Bible in English. New Testament

Estimate

12,000 - 20,000 USD

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Description

The New Testament of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Conferred Diligently with the Greke, and Best Approved Translations. With the Arguments, as wel before the Chapters, as for Every Boke & Epistle, Also Diversities of Readings, and Moste Proffitable Annotations of all Harde Places: Whereunto Is Added a Copious Table. Geneva: Conrad Badius, [10 June] 1557
leather, ink, paper

Small 8vo (5 x 3 1/4 in.; 127 x 83 mm). Allegorical woodcut vignette on title-page (facsimile), woodcut initials and headpieces with contemporary hand-coloring, text within frame hand-ruled in red ink; title-page supplied in facsimile, lacking 14 leaves (preliminaries *2–8, **1, and Ll3–8 at the end) **2 a bit frayed along fore-edge, tear to top margin a1 touching text, several cuts to fore-edges resembling fringe (r4, t1–4, and y2–5), upper right corners of Q3–6 defective with losses to side-notes and a bit of text, fore-edges shaved close or cropped, occasionally affectding text (chiefly side-notes and the Table at the end), marginal browning throughout, occasional dampstaining along bottom margin. Late sixteenth-century dark brown calf paneled in blind with tulip and demilune roll tools and floral cornerpieces; skillfully rebacked, corners bumped, traces of clasps.

Provenance

Jonathan Sweet (signature on **2 and elsewhere)

Literature

Formatting the Word of God 11.4; STC 2871; ESTC S190; Herbert 106

Catalogue Note

The earliest English Testament printed in roman type, and with verse divisions. This version of the New Testament is ascribed to William Whittingham, one of the band of reformers who found asylum in Geneva. The text is based upon Tyndale's, compared with the Great Bible, and largely influenced by Beza's Latin translation. "With its elaborate apparatus of arguments, notes and tables, it forms the first critical edition of the New Testament in English" (Herbert).