1596 Book of Martyrs by John Foxe – Acts and Monuments - Complete

Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church, with an universal History of the same. Wherein is set forth at large, the whole Race and Course of the Church, from the Primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great Persecutions against the true Martyrs of Christ …

Summary

A complete set of Foxe’s famous Acts and Monuments also known as the Book of Martyrs. The work documents the martyrdom of all of history’s recorded saints from the first century through the Reformation period with abundant and often gruesome illustrations.

Description

The fifth edition of the pulpit folios featuring Foxe’s monument work. Text printed in double column black letter with over 100 woodcuts. Vol. 1: engraved title (1596). Preliminaries include a Calendar printed in red and black. Vol. 2 engraved title (1596). One of two fold-outs present, this being the Description of Windsor Castles after Nnnnn4. Ends on dated colophon (1596).

Collation

[par]^6, [par]^8, A-V^6, Aa-Vv^6, Aaa-Sss^6, Ttt-Vvv^8; Aaaa-Vvvv^6, 5A-5V^6, 6A-6V^6, 7A-7V^6, 8A-8Z^6, (***)^6, ([par])^4. Complete with both titles and one fold-out.

Pagination

[28], 1949, [27] p. Second volume with continuous pagination and register.

Binding

Skillfully rebacked in matching brown calf. Covers with gilt-lined rectangular border. Spine with six gilt-lined raised bands and a morocco label to each spine with the words “Foxe’s Martyrs” in gilt and a date to the bottom of both volumes. Plain endpapers.  

Condition

Title page laid down; small stain to upper gutter margin to prelims and first signature of main text; Ttt5 upper marginal loss; Uuu7, 5T1, [par]4 with lower marginal loss and repair; Aaaa5 small hole to inner column costing a few letters; Aaaa-Llll two pin-sized worm tracks to upper margin; 8Q-[par] worm track to fore-edge margin; infrequent browning and spotting. “L.D.” inked to both pastedowns.

Note

Foxe’s Acts and Monuments was first published in 1563 and grew quickly in both size and fame. Second in popularity only to the Bible, copies were ordered to be placed in every cathedral church alongside the Bishops’ Bible. The enormous set was the largest printing project undertaken in England at that time. Burrow described it as “the greatest single influence on English Protestant thinking of the late Tudor and early Stuart period.” A good, complete set of a scarce and collectible work whose influence is difficult to overstate.

References

ESTC S122169; STC 11226. Burrow, John (2008). A History of Histories.