P. L. Cambridge; Lambeth (2); Sion Coll.; All Souls Coll. King's Coll. Cambr.; St. John's Coll. Cambr.; Emmanuel Coll.; Durham Cathedral; Glasgow University; Gloucester Cath.; Rochester Cath.; Winchester Cath.; Trinity Coll. There was great secresy about its preparation and execution: and the book itself gives no information on the point. Frankfort, Zurich, and Cologne have been named. Humphrey Wanley judged by the type, that it came from the press of Christopher Froschover at Zurich. But this does not seem to be the favourite opinion at the present day. Herbert states (iii. p. 1545) that "there were two editions, but with "little variation." Certainly I saw in the British Museum, many years ago, some loose leaves of a second copy, containing a few slight variations, chiefly in the numbering of the folios. When we consider the difficulties with which this important volume had to struggle, at the time of its appearance, and for some years afterwards; it is more surprising that we have still so many copies remaining, than that almost all of them should be more or less imperfect. The title-page, as was to be expected for more than one reason, is the part chiefly wanting. Only a single title, perfect and entire, is now known; namely, in the copy belonging to the Earl of Leicester; which book is said to have been discovered in 1846, concealed under the false bottom of an old oak chest, at Holkam-hall, the Earl's seat in Norfolk. One of the copies in the British Museum has about three-fourths of the original title-page, the remainder being made up from another edition. Of the twenty-one copies which I have seen, those in the Bodleian and in Trinity Coll. Dublin are in other respects the largest and most sound. It is well known, and evident to all who see them, that the preliminary pieces usually attached to this edition are executed in a totally different type from that of the text, and most proba bly were added after the arrival of the book in England. In fact, I think this is almost demonstrated, from the circumstance of "The bokes of the hole Byble" being enumerated on the back of the original title, and repeated, in different type, immediately after Coverdale's Address to the reader. In the dedication to king Henry VIII. there is a variety: some copies reading "your dearest just wyfe and most vertuous Pryncesse Quene ANNE," [Boleyn,] while others read instead, Quene JANE [Seymour], thus intimating the particular time at which the several copies were made public. A copy in the British Museum has Anne, which subsequently has been altered to Jane. The Bodleian copy has Anne. Lambeth has one of each. Lord Jersey has Anne. Lord Spencer has Jane. Sion College has Jane. Emmanuel College has Anne. Mr. Lea Wilson has Anne. Gloucester Cathedral has Anne. In the Rochester copy the name has been purposely erased. The copies at All Souls College, St. John's College, Durham, Glasgow, Winchester, Trinity College Dublin, the duke of Sussex's, Mr. Offor's, Mr. Grenville's, Mrs. Denyer's (Bodleian), and the bishop of Cashel's, have neither name; being defective in that part. Earl Spencer's copy was formerly in the Harleian library: it was bequeathed to him by the rev. Jonathan Boucher. It is large and fine. The title has been manufactured, and it wants one leaf of preliminary matter, viz. that containing the latter part of "the bokes of the hole Byble," and the contents of Genesis. The compiler of "Bibliotheca Spenceriana " did not mention this defect. The Bodleian copy formerly belonged to John Selden; a second has recently C Dublin; (2) Bristol; Duke of Sussex; Earl of Leicester; Earl of Jersey; Earl Spencer; Bishop R. Daly; Dr. Coombe; Lea Wilson, esq.; B. Harrison, esq.; Mr. Grenville; Mr. Offor; Mr. Reed; Miss Currer. been obtained, among the books bequeathed by Mrs. Denyer. The late Mr. Dent had a copy, of which the title and first two leaves had been reprinted. This was sold by auction in London, on March 30, 1827, for eighty-five guineas. It appears that in the next year, 1536, a new title was printed, (with some variation, viz. omitting the words "out of Douche and Latyn,") and affixed to copies of this Bible when offered for sale. Two such copies are now known; one in Gloucester Cathedral, the other belonging to the earl of Jersey. I have examined both. The edition is no other than that of 1535. Mr. Botfield, in his very interesting "Notes on the Cathedral Libraries