1684 Book of Martyrs by John Foxe

Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church, with an universal History 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 Realm of England and Scotland…

Summary

A complete set of Foxe’s famous Acts and Monuments also known 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 often gruesome illustrations.

Description

The ninth and final edition of the pulpit folios featuring Foxe’s monument work. Later editions were significantly abridged. The largest and best edition with a portrait of John Foxe and with all worn woodcuts replaced by superior copperplate engravings. Text printed in double column Roman font, where previous editions were printed in black letter only. Vol. 1: engraved title printed in red and black. Preliminaries include a Calendar, Foxe’s dedication. Vol. 2 engraved title printed in black only. The Index and Chronology are bound in at the end of the second volume instead of the first volume. Vol. 3 engraved title printed in black only with A continuation of the histories of the foreign martyrs bound at the end with an additional title page.

Vol. 1 contains the additional engraved title page (1684), a full-page plate of The Poisoning of King John, a fold-out of The Persecutions of the Primitive Church, and a fold-out of The Proud Primacy of Popes. Vol. 2 contains the additional engraved title (1684), and a full-page plate The description of Windsor Castle. Vol. 3 contains the engraved title page (1684).

Collation

A^4, a-d^6, A-Z^6, Aa-Zz^6, Aaa-Zzz^6, Aaaa-Eeee^6, Ffff^4; A-Z^6, Aa-Zz^6, A-L^6, [a]-[e]^6, [f]^2, A-F^4, G^2; A-Z^6, Aa-Zz^6, Aaa-Zzz^6, Aaaa-Llll^6. Complete with three titles and four engraved plates.

Pagination

[60], 895, [1]; [2], 551, [1], 131, [1], [64], [44]; [2], 959, [1] pp. + 4 plates.

Binding

Uniformly bound in contemporary brown paneled calf. Each volume sympathetically rebacked in 19th century matching calf. Spines with six gilt-lined bands with faded gilt lettering. Plain endpapers.  

Condition

Bindings rubbed, mostly to edges with bumped corners; joints somewhat worn but firmly attached; one of the folding plates with a short closed tear at foot without loss; the other fold-out plate neatly lined; title page to second volume laid down; several small rust holes, occasionally impacted a few letters; a few leaves with neat marginal repairs; G2 in vol. 2 lower margin corner loss; occasional light soiling and some marginal unobtrusive foxing; a few leaves with marginal damp stain; a very attractive clean set overall with wide margins throughout.

Provenance

Late 17th century signature of Sam Blunt to the blank verso of final leaf in last volume.

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, complete set of a scarce and collectible work whose influence is difficult to overstate.

References

Wing F2036; ESTC R3576; USTC 3108137. Burrow, John (2008). A History of Histories.