The. holie. Bible.

with over 130 narrative woodcuts & maps and 3 engraved portraits

The editio princeps of the Bishop's Bible, the second authorised English translation.

A rare, near complete example of the 'most sumptuous' and lavishly illustrated English pulpit Bible of the sixteenth century, with over 130 narrative woodcuts and maps, and three engraved portraits.

The Bishop's Bible, so-named for the numerous bishops and Biblical scholars involved in its production, was the brainchild of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker (1504-1575). The translation was intended to counter the Calvinist influence of the Geneva Bible, which had come to prominence following the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558 and the return shortly thereafter of the Marian exile community into England, and supersede the earlier Great Bible as the official authorised version of the scriptures in the Church of England.

The text mainly follows that of the 1539 Great Bible, but both Hebrew and Greek originals were consulted, as well as the Geneva version. At least eleven bishops were involved in the revision, with Parker himself contributing the lion's share of the work, and the whole was completed by September 1568. 'In April 1571 the Convocation of the Province of Canterbury ordered that copies of this edition should be placed in every cathedral, and as far as possible in every church; and enjoined every ecclesiastical dignitary to exhibit a copy in a prominent place in his house for the use of his servants and guests' (Darlow & Moule).

When Whitgift became Archbishop in 1583 he attempted, unsuccessfully, to enforce the sole use of the Bishop's Bible in churches and chapels across England. 'The Bishops' Bible was a success in that it replaced the Great Bible (last reprinted in 1569) in churches, to the exclusion of the Geneva version. But the latter continued to be read in Protestant homes and became the foundation of the Authorized Version' (ODNB).

The woodcut illustrations were mostly copied from designs by the Nuremberg artist Virgil Solis (1514-1562) for a picture series Biblische Figuren des Alten and Neuen Testaments that was first published in Frankfurt in 1560. The three engraved portraits depict Queen Elizabeth, her favourite Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and the Secretary of State Sir William Cecil, and are attributed to Flemish artist Franciscus Hogenberg (1535-1590). 'While title-page portraits of the monarch were an established feature of English Bibles, contemporary portraits within the text were a startling departure. The engravings of Dudley and Cecil, prominently placed at the beginning of Parts 2 and 3 respectively, flatter by association with the immediately following books. Dudley, portrayed in armor, mirrors the warrior-hero Joshua. Cecil is position as a new David at the head of Psalms with an open book in one hand, other other grasping the large initials B of the psalm's opening line, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsell of the ungodly"' (Luborsky & Ingram).

This edition is also sometimes known as the 'Treacle Bible' for the rendering of 'balm' as 'triacle' in Jeremiah 8:22.

A lovely example, with early annotations including a note in pen to the foot of the first book of Chronicles dated '1590' with a 19th-century transcription on tipped-in blue paper:

'As thou shalt understand oute of this testamente the tru godlynes and the salvasion of ouer soules both by hearing of it and laying up as a storehouse in the harte. With a true and sinsear loue and so take up the crose of Christe Jesus and folowe hime, that is to suffer afflictiones and fornes and scurges as Crist did when he suffered afflicksiones for ouer sines. 1590'.

With a further note in the same hand to the second book of Esdras.

First edition, five parts in 1 vol.; large folio (40.5 x 29 cm); black letters, text in double columns in 57 lines, calendar printed in red and black, general title with xylographic word panel in woodcut architectural border and an engraved medallion portrait of Queen Elizabeth, the royal arms and allegorical figures, 2 further engraved portraits, comprising: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (to the divisional title of Part 2), and Sir William Cecil (to the recto of A2 in Part 3), all attributed to Franciscus Hogenberg, woodcut New Testament Title, the text further illustrated with 131 narrative woodcuts (of 133, missing those on E2-3 in Part 1 which are lacking in this copy) after Virgil Solis, 5 woodcut maps and numerous diagrams, woodcut printers device to verso of final f., contemporary annotations in pen including note dated '1590' to recto of Q8 in Part 2 with 19th-century transcription on blue paper tipped-in at fore-edge, further note in same hand to foot of X3 recto also in Part 2, general title trimmed and mounted in the 18th-century with calligraphic dated ownership inscription in pen to verso, some early underlining and marginalia in pen throughout, tear to head of E6-7 in Part 1 repaired with glue with resultant residue to head of E7, pen marginalia to Part 1 K6, smoke damage to lower corner of N4-5 of same part, paper brittle with tear repaired in archival tape, small hole with loss of text to O6 also in Part 1, dampstaining to final 2ff causing minor loss to text, both ff with early paper repairs at gutter margin, as mentioned lacking ff E2-3 in Part 1 (numbered XXXXIV-V) comprising final chapter of Genesis and opening chapter of Exodus, lacking final blank f., otherwise complete with some ff possibly supplied form other copies; 20th-century gilt-panelled calf, the centre of the covers with jewelled cross formed of red, green and purple morocco onlays, modern endpapers, minor wear, very good; collation: A-Q8[-E2-3], A-Y8 Z10, A-E8 F6 G-Z8 2A8 2B12, A-O8 P6, A-T8 V5.

ESTC S122070; STC 2099; Herbert 125; DM 89; Luborsky & Ingram B:2099.