The Great Bible, 1562, folio
The bible in English, that is to saye, the contents of al the holy Scripture, both of the olde and newe Testament, according to the translation that is apointed to be read in Churches. Imprinted at London in white crosse strete by Richarde Harrison. Anno. Domi. 1 . 5 . 6 . 2 .
Full brown leather folio bible with raised bands, black title label, and gold on spine. Number of inserted blanks does not seem to actually correspond to the number of missing leaves. Paper repairs beginning to Tviii, Uiiii, Yii, AAii, AAiiii, CCi, CCiiii, DDvii, FFii, FFv, KKvii and viiii, NNiii, QQvii, UUvii, EEEiiii, FFFi, FFFvi, HHHiii, HHHviii, LLLi, Aiii – v, Biiii & v, Cv, Cvii, Gii – Hvi, Ivii, Ki – end. Repairs range from minute foci of margins to majority of leaf. Most are marginal but encroaching on or involving text. In some instances missing text is supplied in manuscript. Scattered stains, damp stain, and toning. Scattered marginalia. 17th century prior owner’s inscription repeated several times throughout (“Thomas Osbourne of Codvington his boke Anno Domine - 1694”). Two columns in blackletter, 58 lines. Foliated. Sparsely illustrated with figures. Folio 33 cm. Housed in a brown clamshell (black and gold on spine; red interior) which has a small dent near one corner.
Ffep, blank x2, marbled fly leaf, blank x 10, four text leaves, manuscript leaf, blank x2, Bii – iv, blank, 2 text leaves, blank, Ci – G8, Hi - vi, blank, Hviii, blank, Iii – Kvii, blank, Li – Mii, blank, Miv, Mv, blank, Mvii, blank x3, Nii, blank x5, Nvii, Nviii, Oi, blank x6, Oviii, blank, Pii, blank x2, Piii – Pvii, blank x3, Qiii – Qvi, blank x4, Rii – Rvii, blank, Si – XXviii, YYi, YYii, blank, YYiii – AAAviii, BBB6, CCCi – NNNviii, blank x2, Aii, blank, Aiii – Bviii, blank, manuscript leaf with remnant of figure, blank with fragment of residual text, Ciii – H8, Ii – Ivii, blank x2, Ki – Oviii, blank x10, marbled fly leaf, blank, rfep.
Text begins with the closing lines of the 5th chapter of Genesis and ends in the 5th chapter of John’s first Epistle. Additional missing leaves scattered throughout as detailed above in the collation.
Herbert 117. “After the accession of Elizabeth I the Great Bible was once again by the Injunction of 1559 ordered to be set up in the churches and new folio editions were printed—this London edition and another at Rouen in 1566. For this edition Harrison was fined for printing without licence [sic].”
Per also Herbert 46, regarding the first edition of the Great Bible of 1539: “A revision by Coverdale of Matthew’s bible, which he corrected chiefly by the aid of Sebastian Munster’s Latin translation of the Hebrew OT, and of the Vulgate and Erasmus’ Latin Version in the NT, with the collateral help of the Complutensian Polyglot.
The Great Bible is sometimes also called Cromwell’s Bible, or, Cranmer’s Version (though he likely had very little to do with it). The Great Bible was the first authorized English translation appointed to be read in public services in the Church of England.
