records errata, dedications, and complimentary verses, as in Fitz-Geffry's entry where 'complimentary poems by Henry Beesley' are listed. These granular observations make the catalog a primary source for studying early modern printing practices.

Madan's bibliography is best approached as a reference work to be consulted entry by entry, not read straight through. The preface provides essential context, but the real value lies in the individual descriptions, which reward close attention to format, rarity, and physical quirks. Readers interested in the material culture of the book will find rich detail; those seeking intellectual history can trace the shifting balance between theology, classics, and vernacular literature. The catalog's structure—chronological within each year—allows one to observe the ebb and flow of Oxford printing across decades.

There’s something tender about old bibliographies—the way they hold onto fragments of lives. Madan’s notes on Oxford’s early press feel like that, cataloging forgotten pamphlets and heavy theology with quiet care. I found myself thinking about that same patience while lingering over A Selected Bibliography of Virginia, 1607-1699 — Key Ideas to Explore. Both feel like preserving a whisper, not just recording facts.