1582 Rheims NT and 1609-10 Douay OT – First Edition Roman Catholic Bible

The New Testament of Jesus Christ, Translated Faithfully into English out of the Authentical Latin according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred with the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages; with Arguments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better understanding of the text, and specially for the discoverie of the Corruptions of diuers late translations, and for clearing the Controversies in religion, of these daies… [with] The Holie Bible Faithfully Translated into English out of the Authentical Latin…

Summary

A complete three volume Douai Old Testament and Rheims New Testament Bible nicely rebound in dark brown calf. The first edition of the Roman Catholic Bible in English with arguments and annotations.

Description

Text in single column Roman font with 41 lines to the column. Annotations follow each chapter of Bible text. NT: Fifteen preliminary leaves with title within narrow frame (1582). OT Volume 1: Ten preliminary leaves with title within narrow frame (1609). OT Volume 2: Title within narrow frame (1610), followed by Approbatio on verso. Ends with An historical table of the times… of the Old Testament (24 pp.), A particular table of the most principal thinges… (27 pp.), Censura, Errata.

Collation

a-c^4, d^2, A-Z^4, 2A-2Z^4, 3A-3Z^4, 4A-4Z^4, 5A-5D^4, 5E^2 (NT); [cross]^6, [cross][cross]^4, A-Z^4, 2A-2Z^4, 3A-3Z^4, 4A-4Z^4, 5A-5Z^4, 6A-6S^4, 6T^6 (OT Volume 1); A-Z^4, 2A-2Z^4, 3A-3Z^4, 4A-4Z^4, 5A-5Z^4, 6A-6W^4 (OT Volume 2). Bible text complete. Doway volume 2 lacks final blank.

Binding

All three volumes have been rebound in matching brown calf with gilt-paneled covers. Spines with four gilt-lined raised bands with red morocco labels and the words “Doway Old Testament” and “Rhemes New Testament” lettered in gold, with dates to the spine’s tail. New plain endpapers.

Condition

Rhemes New Testament: Infrequent marginalia in a neat hand; 4Y-5D lower outer corner stain, gradually approaching but not entering text; Douai Volume 1: title page neatly remargined with ex-libris stamp; F-G, L-N small upper marginal stain occasionally impacting headline; 5D-5K light stain to upper quarter of page; final leaf neatly remargined; Douai Volume 2: sidenotes occasionally cropped. Overall the text is quite clean with crisp pages.

Note

The editio princeps of the Catholic Bible in English, translated primarily by Gregory Martin from the Vulgate. A great number of English Bibles and English versions were available by the end of the sixteenth century, yet none were acceptable to Catholics. With priests hard to come by, and many fellow Englishmen who knew their Bible well, a need arose for an English Bible that would be acceptable to Rome and allow adherents to refute the errors around them. Gregory Martin, an Oxford scholar, began the work in 1578 and it would take him four years. He translated about two chapters per day from Latin into English, leaving a heavily Latinized translation. His work was submitted for review to William Allen, the first president of the college at Douai. The New Testament was printed in 1582, with the Old Testament delayed by financial reasons until 1609-10. The work was used by the translators of the King James Bible, who borrowed quite freely from the Rheims New Testament.

References

Herbert 177; STC 2884; ESTC S102419 (Rhemes), Herbert 300; STC 2207; ESTC S101944 (Doway); PMM 114; Daniell, David. “The Rheims New Testament, 1582.” The Bible in English: Its History and Influence, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 2005.