of England," states that the Rochester copy is perfect, with exception of the title and the map. He may fairly be said to have "discovered" that book: for it was bound up between the "Book of Common Prayer," of 1629, and "Sternhold's Psalms," 1629; it was lettered on the back by the binder, "Holy Bible, 1629;" and the compiler of the Library Catalogue at once accepted the binder's authority, and entered it as a Bible of the year 1629. Mr. Lea Wilson, in his most valuable Catalogue of the English Bibles, Testaments, &c. in his collection, (privately printed,) 1845, p. 2. asserts that the "later dedication," with the name of queen Jane, was an alteration made for the second edition, folio, printed by Nicolson in Southwark, in 1536; [1537] and that copies of that of 1535 are sometimes "made up with this later dedication." But there appears a difficulty in admitting the truth of this; inasmuch as Nicolson's folio edition is absolutely far fol. more rare than the original one of 1535, so that copies could not readily be found from which the dedication might be abstracted: unless we grant that the exchange was made at the time, and by the purposed sacrifice of all the copies executed by Nicolson. It may also be noticed, that the only two copies (so far as I know) of the edition of 1535 which have the reprinted title of 1536, happen to have not the later but the earlier dedication, with queen Anne's name. Anne Boleyn was beheaded on May 19th, 1536. Respecting the copy at Gloucester cathedral, the following particulars were communicated to me by a late member of that chapter: "The his tory of this book as connected with "the library here is rather curious. "In the year 1648 Oliver Cromwell gave the library and other matters "of the church to the mayor and burgesses of Gloucester; who im 66 66 mediately set about the augmenta"tion of the books: and amongst the "donations enumerated is an old large Bible,' given by alderman Pury. At the Restoration, when "the library was restored to the chapter, these books remained there. "This Mr. Thomas Pury was a puri"tan." The Durham copy wants the preliminary pieces, and the last leaf. The Winchester copy wants the preliminaries, and first leaf of the text. That of Glasgow is very defective. That which has long been in Trinity College, Dublin, begins with Genesis, c. xiii. and ends with Ecclesiasticus, c. xlvi. But that library has recently become possessed of a second copy, extremely fine, and nearly perfect, having the title and three leaves admirably reprinted in facsimile. * NEW TEST.; Coverdale's version; imperfect.-Mr. Lea Wilson, (formerly Duke of Sussex y). 1536. BIBLE; by Coverdale. No place; no name. This is the NEW TESTAMENT; Tyndale's; from his corrected copy of No- NEW TEST.; yet once agayne corrected by Wylliam Tyndall, The same apparently, but really distinct impression.—Lambeth; Lea Wilson. The same; but distinct impression.-Lea Wilson. y Mr. Wilson is led to believe the edition to be of this date, from its containing wood-cuts similar to those used in Coverdale's Bible of 1535, and in Nicolson's reprint of 1536. See a description in the Appendix. Anderson assigns it to the year 1536. (List, p. viii.) z This is a rare and very interesting book, being the first portion of the English Scriptures printed on English ground [Anderson]. The Bodleian copy is perfect and very fine. It came from Mrs. Denyer, and probably had been in the Harleian library. a Herbert judged that this edition was printed at London, by or for John Gowghe. Mr. Lea Wilson suspected, from some of the wood-cuts and initial letters, that it came from the press of William Vosterman, at Antwerp. It appears that there are three impressions, outwardly alike, but differing from each other in several minute particulars; especially in the wood-cut preceding the Epistles of St. Paul. In 12°. fol. fol. 4o. 12o. 12o. 12°. one impression the stone on which the Apostle stands is blank in the second, it has the figure of a mole: and in the third, a monogram of the engraver, or printer, containing the letters A. B. K. Minute collations of all three are given in the catalogue of Mr. Wilson, who was fortunate enough to possess copies of them all. The Bodleian has one copy with the mole, and another with the monogram. The copy in Balliol College is remarkably fine. Probably it came from the Harleian library. Mr. Offor was in possession of all three varieties. b Concerning the minute variations in the five or perhaps six impressions, which so nearly resemble each other in general appearance that the differences can only be seen by close comparison, consult Mr. Lea Wilson's catalogue. Most of the copies are more or less imperfect. But lord Spencer's, formerly belonging to a Duke of Newcastle, is perfect and very fine. 12o. The same; but still differing in some points.