1551 Tyndale Taverners Bible

[Bible in English.] [The Byble/ that is to say, al the holy/ Scripture conteined in the olde/ & new Testament, faythfully set/ furth according to ye Coppy of Thomas Mathewes traunslacion, wherunto are/ added certaine learned Prologues, &/ Annotacions…/ London: John Daye, 1551.]

Richard Taverner’s and William Tyndale’s versions. The Old Testament and Apocrypha are a revised edition of Taverner’s version, apparently prepared by Edmund Becke, the editor of this Bible, and previously published in parts in octavo by Daye and Seres (H 81, 82, 86, 87). The New Testament closely agrees with Daye and Seres’ Tyndale New Testaments of 1548 and 1551, and is practically identical to that printed by Daye alone (H97, probably 1551). The Apocrypha includes 3 Maccabees, and the new translation of 3 Esdras, Tobit and Judith.

Small folio in sixes. Collation: *4, AA6, B6, c6, e-s6, A-T6, V4, AA-YY6, AAA6, BBB4, AAa-OOo6, Aaaa-Tttt6, Vvvv8. Copy at hand lacks most preliminaries, as expected in pre-Queen Mary English Bibles. Contents: c.ii.-[c.v.] A gathering of certayne harde wordes, etc.; text block begins in Genesis 10 [e.v.]ff., [e.v.][e.vi.] f-s6; lacks A.i. (second title), A.ii.-[A.vi.] B-T6, V4 (V.iiii., a blank, excised); AA-YY6 ([AA.i.] being woodcut title for “Thirde Parte”); only about one-fourth of HH.iiii. in Song of Solomon is present, laid in; AAA6; BBB4; lacks AAa.i., woodcut engraved titl e to the Apocrypha; then, AAa.ii-[AAa6], BBb-OOo6; contains NT woodcut title and “Uuyllyam Tyndall vnto the Christyan Reader” as Aaaa.i. and Aaaa.ii.; Aaaa-Oooo6; lacks Pppp.i.; has Pppp.ii and iii (lacks 4 and 5); then, detached and laid in, has only Qqqq.iiii, Rrrr.i – [v], terminating in I Peter.

Preliminaries in quire c with extended fore margins; last leaf of Deuteronomy [S5] repaired and mounted; HHH.iii with amateur repair losing som e text; other tears and repairs, e.g. f.iii, Aaaa.ii and iii, Cccc.i, [Cccc6], [Eeee5], [Iiii5]. Headlines touched or shaved. Some ink notes and pentrials. Over-opened at [Aa.i] titl e to “Thirde Parte.” Generally surprisingly fresh. A made up copy: edges speckled red but some with traces of old gilt.

Early nineteenth-century full calf, very scuffed and worn but still strong, and – in an historical sense – appealing.

Front free endpaper bears a brief holograph appreciation of William Tyndale, and verso is an attempt at a holograph general title-page: The Bible/ Being th e translation/ by Wm. Tindal …

Please Note: This is a low-resolution photo, which shows the format, but makes reading the text nearly impossible. In reality, the text of these Bibles is large enough and clear enough to read very easily.

Click Here To Go Back To Main Index Page





GREATSITE.COM - The World's Largest Dealer of Rare and Antique Bibles