The Holy Bible Containing the Old Testament and the New: Nervly Translated Out of the Originall Tongues and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised, by His Majesties Speciall Command. Appointed to be Read in Churches. London: Printed by Roger Daniel, MDCLIV (1654).
The New Testament of Our Saviour Jesus Christ, Newly Translated Out of the Originall Greek, and with the Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised, By His Majesties Special Command. Appointed to be Read in Churches. London: Printed by Roger Daniel, Anno Dom. 1653.
The Whole Book of Psalmes: Collected Into English Meeter by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and Others. London: Printed by Roger Daniel, An. Dom. 1653.
A FANTASTIC EARLY PRINTED KING JAMES BIBLE WITH MISPRINTS IN A BEAUTIFUL CONTEMPORARY, PERHAPS SCOTTISH, FULL CALF BINDING WITH GILT AND EXCELLENT SILVER METALWORK.
This early printing of the King James Bible from the 1600s is particularly notable not just for its beautiful original binding, but also the excellent engraved title page and the various misprints throughout. Some of the errors are very obvious, for example the misspelling in the title "The Translatours to the Reader".
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Provenance:
Ink ownership inscription reading "Mary Holbroocke Her Boocke".
Ink inscription reading "Bonght at Sale, Farnham, Surrey about 1913".
Pencil inscription reading "Bought at a sale at ? march 1898" and "the G? Bible".
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Size: 177 x 240 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[t.p. (i.e., ¶1), ¶2-¶8 (to the reader & names and order), pp.1-816 (i.e., A1-3E8), pp.815-818 (i.e., 3F1-3F2), pp.821-824 (i.e., 3F3-3F4), pp.823-824 (i.e., 3F5) (OT), (1), t.p. (i.e., 3A1), pp.1-254 (i.e., 3A2-3Q8) (NT), t.p. (i.e., A1), pp.1-110 (i.e., A2-G8) (Psalter), 3pp. (i.e., H1-H2), 1pp. (i.e., H2)] - 16pp., 824, 254, 110
Contemporary full calf with gilt decorations between raised bands on the spine, and to the centre and borders of boards. No tooled label present, but it appears that there wasn't one present originally as all spine compartments contain gilt designs. Clasps present on boards but lacking connecting joints that would have gone across the fore-edge. Wear along joints with the leather starting, more so along the rear joints. Top of the backstrip lifting at the top left corner and some loss to extremities. Boards scuffed and rubbed. Shelf and edge wear, more so to corners with some minor loss. Front pastedown detached from the inside of the front board with some loss and Inscriptions. Old Testament title page with some loss to the bottom outer edge, not affecting the engraving. Text block very clean throughout with some very light edge toning. Very occasional small ink stains with text remaining legible, more so to pp.556 and 583, in the Old Testament, and pp. 10, 35-37, and 62 in the New Testament. Occasional very small loss to edges of leaves, not affecting any text. Occasional light damp staining to edges, more so the last few leaves of the text block. Some gatherings slightly loose to loosely attached towards the end of the Old Testament to the middle of the New Testament; thus, some fore-edges creased, toned, and uneven compared to the rest of the text block. Very small wormhole from pp.167 to pre-ultimate leaf. Overall, exceptionally clean and in very good condition throughout.
Old Testament text block: Small tear and some loss to ¶2, only affecting text on the verso side but legible. Very small loss to the bottom edge of B6, not affecting any text. Damp stain to pp.50 covering text but still legible. Very small hole with orange discolouration surrounding it to T4 between lines of text, thus trimming some letters but still legible. Ink stains and marginalia to pp.556, some stains covering text but still legible. Marginalia to pp.567. Brown stain to pp.568 and pp.569 covering text but still legible. Mispagination from 3F1 to 3F2, 3F1 mispaginated as pp.815 and pp.816, and 3F2 mispaginated as pp.817 and pp.818; whereafter the pagination corrects with pp.821. Leaf 3F5 mispaginated as pp.823 and pp.824, instead of 825 & 826.
New Testament text block: Very small ink stains to margins of pp.10 (NT), covering the start of a line but still legible. 3B1 and 3B8 detached. Ink stain pp.62 covering text but legible with close inspection. Stain to 3E6, text still easily legible. Stains to pp.78, text still legible. Closed tear to the upper middle of 3G5, text still legible.
Psalter text block: D1 with closed tear and loss to corner, text legible. Small hole with loss to D2 affecting text on the reverso side, can be legible. H2 with loss to the top corner, not affecting any text. Pencil inscription to the bottom of the last leaf.
Bound without the apocrypha as typical and as expected according to Herbert, otherwise the text block collates as complete.
[Herbert 642].
