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The Holy Bible: Containing the Old Testament and the New. Newly Translated out of the Original Tongues, …
Description
Begins with the Genealogies by J[ohn] S[peed] with red-ruled title page (1631) and decorative border. Bound with the double page Map of Canaan. General title page (1631) engraved within woodcut border comprising twenty-four compartments showing the tents of the twelve tribes as well as the figures of the twelve apostles. Title is enclosed within a heart-shaped frame. Text ruled in red throughout in two column Roman font. Small woodcut of the Garden of Eden to Genesis 1, David with a Harp to Psalms 1, and the Four Evangelists to Matthew 1. The famous error in Exodus 20:14 reads “Thou shalt commit adultery.” With Apocrypha as issued. Similar New Testament title page (1631). Text ends on dated colophon (1631). Bound with A Briefe Concordance with printed title page featuring printer’s device (1630). First chapter woodcuts initials, head- and tailpieces throughout.
Collation
A-Z^8, Aa-Zz^8, Aaa-Kkk^8. Complete with both title pages.
Binding
Contemporary brown calf. Boards paneled in gilt. Spine with five raised bands. Plain endpapers. All edges red. Rubbed, corners bumped, with joints starting but holding firm. Top of spine chipped.
Condition
A few spots and stains, but a clean copy overall; E4 small ink stain to outer column verso obscuring a few letters; trimmed to fore-edge occasionally touching sidenotes and infrequently reducing a letter or two.
Note
The celebrated "Wicked" Bible, infamous for the omission of the word not in the Seventh Commandment (Exodus 20:14), resulting in the reading: "Thou shalt commit adultery." Herbert described the edition as one of which "specimens are very rare," and it remains the most sought-after of all English Bible misprints.
Approximately 1,000 copies were printed in 1631 by the King's Printers, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas. Upon discovery of the error, Archbishop Laud ordered the edition suppressed, and most copies were destroyed. Peter Heylyn records that the printers were summoned before the High Commission Court, where "the whole Impression was called in, and the Printers deeply fined," reportedly in the amount of £300 (Cyprianus Anglicus, 1668).
Today, only twenty-five copies are known to survive, eighteen of which are held in institutional collections. As a result, opportunities to acquire a copy are exceedingly rare.
Condition is of particular importance, as most surviving examples exhibit significant defects. The only copy to appear at public auction suffered from extensive condition issues, including multiple leaves with loss of text. By contrast, the present example is complete and remarkably well preserved - it may be the finest surviving copy of the Wicked Bible in private hands.
References
Herbert 444.