[KING JAMES BIBLE IN ENGLISH]. The Holy Bible, Containing the Old Testament and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall Tongues: And with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, By his Majesties Special Commandment. Appointed to bee read in the Churches. Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majesty, and by the Assignes of John Bill, MDCXXXII. [1631-1632].
[Bound with]:
[SPEED, JOHN]. The Genealogies Recorded in Sacred Scriptures, According to Euery Family and Tribe. With the Line of Our Savior Jesus Christ, Observed from Adam to Blessed Virgin Mary. By J.S. Cum Privilegio. Anno Dom. 1631.
[Bound with]:
[DOWNAME, JOHN]. A Concordance to the Bible of the last Translation. Serving for the More Easie Finding out of the Most Usefull Places Therein Contained. Alphabetically Digested, and Allowed by Authority to be Printed, and Bound With the Bible in all volumes. London: Printed by the Assignes of Clement Cotton, 1632.
[Bound with]:
[STERNHOLD, THOMAS; HOPKINS, JOHN]. The Whole Booke of Psalmes Collected into English Meetre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, and Others, Conferred With the Hebrew, with apt Notes to Sing Them Withall. Set Forth and Allowed to be Sung in all Churches ... London: Printed by W.S. for the Company of Stationers, 1632.
Four works bound in one volume. Leather-bound, hardcover, thick quarto in 8s (22.5cm x 16cm x 7.5cm), pp. 32, 4; 826, 204; 120; 96. English text in double columns, printed in black letter. Bound in near contemporary full calf. The Genealogies Recorded in the Sacred Scriptures, including Description of Canaan with double-page woodcut map, bound at front preceding general title. Concordance and Whole Booke of Psalmes bound at rear. General title-page and New Testament title-page both with central heart-shaped device set within decorative woodcut borders (containing symbols of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the Four Evangelists, and the Twelve Apostles); New Testament dated 1631, imprint date at colophon also 1631. Old Testament with Apocrypha present. Printed sidenotes. Head- and tail pieces. Decorative initials. Condition: FAIR to GOOD. Binding tight and secure, the hinges and joints intact with some rubbing to spine ends, the rear board with an abrasion. Lacking initial and terminal blanks and first leaf of The Genealogies, but otherwise apparently complete. Textblock slightly trimmed. Light toning and soiling throughout. A couple of closed tears. 3B4 & 3B5 with corner pieces torn away. A few small burn marks and holes touching text. Some old inked underlining throughout and old family genealogy neatly inked to verso New Testament title-page. Last few leaves of The Psalmes with ragged edges with noticeable losses towards the end. Else an excellent copy.
Notes: 'The Authorized Version of the English Bible, first printed in 1611 is the most widely-published text in the English language. During many generations, large portions of it were known by heart by people on both sides of the Atlantic. With Shakespeare, its exact contemporary, the Authorized Version has contributed countless quotations and expressions which have slipped, hardly noticed, into English language and idiom. The book was always printed according to a very precise formula. The lengthy wording of the title-page was unvarying. Every Bible opened with the standard preface to James I, 'To the Most High and Mighty Prince James', beginning 'Great and manifold were the blessings.' The text of the Bible was arranged in strict convention. It was generally laid out in two columns, with separate numbered verses. Each chapter opened with a short summary of its content. There were no interpretative notes, but there were brief references in the margins to parallel passages or variant readings. 246-249pp, HAMEL, Christopher De. The Book. A History of the Bible. London, 2001. Herbert 488.
