“ONE ONELY GOD THY CREATOUR THOU SHALT SERVE & IN HYM BELEVE”: FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH OF THE FLOURE OF THE COMMANDEMENTES, FEATURING ONE OF THE EARLIEST APPEARANCES OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN ENGLISH, WITH FOUR WOODCUTS, HANDSOMELY BOUND

(BIBLE) [CHERTSEY, Andrew, translator]. Ihesus. The Floure of the Commandementes of God. London: Wynkyn de Worde, September 14, 1510. Quarto, early 20th-century blindstamped brown morocco gilt, raised bands, all edges gilt. 272 leaves (of 280).

First edition in English of this commentary on the Ten Commandments— predating both the first Pentateuch in English and the first complete English Bible, and therefore marking one of the first published appearances of the Ten Commandments, perhaps even the first, in English— from the important London press of Wynkyn de Worde, illustrated with decorative woodcut initials and four vignettes, handsomely bound by Leichton Brewer. One of only a handful of known copies, and one of the more complete. Rare and significant.

“And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13, KJV). This work, a translation of La Fleur des Commandements (first published 1496; again in 1499 and 1502), expounds upon each of the Ten Commandments (found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5) at length, offering examples of virtuous and sinful behavior for readers’ edification. Predating the editio princeps of both the Pentateuch in English (Tyndale’s version of 1530) and the complete Bible in English (the Coverdale Bible of 1535), this book likely represents one of the first publications of the Ten Commandments in the English language (albeit often in paraphrased and metrical form). Chief assistant to printing pioneer William Caxton until Caxton’s death in 1491, the prolific Wynkyn de Worde published “no less than 400 separate works, covering a wide range of literature” (Putnam II:133). The Gothic typeface he used exercised a wide influence on contemporary printers. (He is also remembered for other important printing “firsts,” among them the first title page, the first printing of music in England and the first setting of italic text.) This volume’s final page bears one of de Worde’s nine printer’s marks. Andrew Chertsey translated several French devotional books for de Worde (“volumes large and fayre / From French in prose of goostly exemplayre,” Robert Copland, 1532). Chertsey’s translation of the Commandments had previously appeared in his translation of The Ordynarye of Crystyante (1502). Text set in two columns of Gothic type, with numerous historiated and decorative woodcut initials. With four (of eight) woodcut vignettes: two depictions of the Trinity (leaves A1r and C2r), Christ teaching the Lord’s Prayer (F5r) and Christ sitting in judgment (Y1r). Of the few recorded surving copies, nearly all are incomplete. This copy without the following leaves: title page (which bore the other four woodcuts); 2C3-6 (folios 153-56); gathering 2X1-3 (folios 256-61)—[2X4-6] (i.e., folios 259-61) here supplied in facsimile. OCLC reports one copy, in the British Library. STC locates three copies in America: at the Huntington Library, Yale University and St. John’s Seminary (Camarillo, California). Of these, the Huntington and St. John’s copies are significantly lacking (the St. John’s copy, for instance, hailing from the Doheny collection, lacks 24 leaves), and the Yale copy (from the Huth collection) may have a facsimile title page. Text in English with some passages in Latin. STC 23876. Brunet II:1288. Allibone, 376. Scattered contemporary ink markings and marginalia. Owner signature.

Scattered light foxing and soiling. Marginal restoration to first several gatherings, occasionally affecting text. Restoration to L1 and L6, affecting text. An outstanding volume, significant in the lineage of the English Bible for its early printing and of extraordinary rarity.