1575 Quarto Bishops’ Bible

The Holy Byble, Conteynyng the Olde and Newe Testament. Set Foorth by Aucthoritie.

Summary

The third quarto edition of the Bishops’ Bible in a nicely rebacked brown calf binding. Contains the Book of Common Prayer, four title pages, and Psalter. A very nice copy of a scarce quarto Bishops’ Bible.

Description

[par]^6, [par][par]^4, A-Z^8, Aa-bb^8 (BCP, Gen-1 Chron 20), F-V^8, Aaa-Ccc^8 (Prov 23-Tobias 5), Cc-Hh^8, Ii^4, A-E^8 (I Chon 20 – Prov 23), Ddd-Nnn^4 [Old Testament]; A-P^8, Q^6 [New Testament]. The section from I Chronicles 20 – Proverbs 23 is misbound.
Lacks General Title, A1 (Gen 1-2), *^6 (six prelim leaves).

Collation

[par]^6, [par][par]^4, A-Z^8, Aa-bb^8 (BCP, Gen-1 Chron 20), F-V^8, Aaa-Ccc^8 (Prov 23-Tobias 5), Cc-Hh^8, Ii^4, A-E^8 (I Chon 20 – Prov 23).
The section from I Chronicles 20 – Proverbs 22 is bound in at the end of the Old Testament.
Lacks General Title, A1 (Gen 1-2), *^6 (six prelim leaves).

Binding

Bound in later brown calf, nicely rebacked, with original tooled calf laid on. Spine with four blind-ruled raised bands. Plain endpapers.

Condition

Quite clean with good margins in the main. Minimal browning or staining. Headlines shaved in the New Testament; eight marginal tears; F1 (Ex 28) closed tear to inner column repaired without loss; S8 (Amos 3-4) 75% loss; D5 (Psalm 123) with two-inch closed tear into text without loss. The Psalter lacks the final two leaves.

Note

Spearheaded by Matthew Parker, the purpose of the Bishops’ version was to outshine the Geneva Bible, which was quickly rising in popularity throughout England. The translation itself did not gain wide acceptance but was utilized as the base text by the committee of translators for the King James Bible. The quarto Bishops’ Bibles were used by Bishops for personal study at home and copies that survive are frequently defective. Bishops’ Bibles are far more scarce than their Geneva counterparts and are rarely found complete. This early Bishops’ quarto is in far better condition than typically seen.

References

Herbert 140; STC 2114; ESTC 006195583; Luborksy 2114.