Bible in English [The Great Bible, 3rd Edition]

5 parts in one volume, folio (14 x 10 in.; 357 x 254 mm).  Black letter, double column, general title (a facsimile) and New Testament title printed in red and black within woodcut border, titles to Parts 2–4 composed of 16 small woodcuts, each part with separate foliation and register, 50 woodcut text illustrations (some repeats), elaborate 12-line calligraphic woodcut initials, numerous floral, historiated, and cribé woodcut initials, publisher's prospectus for Francis Fry's monograph on the Great Bible of 1539 tipped in, a note about the 1540 edition by Fry and the fragment of a note from a bookdealer to a Miss P. A. Fry, datelined Boston 4 April 1898 loosely laid in; general title, two leaves containing the calendar at the beginning and final two leaves containing end of text, table and colophon in facsimile, Fore-margin [Maltese cross]1 renewed touching shoulder note, [Maltese cross]3 restored with facsimile penwork, [Maltese cross]4with margins restored affecting headline, long tear crossing text on a5 repaired, lacks blank O4, outer margins of DD3 and DD6 restored with some shoulder notes in pen facsimile, long tear to bottom margin of RR6 repaired not affecting text, lower corner of woodcut border of Aaa1 in facsimile, lower margin of Kk1 restored with some text in facsimile, fore-margin of Mm2 repaired with shoulder notes and a few letters in facsimile, margins of several leaves at the end renewed with some letters in facsimile, some other leaves with minor marginal repairs occasionally touching shoulder notes or catchwords, several headlines shaved or cropped, residual staining and soiling. Nineteenth-century blank morocco paneled gilt, elaborate gilt dentelles, vellum linings, spine lettered and decorated gilt, edges gilt; joints rubbed.

Bartholomew Morris (early ownership inscription  on several lower margins and ?his marginalia) — Estelle Doheny (morocco ticket; purchased from Maggs Brothers, 19 June 1942) — Donated to Saint Mary of the Barrens Seminary, Perryville, MO, 7 July 1942 —  (sale, Christie's New York, 14 December 2001, lot 172)

STC 2071; Herbert 54 (with collation beginning: *^?6; however, the Bible is complete with 7 preliminary leaves)

The Doheny copy of the third edition of the Great Bible, and the second with Cranmer's Prologue. "The text mainly follows that of the second edition, though it contains a number of minute variations" (Herbert).

Loosely laid in is a note from Francis Fry, pertaining to this copy, which reads: "This Bible is Cranmer's version the edition of July 1540. I have examined every leaf & certify that it all true July, not mixed with any other edition & therefore a standard copy. See my work on the Cranmer folios.  The fac^s are correct July. The Title is by the celebrated Harris has on it JH | 1848. The ?12 [a long tail is connected to the beginning of a the Arabic numeral two] & the two last are fac^s. This is one of the rarest of the Editions. I do not know of a perfect & correct copy in any library but mine. This is perfect with the fac^s elegantly bound in Morocco vellum flys & linings. Francis Fry, Cotham, Bristol. I have seen every copy known."