Puts forward an account of the printing and publishing history of the second edition of Leviathan—an edition that has the same date as the first (1651), is known to be a later production, but has never hitherto been dated with any accuracy. With the help of bibliographical evidence and details drawn from the archives of the Stationers’ Company, a fairly detailed account of the history of this edition can be constructed. What the evidence shows is that this so-called ‘Bear’ edition was first printed (in part) in 1670 in London; that the printing was partly confiscated by the Stationers’ Company; and that the remaining sheets were then combined with sheets produced by a Dutch printer in the period 1675–8.
Keywords: Christoffel Cunradus, Hobbes, Leviathan, Stationers’ Company