1631-32 Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

Acts and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happening in the Church, with an universall Historie of the same. Wherein is set forth at large, the whole Race and Course of the Church, from the Primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great Persecutions against the true Martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland…

Summary

A near-complete set of Foxe’s famous Acts and Monuments also knows as the Book of Martyrs. The work documents the martyrdom of all of history’s recorded saints from the first century through the Reformation period with abundant and gruesome illustrations. This seventh edition is the first issued in three-volumes and printed in black letter.

Description

Vol. 1: full-page engraved title; Kalendar (6 pp.); Ad Dominum (3 pp.); Epistle Dedicatory (3 pp.); Ad Doctum Lectorem (3 pp.); To the True and Faithful Congregation (1 p.); A Chronologie (76 pp.); Acts and Monuments (1024 pp.); Vol. 2: Acts and Monuments (788 pp.); Vol. 3: Acts and Monuments (1030 pp.); A Continuation of the Histories of Forreine Martyrs (108 pp.) with title page (1631); A Table of All Principal Persons (94 pp.).

Vol. 1 contains 36 woodcuts with the engraved title page (1632), a full-page plate of The Poisoning of King John (inserted after Ee4). Vol. 2 contains 41 woodcuts with the engraved title (1631), the folding woodcut of the depiction of various means of torture used in the ancient church (inserted after Gg6), and the fold-out of Windsor Castle (inserted after Zz6). Vol. 3 contains 77 woodcuts with the engraved title page (1631), and a fold-out of The Burning of Ridley and Latimer (inserted after Uu1).

Collation

[par]^4, [par][par]^8 (-[par][par]7-8), (B)-(H)^4, (I)^6, A-Z^6, 2A-2Z^6, 3A-3Z^6, 4A-4P^6, 4Q^8 (-4Q8) (Vol. 1); A-I^6, K^8, L-Z^6, 2A-2Z^6, 3A-3T^6, 3U^4 (-3U4) (Vol. 2); A-Z^6, 2A-2Z^6, 3A-3Z^6, 4A-4P^6, 4Q^8, A-O^4, P^6, 4R-4Z^4, 5A-5G^4 (Vol. 3).

Volume 1 lacks sixteen preliminary leaves and the final leaf. Volume 2 lacks the final leaf only.

Binding

Newly rebound in brown speckled, paneled calf. Covers with Cambridge-paneled blind rolls and corner fleurons. Spines with gilt-lined red morocco labels with the words “Foxe’s Acts & Monuments” in gilt. Plain endpapers with the name “Christopher Boldy (?)” inked to head on each volume.

Condition

Engraved general title is a bit worn and slightly chipped, with one closed tear to head; Stain to upper third of text throughout; D5, Z5 remargined and trimmed without loss; 4Q trimmed to fore-edge without loss (Vol 1.); text is crisp and clean; title page with piece torn to upper corner without loss; the two plates are mounted and the first has small piece missing; Y6, Z1 two closed tears entering six lines of txt without loss; Hh3, Uuu1 closed tear into gutter (Vol. 2); title page mounted and outer edges of next two leaves strengthened as are the outer edges of the last 5 leaves at the rear; R6, Q6, O1 closed tear into eight lines of text without loss; Cc5 piece torn off with loss of sidenotes; 4P2 closed tear to inner column of text without loss; there is occasional foxing in the text, which is otherwise quite good; A handful of closed marginal tears throughout the set.

Note

Foxe’s Acts and Monuments was first published in 1563 and grew quickly in both size and fame. Second in popularity only to the Bible, copies were ordered to be placed in every cathedral church alongside the Bishops’ Bible. The enormous set was the largest printing project undertaken in England at that time. Burrow described it as “the greatest single influence on English Protestant thinking of the late Tudor and early Stuart period.”  A good set of a scarce and collectible work whose influence is difficult to overstate.

References

Wing F2035; ESTC S123057; USTC 3016185. Burrow, John (2008). A History of Histories.