A Complete History of the Several Translations of the Holy Bible, and New Testament, into English, Both in MS. and in Print: And of the Most Remarkable Editions of Them since the Invention of Printing
By John Lewis, A.M. (1675–1747)
The Second Edition, with Large Additions
London: Printed by H. Woodfall, for Joseph Pote, Bookseller at Eton, 1739.
An uncommon original Georgian study of the history and bibliography of the English Bible. Lewis discusses manuscript and printed translations, including those associated with Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, Matthew, the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible and the Bishops’ Bible, together with notable editions and printers.
The work was originally issued in 1731 as the historical introduction to Lewis’s edition of Wycliffe’s New Testament. This substantially enlarged 1739 edition was its first separate appearance and is designated the second edition.
The book includes its folding engraved plate and concludes with an index. The large blank rectangular area within the folding illustration appears to be an intentional part of the plate’s design rather than a section cut from the paper.
The unusual pagination in this edition is original: pages 49–64 are numbered 65–80, and page 112 is numbered 512. The register and text nevertheless remain continuous. Institutional cataloguing records the volume as including a four-page index and one folding plate.
Condition
Acceptable antiquarian condition, offered with all faults and priced accordingly.
Bound in contemporary full leather with raised bands, gilt spine decoration and a red morocco title label. The binding is heavily worn, rubbed and scuffed, with loss and abrasion to the leather, particularly at the corners, edges, joints and spine ends. The gilt decoration and lettering remain substantially discernible.
The front board is detached but present. Despite the detached board, the text block remains firm and the leaves are securely held. The folding engraved plate is present, with age-toning, creasing and wear along the folds. The large central blank rectangular panel appears to be an intentional feature of the illustration rather than a cut-out. No repairs to the plate have been identified.
The contents show general age-toning, occasional marks, handling wear, scattered spotting and some darker staining or dustiness at the margins. There are occasional creases and small edge defects consistent with age. The printing remains clear and legible. The final text leaf, four-page index and folding plate are all present.
Please study all photographs carefully, as these form an important part of the condition description.
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