The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments: Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues; and with the former translations diligently compared and revised. Printed in Oxford by John Baskett in 1715. [Herbert 937]
[This example bound without the New Testament, containing the Old Testament, Psalms, and Apocrypha].
ONE OF THE EARLIEST JOHN BASKETT BIBLES, PRECEDING THE INFAMOUS VINEGAR BIBLE BY TWO YEARS. A STUNNING AND PARTICULARLY FINE PRINTING OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE WITH VERY EARLY COMMENTARY AND SCHOLARSHIP ON THE PRELIMINARY LEAVES!
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John Baskett was a prominent English printer and publisher known for his notable printing of the Bible, particularly the 1715 edition, which eventually became the standard version of the King James Bible in England. Baskett's printing of the Bible was not only significant for its content but also for the legal controversies that surrounded it.
In 1715, Baskett obtained a royal patent, also known as a privilege, granting him the exclusive right to print and publish the King James Bible in England. This privilege gave him a monopoly over the printing of the Bible, allowing him to control the production and distribution of this important religious text. However, Baskett's monopoly and the quality of his work soon became subjects of contention.
The 1715 printing of the Bible by John Baskett came to be known for its large size, often referred to simply as the "Baskett Bible." This edition featured a large and ornate format, with fine typography and lavish illustrated letters, which contributed to its prestige and popularity among the elite and collectors. However, Baskett's work was later criticised for its numerous typographical errors, inconsistencies, and poor printing quality. This led to a notable public perception that the text was riddled with mistakes. These criticisms were for the later printings of Baskett's Bible, particularly of the 1726 edition known as The Vinegar Bible. The earlier Baskett Bibles such as this 1715 edition generally remain well respected as fine printings of the Bible.
The quality issues with Baskett's 1726 printing sparked public outcry and derision. Critics referred to the edition with the well-known saying, "The Vinegar Bible," in reference to a misprint in Luke 20:9, where "vineyard" was erroneously printed as "vinegar." This mistake became emblematic of the perceived carelessness of Baskett's printing.
Baskett's printing monopoly and the perceived poor quality of his work resulted in legal challenges and debates. The most significant of these cases was the so-called "Great Bible Case" of 1769. Thomas Paris, a printer, sought to challenge Baskett's monopoly and publish an edition of the King James Bible without Baskett's authorisation. This led to a legal battle that ultimately reached the House of Lords.
The House of Lords upheld Baskett's privilege to print the Bible, maintaining his monopoly. However, the legal challenges and the controversies surrounding the quality of Baskett's printing had lasting effects. They contributed to changes in copyright and printing laws, eventually leading to the relaxing of Baskett's exclusive privilege and the opening up of the market to other printers.
John Baskett's printing of the Bible, including the 1715 edition, was a significant event in the history of English printing and publishing. His printing monopoly and the controversies over the quality of his work resulted in legal battles and debates that shaped the landscape of printing laws and practices in England. The 1715 edition of the King James Bible remains a notable chapter in the history of Bible printing.
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Size: 23 x 34 cm (approx.)
Large quarto size (sometimes referred to as 'royal quarto')
Condition:
Full suede leather binding with a delightful tooled red morocco label to the spine and '1715' engraved into the spine, faded. The binding is probably from 1824 and so fairly near contemporary, with the tooled label probably being original. Both boards are securely attached and the binding is secure and quite rarely, without any shelf lean. Some wear and places of loss to the leather on the binding but relatively minorly so, with some light superficial scratches. Top page edge slightly dulled though significantly better than typically found. No attached bookplates with clean pastedown and verso. Old and New Testament Geography maps both present to preliminary pages with the map of the Holy Land bound in at the rear of the book. Three preliminary leaves have an early commentary on parts of Genesis and Exodus including the meaning of man being made in God's image and some other rather interesting information written about Moses. Dedication leaf A2 (to King James) with some creases and light staining at the edge, without any rips or tears and no loss to the legibility of the text. Some marginalia on leaf A3 (first page of Genesis) at verse 26 only with the remainder of the text block in excellent condition, mildly toned with occasional minor dampstaining but significantly better than typically found. Two blank leaves (sometimes just one) tipped in with watermarks dated 1824 at the end/start of each book from paper maker 'Smith and Co'. This is the same date as those blanks with the written scholarship at the beginning of the book. Collated as complete with the Old Testament, Psalms, and Apocryphal books ending at leaf ZZZ6 but bound without the New Testament as sometimes found.
