Testamenti Veteris Biblia Sacra Sive Libri Canonici, Priscae Judaeorum Ecclesiae a Deo Traditi, Latini Recens ex Hebraeo Facti Brevibusque Scholiis Illustrati ab Immanuele Tremellio & Francisco Junio: accesserunt libri qui vulgo dicuntur Apocryphi, Latine redditi & notis quibusdam aucti a Francisco Junio..., quibus etiam adjunximus Novi Testamenti libros ex sermone syriaco ab eodem Tremellio in Latinum conversos.
Printed in London by Thomas Vautrollerius and Middleton in 1579-1580.
THE FIRST COMPLETE LATIN BIBLE PRINTED IN ENGLAND
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The Bible and its influence on Western thought cannot be understated. In many ways it defines the precondition for the manifestation of truth across the literary domain - it is practically impossible to make sense of any written works without an implicit, and in many cases, explicit, notion of the Bible and its contents. This being the first complete publication of a Latin Bible in England, one cannot understate its influence. Being printed in the time of William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, John Donne, Francis Bacon, John Milton, Andrew Marvell, John Dryden, and many other prominent writers, philosophers, theologians, etc, makes this Bible of huge significance in terms of influence alone. John Milton was known to favour this particular translation of the Bible, translated by Immanuel Tremellius. [Hunter, William B.; Shawcross, John T., eds. (1981). Milton Encyclopedia. pp.88].
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Thomas Vautrollier was a prominent printer in London during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was known for his skill in printing books in both Latin and French. He also printed a 1583 edition of John Foxe's Book of Martrys, and was known for his innovative printing techniques and as one of the first printers to use the italic type in England from its introduction around eighty years earlier in Italy by Aldus Manutius and the Aldine Press.
Size: 22 x 15.7 cm, 4to.
Condition:
General and New Testament title pages with imprints dated 1580 whilst parts dated 1579 (Josh-Mal.) as printed. General title page with early ownership inscriptions in ink "Jo. Jackson" and "Th. Fuller" (maybe the famous Thomas Fuller?). 17th century binding bound in black morocco with a gilt ruled border to the boards and spine. Wear to extremities and foot of spine but generally very good. Text collated as complete but bound without Apocrypha (192pp). Some very light dust soiling throughout text with very minor and rather sparse spotting. Text block lightly toned as commensurate with age. Ffep with ink stamp. Initial four gatherings detached but present with the bottom corner of leaf 4Y2 torn away with a very slight loss to some text.
A very good copy of this scarce first complete Latin Bible printed in England, one of five imprints of this edition with no priority established between them.
[Darlow & Moule 6166; ESTC S1493; STC 2056.8.]
