March II 2021 Catalogue

B a u m a n R a r e B o o k s F a i t h 2 0 2 1 22 “One Of The Great Achievements Of The 16th Century”: “The Bishops’ Bible,” 1575 First Small Folio Edition 23. (BIBLE) The Holy Byble, Conteyning the Olde Testament and the Newe. London, 1575. Small folio, contemporary full paneled reverse brown calf rebacked, contemporary brass catches and renewed brass clasps. $17,000. Click for More Info Sixth edition (first small folio edition) of the “Bishops’ Bible”—the Anglican translation commissioned to check the Geneva Bible’s influence and “considered one of the great achievements of the 16th century” (J. Paul Getty Museum, A Thousand Years of the Bible, 70)—with much woodcut ornamentation, complete in contemporary paneled reverse calf boards. Queen Elizabeth I “encouraged a renewed interest in the English Bible, but the Great Bible [prepared by Miles Coverdale and published in 1540] was still the version authorized for church use. It was clear that the Geneva Bible [published 1560 by Calvinist exiles in Switzerland] was, in many ways, a superior translation; some of its notes, however, were offensive to the Crown... Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, headed the revision committee, which included many bishops and well-known biblical scholars... The new authorized version was called the ‘Bishops’ Bible because of the dominant role they played” ( Bible 100 Landmarks 63). First published 1568. The 1602 edition would serve as the basis of the King James Bible (1611). Darlow & Moule 103. Herbert 139. Bookplate, bookseller ticket. Old owner signature to leaf [R8v] of New Testament. Occasional old ink marginalia; extensive old manuscript notations to verso of [N6] and both sides of [2T8] and [4N8]. A bit of light dampstaining toward gutter of a few gatherings, occasional marginal closed and open tears, some with expert restoration, remnant of [R10], preserving colophon and brazen serpent device, mounted on later paper, expert restoration to boards. A lovely complete copy in original reverse calf boards.