1684 John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs – Over 100 Engravings and with Foxe’s Portrait

Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church, with an universall Historie 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, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland.

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 gruesome illustrations. This ninth edition is the third issued in three volumes and the only to be printed in Roman type, with the biography of Foxe written by his son Simeon. All of the woodcuts have been replaced and enhanced with engravings. All editions printed hereafter are significantly abridged. 

Description 

Vol. 1: half-title followed by full-page portrait of Foxe by John Sturt and full-page engraved title; Kalendar (6 pp.); Ad Dominum (2 pp.); Epistle Dedicatory (2 pp.); Ad Doctum Lectorem (2 pp.); To the True and Faithful Congregation (6 pp.); The Utility of the Story (2 pp.); To All the Professed Friends (5 pp.); Four Considerations (2 pp.); In Martyrologium Joan Foxi (3 pp.); The Life of John Fox (18 pp.); Ad Lectorem (2 pp.); Johannis Foxii Vita (11 pp.); A Table of Tables (9 pp.); A Chronology (55 pp.); Acts and Monuments (895 pp.); Vol. 2: Acts and Monuments (552,131 pp.); Vol. 3: Acts and Monuments (864 pp.); A Continuation of the Histories of Forreine Martyrs (960 pp.) with title page; A Table of All Principal Persons (48 pp.).

Vol. 1 contains 20 engravings with the engraved title page (1684) in black and red, a full-page portrait of Foxe (often lacking), a large fold-out plate of Persecution of Christians in the first 300 years (inserted before D1), a full-page plate of The Poisoning of King John (inserted after Bb1), and a fold-out plate of the Proud Primacy of the Popes (inserted after 4E3). Vol. 2 contains 33 engravings with the engraved title page and the fold-out of Windsor Castle (inserted before Qq1). Vol. 3 contains 61 engravings with the engraved title page.

Collation 

A^6, a-d^6, [a]-[e]^6,[f]^2, A-Z^6, 2A-2Z^6, 3A-3Z, 4A-4E^6,4F^4 (Vol. 1);  A-Z^6, Aa-Zz^6, A-Z^6 (Vol. 2); A-Z^6, Aa-Zz^6, 3A-3Z^6, 4A-4L^6, a-g^2 (Vol. 3). Complete with all fold-outs and title pages.

Binding 

Brown speckled and blind-paneled calf, later rebacked. Spines with six gilt-lined raised bands, elaborate gilt-tooling to compartments. Each volume with a maroon morocco label and the worlds “Book of Martyrs” lettered in gilt with the volume number below. All edges marbled. Outer dentelles. Plain endpapers. 

Condition

Vol 1: First 70 ff with wormhole to upper gutter; O6,Z5 with small marginal loss; Vol 2: A small marginal stain, Aa5, 3K5 with small marginal loss; Vol 3:  Rubbed to edges with a few bumped corners. Infrequent browning and staining, but a clean copy of an attractive and complete set.

Provenance

Armorial bookplate of Sir Henry Ernest Gascoyne Bulwer (1836-1914), who served as a British colonial administrator and diplomat, to front pastedown of each volume.

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 near fine copy of a scarce and collectible work whose influence is difficult to overstate. 

References 

Wing F2036; ESTC R3576. Burrow, John (2008). A History of Histories.