Bible in English [Coverdale's Version]

4to (9 x 7 in.; 229 x 178 mm). Gothic letter, text in double columns, 50 lines to the full column, woodcut of the creation of Eve with ornamental side-blocks on A1, woodcut initials, many illustrating the Dance of Death; lacks 8 leaves: preliminaries (including title) comprising [Maltese cross] 1–2 and 7–8, quire qq, M3–4 supplied from another, shorter copy and loosely laid in, extant preliminaries somewhat frayed and dampstained, some dampstaining chiefly at the beginning (quires [Maltese cross]–K, a few tears affecting text, 3 leaves with clipped bottom margins, side-notes shaved or cropped throughout, some headlines in the New Testament shaved, pp5–8 defective with substantial loss of text. Eighteenth-century mottled calf, spine gilt with tan lettering piece and Dysart arms stamped at the bottom, edges sprinkled red; extremities rubbed, small tear to head of spine, a few old scratches on boards.

Lionel Tollemache Huntingtower Dysart, 4th Earl of Dysart (Dysart arms on spine; inscription on pastedown: "Brought from Helmingham | & new bound 1746," shelfmark ticket "L.F.IV.3."; and sale, Sotheby's London, 14 June 1965, lot 53. acquisition: Purchased at foregoing sale through John Fleming

STC 2080; ESTC S122319; Herbert 84

The Tollemache copy of the last edition of Coverdale's version printed during his lifetime. As the catalogue of the 2004 Princeton exhibition of Bibles commented, "It is a noteworthy sign of the flux of Bible culture in the reign of Edward VI that Coverdale's version still found a market, long after Coverdale himself had assembled, in the Great Bible, a more authoritative text."