The Bible, Containing the Old and Newe Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ, Conferred diligently with the Greeke, and best approved translations in divers languages. London: Christopher Barker, 1585, 4to. [Together with] Two right profitable and fruitfull Concordances. London: Christopher Barker [c.1585]. [Together with] The Whole Booke of Psalmes Collected into English Meetre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and others. London: Richard Day, 1585.
AN ORIGINAL GENEVA "BREECHES" BIBLE DATED TO THE YEAR 1585, PRECEDING THE KING JAMES VERSION BY 26 YEARS!
A REMARKABLE EARLY ENGLISH BIBLE IN A CONDITION SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN TYPICALLY FOUND, WITH THE TEXT OF THE BIBLE COMPLETE.
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A rare original 1585 "Breeches" Geneva Bible, so named for the reading in Genesis 3:7 describing Adam and Eve as having made "breeches" to cover their nakedness instead of "aprons" or "loincloths".
This is one of the last Geneva Bibles to be printed without Tomson's revised New Testament of 1587 and thus a true original Geneva Bible with the New Testament in its original form as originally printed for the Geneva version. This copy is bound with a Psalter from 1585, the Concordances, and an incomplete Book of Common Prayer at the front (as often). A lovely example.
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Size: 174 x 224 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(1), B-E8, F6; A-Z8, 2A-2Z8, 3A-3H8, 3I2; *4, 3K-3Y8, 3Z10; A-L8, M4; A-F8, G2, (1)]
Near contemporary full calf, finely rebacked circa the 19th century. Attractive tooled morocco label affixed to spine. Both boards securely attached. Binding secure, stands without shelf lean. Lacks clasps as usual but with the metalwork extant to both sides. Boards decorated in blind, edges and corners minimally restored contemporaneously with the rebacking. Early pastedowns and endpapers preserved, several ink ownership inscriptions throughout ranging in date between contemporary 16th century and circa the 18th century. No attached bookplates/stickers etc.
The Bible lacks the general title leaf (as usual), else collates as complete - the texts of the Old and New Testaments are complete, as is the Apocrypha. The Concordances section is also complete. The 1585 Psalter at the rear is complete with all 150 Psalms, but lacks the final two leaves which ordinarily follow. The Book of Common Prayer bound at the front lacks all before B1 (i.e. the first quire). Contemporary 16th century English inscription across the edge of F6 (BCP). Preliminary leaves a little ragged up to and including the first two leaves of the Bible text (Genesis), but fully legible. Internally, in general, a well preserved copy, particularly for being largely complete; a scarce thing for Geneva Bibles, especially this early.
Small tear to 2B5 (Job), 2F5 (Psalms), 2N3 (Jeremiah), no text loss in these cases. Repair to verso of New Testament title leaf, invisible to recto. Small hole to outer marginal blank space of *3 not affecting text. Hole to A4 of Genesis losing a few words of text r/v. Text mildly toned throughout, scattered small stains as typical, but generally bright and clean throughout, better than the typical extant copy of this early period for English Bibles. Several ownership inscriptions to *4r/v (the leaf preceding Matthew 1).
A fantastic scarce early English Bible.
[Herbert 187]
