Chirologia: or the Natural Language of the Hand AND Chironomia: or the Art of Manual Rhetoric (Landmarks in rhetoric and public address)

Bulwer’s Chirologia… Chironomia is an extremely rare work. Only thirty-one copies have been located, and they are of dubious legibility of the printed text.

 

This first modern edition—the first in three centuries—is based on the first printing as sold by Richard Whitaker in 1644. Spelling and punctuation have been modernized, but changes in punctuation and syntax have been conservative. Trans­lations for Greek and Latin passages have been provided, either in the text or notes. And copious notes have been furnished to clarify and dilate all textual obscurities and alterations.

 

The editors aims, therefore, have been, first, to provide a clear and modern text. Second, in an extended introduction to the text the editor has attempted to assess Bulwer’s place in the history of rhetorical theory.

 

This most ambitious undertaking of the Landmarks series sets a new standard by which all future editions of early rhetori­cal texts must be judged.