-Bristol. The same; but believed to be a distinct impression.-St. Paul's. 12o. NEW TEST.; Tyndale's. No place; no name.-Mr. Douce. 1537. BIBLE, Coverdale's version; newly overseen and corrected; BIBLE, (partly Tyndale's version, and partly Coverdale's,) *The PROPHETE JONAS is mentioned by Herbert, as without This is a very rare edition. Mr. Lea Wilson assigns it to the year 1536. The Bristol copy, and that at Lincoln, (which last I have not seen,) are perfect and fine copies. d Earl Spencer's copy of this rare edition is fine and perfect. It formerly belonged to Dr. Chauncy, and was sold at his auction in 1790. e This edition came forth about the month of August. It is evidently of foreign workmanship: but hitherto the place of its execution has not been ascertained. Antwerp has been named, and Hamburgh, and also Lubec. In the absence of more exact information, I may mention that the two large fine wood-engravings, the title, and Adam and Eve, are struck from the blocks which had been used in a Dutch Bible printed at Lubec four years previously, viz. in 1533. I compared the two editions many years ago in the royal library of George III. 16o. Earl Spencer's copy formerly belonged to Dr. Farmer, and contains some MS. notes by him. The earl of Bridgewater's copy is printed on yellow paper. This was formerly considered a rare occurrence, but I have reason to believe it to have been not uncommon about that period. I have seen seven or eight instances of English books so tinted, and formerly possessed a Basle edition of a Greek Testament, of 1531, of the same hue. The leaves bore the appearance of having been dipped in colouring matter after they had been originally fabricated. The shades were very various and uneven. Mr. Tutet's copy was the one which is mentioned in Lewis's History, as having the falsified date, 1520, for 1537, and the alteration in Romans, ch. i. 1. Paul, a kneaue of Jesus Christ." It afterwards became the property of Mr. Bindley. date, but under this year (iii. p. 1547.) I think his entry must allude to the edition of 1531. *The THREE BOOKS of SOLOMON; together with the Book of ECCLESIASTICUS, and the STORY of BEL; Southwark, by James Nicolson.-St. Paul's. The same; imperfect, edit. not ascertained.-St. Paul's. 1538. *BIBLE, by T. Matthew; reprinted from the edit. of 1537, with some difference. See Lewis' History; but no such edit. of this year has yet been ascertained. 8o. 12o. 12o. fol. NEW TEST., Tyndale's; Southwark, by Peter Treverisf.- NEW TEST.; Latin and English; [the Latin Erasmus', and f Treveris' name does not appear on the book. It is judged to be by him, from the occurrence of wood-cuts occasionally used by him, (viz. a group of boys hunting a bear.) It contains 131 leaves, besides the title. It appears that this edition was superintended by Nicolson the printer during Coverdale's absence, and that it was filled with mis-renderings and all kinds of blunders. Coverdale, on discovering this, was deeply mortified; and the more so, because he had left with Nicolson a dedication to king Henry VIII, to be prefixed to the volume. He immediately caused a new edition to be printed at Paris, where he then was, (busy in preparing the Great Bible, afterwards finished in London next year,) and seems to have remon 4o. 8o. 4o. strated with Nicolson, and probably desired the copies bearing his name to be called in. Nicolson perhaps complied with the letter of his desire, but not with the spirit of it: for he instantly put to press another edition, exactly in the same form and type, only substituting the name of "Johan Hollybushe" for that of Coverdale, in the title, but still retaining Coverdale's name at the end of the dedication. There are some changes in the translation; but to the general observer the volumes are exactly alike, except in the title-page. See Appendix, for the differences between the two editions. The first edition is extremely scarce. A perfect and exceedingly fine one is in the King's Library, (now in the British Museum.) |