'The Bible -
Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke [...] [Bound With] Two
Right Profitable and fruitfull Concordances ... 1586'
EXQUISITE GENUINE 430+ YEAR OLD GENEVA "BREECHES" BIBLE IMPRINTED AT
LONDON BY CHRISTOPHER BARKER PRINTER TO THE QUEENS MAIEFTIE
1586 -
QUARTO EDITION MEASURES 9" x 7" x 3.5" thick overall.
In this Bible
both fine woodcut title-pages are present - the general one
and the NT title-page (also dated 1586).
This 1586 edition is one of the
so-called "BREECHES BIBLES" (first of which appeared in 1579),
so called due to a peculiar rendering of Genesis III:7, which here
reads: "...and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed
figge tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches." (In
the 1611 KJV "breeches" was changed to "aprons".)
This COMPLETE 1586 Bible is
comprising both Old Testament and New Testament, as well as he
Apocrypha (included in this edition between the Prophets and the
New Testament). In addition, the Bible is bound with (as issued,
according to ESTC) a COMPLETE copy of "Two Right Profitable
and Fruitfull Concordances," compiled by Robert F. Herrey,
with his Preface to the Christian Reader, dated 1578, and
comprising two extensive Concordances: The first Alphabet
of directions to common places, conteyning all the Hebrewe, Caldean,
Greeke, Latin, or other strange names..., and The second
Alphabet of directions to common places, contayning all the English
words …".
Thick Quarto, Leaves measure about 21
cm x 15 cm; bound in contemporary (late 16th-century) full brown
calf (clasps gone, but retaining original brass clasps);
rebacked in matching modern leather: spine with raised bands and
modern printed paper label.
Foliation: Bible: [2], 434, [4],
441-554 leaves [forming 1108 pages]; signatures: π2 A-Hhh8
Iii2 *4 Kkk-Yyy8 Zzz10.
Concordances : [82] leaves
[forming 164 pages]; signatures: A8-K8 L2.
Bible with TWO WOODCUT TITLE-PAGES
(General and NT), numerous woodcut initials, several woodcut head-
and tail-pieces; Concordances with woodcut vignette on
title-page. Two large woodcut printer’s devices: at the end of
Prophets (Pp6v) and on final page of Concordances
(L2v).
Bible text printed in Black Letter,
with marginal notes printed in small roman type. Concordances
printed in small black letter, italic and roman.
Bible and 1st Concordance printed in
double columns; 2nd Concordance printed in triple columns.
Preliminaries to the Bible contain "Of
the incomparable Treasure of the Holy Scriptures...", a preface "To
the Christian Reader" and "Howe to take profite in reading of the
holy Scriptures." Preliminaries to the New Testament contain "The
summe of the whole Scripture...", "Certaine questions and answeres
touching the doctrine of Predestination", and "The names and order
of al the bookes of the Olde and Newe Testament."
Preliminaries to the Concordances contain "The Preface to the
Christian Reader...".
Provenance:
Contemporary ownership signatures of
George Carlill at bottom of NT title-page (in Latin, stating that
this book was a gift from his father, and dated 1596), and of Thomas
Carlill (perhaps his father?) on final page of the Concordances.
Another early (late 16th- or early 17th-century) signature of Thomas
Atchard on blank verso of the final leaf of the OT.
A 17th century (?) ownership signature
of Robert Cook to front pastedown. Several other ownership
inscriptions (mostly late, ranging from 17th to early 19th-century),
including family records (births of children, etc.) of Atchard
family on blank verso of the Concordances title-page. An 18th
century (?) signature of Elizabeth Walker to blank verso of the
final leaf of the OT and to a couple of margins of text-pages.
Condition:
Absolutely complete and, generally, rather well-preserved for a
16th-century English Bible. Rebacked retaining original calf boards,
which show wear and some discrete repairs to corners (which are
bumped and somewhat rounded); clasps gone but brass catches
retained. Retaining original pastedowns, but with somewhat later
free endpapers. Occasional moderate soiling, mainly marginal; a few
harmless stains or minor ink-smudges. A short vertical tear or
narrow stab-hole (0.5 to 2 cm long and just 1-2 mm wide) to leaves
412-456 affecting some letters. Margins cropped somewhat close (as
usual) occasionally affecting a few running heads or foliation
numbers and (rather seldom) some of the marginal notes, but Bible
text intact, except for two leaves (Ppp4,5) where top margin cropped
unevenly cutting into a few words of the top line. Quires B, D and
Cc with fore-edge worn somewhat more significantly with fraying,
short tears and creasing, causing partial loss of marginal notes
(but not the biblical text). A few other minor marginal tears.
Contemporary manuscript ownership note (dated 1596) at bottom of NT
title-page, and of another early possession note to final page of
the Concordances, as well as other manuscript notes, signatures and
pen-trials on blank verso of the final leaf of the OT, on blank
verso of the Concordances title-page, and on a few margins. In all,
a solid, fairly clean and perfectly complete example of this rare
Elizabethan Bible with lots of character!
A true 1586
Geneva Bible!