The Text of the New Testament of Jesus Christ, translated out of the vulgar Latine by the papists of the traiterous Seminarie at Rhemes. With Arguments of Bookes, Chapters, and Annotations, pretending to discover the corruptions of divers translations, and to clear the controversies of these dayes. Wherunto is added the Translation out of the Original Greeke, commonly used in the Church of England, with a Confutation of all such Arguments, Glosses, and Annotations, as conteine manifest impietie, of heresie, treason and slander, against the Catholike Church of God, and the true teachers thereof, or the Translations used in the Church of England: Both by auctoritie of the holy Scriptures, and by the testimonie of the ancient fathers. By William Fulke. London: Deputies of Christopher Barker, 1589, folio.
THE FIRST EDITION OF FULKE'S NEW TESTAMENT, AN IMPORTANT PRECURSOR TO THE KING JAMES BIBLE WHICH COMPARES THE BISHOPS BIBLE AND DOUAY-RHEIMS VERSIONS IN PARALLEL COLUMNS.
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"The title given in full above, and the description below, sufficiently indicate the nature of this book. It was the first systematic and comprehensive attempt to refute the arguments and accusations contained in the Rheims New Testament of 1582... by printing the Rheims New Testament in full, side by side with the Bishops' version, secured for the former a publicity which it would not otherwise have obtained, and was indirectly responsible for the marked influence which Rheims exerted on the Bible of 1611. It was reprinted in 1601, 1617, 1633, and 1843" (Herbert 202)
A phenomenal example, much better than the typical copy, and most significantly (and rarely), textually complete through the main text. A very attractive near fine copy.
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Provenance:
Faded ownership inscription of Richard ? (surname uncertain from transcription), dated 1610 to front free endpaper verso.
Some sporadic early English Protestant marginalia in a very neat hand, possibly in the hand of the above, typically referring to Catholics as 'Papists' as typical for the period in English Protestantism.
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Size: 197 x 272 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(2), *4, A-Y6, Aa-Yy6, Aaa-Yyy6, Aaaa-Vvvv6, [Xxxx4], (2)]
Very attractive recent full panelled full calf with "The New Testament" and "1589" written in gilt to the spine in compartments between raised bands. The binding is structurally fine with both boards securely attached, without shelf lean. Some minor scuffs as typical, else externally near fine. Very attractive on the shelf indeed. Main title in excellent condition, significantly better than typically encountered, very attractive. Some marginalia and underlining in the preface and first few quires, else generally very clean throughout the text, some spotting in places throughout as typical. A very small hole to G5 with the loss of a few letters of text, a few ink spots to L3, and with the bottom right corner of 4H4 with some minor loss in the blank space, not affecting the text. The signatures reset at Y instead of Z as called for. The final four leaves of the index tables are provided in excellent printed facsimile (4X1-4X4), else the text collates as complete, including the blanks which have particularly attractive watermarks visible under strong light which date them as contemporary to the printing. An excellent example of this rare first edition of Fulke's important New Testament, very rare with a text collates as complete as here.
[D&M 156; Herbert 202; STC 2888].
