NOTES AND QUERIES. [io s. XL JAN. 2, im
FRANCIS EDWARDS,
BOOKSELLER, 83, HIGH STREET, MARYLEBONE, LONDON, W.,
IS ISSUING
A CATALOGUE of OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE, EARLY PRINTED BOOKS, PAINTED and ILLUMINATED MANU- SCRIPTS, RARE BINDINGS, EMBLEM BOOKS, HERBALS, RARE EDITIONS of MILTON, and including the FIRST FOUR
FOLIO EDITIONS of SHAKESPEARE.
PART I. (A F) READY. PART II. (F M) READY.
PART III. (Completing) IN THE PRESS.
SPECIMEN ITEM FROM PART I.
The following example of the Great "Bible Was "Bishop Gott's copy. The copy of the self-same issue in Lord Amherst's Library (Wormed, front cover broken, some leaves mended, and lackiny the engraved title-page to the New Testament) sold for 405 on the 3rd "Dec., 1908.
THE GREAT BIBLE.
BYBLE (The) IN ENGLYSHE, that is to saye the content of all the holy scripture both of y e olde and NEWE TESTAMENT truly translated after the veryte of the HEBRUE AND GREKE TEXTES, by y' dylygent studye of dyuerse excellent learned the men expert in forsayde tongues, 3BlaCfc %CttCr, double columns, 62 lines to the full column, fine woodcut title by Holbein, other woodcut titles, woodcut illustrations (within pillars), and initials, thick folio, bound in brown morocco extra, tooled panels with gilt device in centre, gilt edges, by F. Bedford (title, the three first and the last leaf in facsimile, some headlines shorn, and a few leaves neatly mended. Ry chard Qrafton and Edward Whitchurch, Apryll, 1539 6O
THE FIRST EDITION OF CROMWELL'S OR " THE GREAT" BIBLE, AND OF
EXTREME RARITY.
A perfectly genuine and magnificent copy throughout, with the exception of the five leaves in facsimile, reproduced with remarkable vraisemblance by the elder Harris. Formerly the property of Henry Stevens, and subsequently of the late Dr. John Gott, Bishop of Truro. Measurement, 14| by 9| in.
Between April 1539 and December 1541 seven editions of this remarkable production were printed. MYLES COVERDALE was the editor and chief translator, being privately engaged on the version, with the aid of several assistants, for some years. Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, evidently found the money, and it is rather appalling to think that he came to the scaffold in July of the year following the first appearance of the book.
Earlv in 1538 the great undertaking was ready for the press, but the art of printing not being as far advanced in England as in France, and Cromwell, being determined to make the book a typographical wonder, sent Graf ton and Coverdale to Paris, to place the work in the hands of the celebrated French printer Regnault, having first induced Henry VIII. to obtain from Francis I. a special licence to have the version printed in his dominions. Owing to the opposition of the Roman Catholic party portions of the impressions as they issued from the press were secretly conveyed to London by Bishop Bonner, then 3 French Court. In December 1538, by permission of Francis, the furtne
Ambassador to the French Court. In December 1538, by permission of Francis, the further printing of
the Bible in France was inhibited. Cromwell then sent to Paris, and purchased from Regnault the presses
and type, and had them removed to London, where they were used in the production of this and the six
succeeding editions.
FRANCIS EDWARDS, Bookseller, 83, High Street, Marylebone, London, W.
Published Weekly by JOHN C. FRANCIS and J. EDWARD FRANCIS Bream's Bnildings. Chancery Lane, B.C. ; and Printed by J. EDWARD FRANCIS, Athenaeum Press, Bream's Buildings Chancery Lane. E.V.slatHntay. January 2, 1909.
