Bible, English | King James version. Oxford, Baskett, 1717, the Wardington copy of the "Vinegar" Bible, with fore-edge paintings

Bible, English, King James version

The Holy Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New. Oxford: John Baskett, Clarendon Press, 1717, 1716

2 volumes, folio (516 x 310mm.), text in double columns, additional engraved general title by Du-Bose depicting Moses writing the first words of Genesis, engraved illustrations throughout, historiated initials, ruled in red throughout, with "A Brief Concordance or Table to the Bible" (London: D. Leach for R. Ware, 1726) inlaid and bound in at the end of volume 2, near-contemporary black morocco, the covers tooled in gilt with a wide border built up from a dog-tooth roll and various tools including crossed sceptres, crowns, trophy tools, circles, suns and stars, spines gilt in eight compartments, lettered in the second and third, gilt dentelles and edges, each volume with fore-edge painting depicting the arms of Crowe impaling those of Strode with flowers and butterflies on either side, short marginal tear to frontispiece (no loss), another to Ff6 and to Oo6 (into text but with no loss), occasional spotting and browning (heavier to last leaf of volume 1 and several gatherings of volume 2), covers slightly rubbed, each volume with repairs at extremities of spine and corners

“A MAGNIFICENT EDITION, printed in large type" (Herbert). Unfortunately, its many misprints earned it the nickname "A Baskett-ful of Errors" (after the publisher's name). It became known as the "Vinegar Bible", from the misprint in the headline above Luke XX ("The parable of the vinegar [for vineyard]").

Accuracy aside, the most special aspect of the book’s beauty resides in the sixty large and attractively-engraved head- and tailpieces featuring biblical scenes. Perhaps not until the monumental Macklin Bible of 1800-1816 does one see decoration to rival Baskett’s edition.

John Baskett purchased a royal patent to print Bibles from the executors of Thomas Newcomb and Henry Hills, and his name began appearing with theirs on Bibles from 1710. Baskett was jealous of his privilege, and won a suit against Scottish printer James Watson, who had dared to sell his Bibles in England. (He did not win a similar suit against the University of Cambridge.)

This set is handsomely bound and decorated with heraldic fore-edge paintings that likely celebrate a marriage between the Crowe and Strode families of England.

REFERENCES: Herbert 942A

PROVENANCE: Arms of Crowe of Llanherne, co. Carmarthen impaling Strode of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, painted on fore-edge of each volume; J. Allen, Trinity College, Cambridge; John Arden, armorial bookplate and ownership inscriptions (“The Gift of J Allen Trin Coll Camb to John Arden of Harden in Cheshire” dated 1750 in volume 1); Lady Helen O’Brien, sale in these rooms, 21 April 1958, lot 115, £45, Bernard Quaritch for Lord Wardington; his sale in these rooms, 12 July 2006, lot 111