FIFTH GREAT BIBLE, IN A SIGNED MASONIC BINDING The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the conte[n]t of al the holy scrypture. General and New Testament titles in red and black within woodcut historiated border depicting Henry VIII, Archbishop Cranmer, and Thomas Cromwell distributing Bibles; titles to parts 2, 3, and the Apocrypha in red and black within composite historiated border of 16 woodcuts. Printed in black letter. 5 parts in one volume. Folio, 356x246 mm, early 19th-century calf gilt stamp-signed and dated "Brother and Companion, Isaac Nichol[l]s, 1815," with concentric borders incorporating Masonic emblems, front cover additionally stamped "The Gift of Brother and Companion James Manks, to the Alfred Lodge, No. 571, Leeds," rear cover stamped "This Byble is to Attend the Mother Lodge. The Donor, Till time shall be no more, A.D. 1815," rebacked retaining 18th-century gilt-tooled backstrip, red textured cloth doublures and endleaves; moderate marginal dampstaining through most of volume, margins trimmed slightly entering title borders and some headlines and sidenotes, several leaves remargined not affecting text, few clean tears, lower portion of l4 and 2R6 torn off with both leaves mounted, general title and incomplete preliminaries supplied from third great bible, ²2N1 possibly supplied from another copy, blank Q4, and ²2N6-8 (Revelation 19:18-end). Early ownership inscription of Sir William Allyn, "Knight and Alderman of the City of London," on first page of calendar. (London): Edward Whytchurche, 1540 [i. e., 1541]
Fifth edition of the Great Bible. Revised by Miles Coverdale from the "Thomas Matthew" version (see lot 210) and first published in 1539, the Great Bible was the first English-language translation authorized for public use. Herbert 61; STC 2074; Ramsden, Book Binders . . . (Outside London), page 123.
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