HANDSOME 1726 JOHN BASKETT BIBLE AND BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

BIBLE. The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the Church of England: Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be Sung or Said in Churches. BOUND WITH: The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues… By His Majesties Special Command. Oxford: Printed by John Baskett, 1726-27. BOUND WITH: The Whole Book of Psalms Collected into English Metre, by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and Others. London: T. Wood and S. Palmer, 1726. Thick quarto, contemporary full dark green paneled calf rebacked with original spine laid down, raised bands, elaborate gilt-decorated spine and boards, all edges gilt. $6800.

Lovely 1726 Book of Common Prayer, Bible (with the Apocrypha), and Psalms in Meter, in contemporary paneled calf.

Baskett brought his quarto Book of Common Prayer to the Oxford press three times in 1726/27 and his quarto Bible twice. This printing of the Bible may actually have post-dated the accession of George II to the throne in June 1727, since the Old Testament title page is dated 1727 and the type newly reset (perhaps in commemoration), whereas Baskett's other quarto printings of that same period were pulled from earlier standing type (see Herbert 967). The BOCP bound into this copy was printed from type standing from 1719 (Griffiths, 151). With Apocrypha and Index. Separate title pages for the Old and New Testaments, and the Psalms in Meter. Text of OT ends on Ddd8a, the Apocrypha on Qqq4b, and NT on Iiii2b. Griffiths 1726:3. Herbert 979, 983. Not in Darlow & Moule. Early armorial bookplate.

Text generally quite clean, with wormholing to text of last 15 leaves of the Apocrypha, the New Testament, and the first half of the metrical Psalter. Contemporary calf-gilt quite lovely. A handsome copy.