Foxe (John) Actes and monuments of these latter and perillous dayes, touching matters of the Church, wherein ar comprehended and described the great persecutions [and] horrible troubles, that haue bene wrought and practised by the Romishe prelates, first edition, black letter, double column, 2 folding woodcut plates, woodcut illustrations in text, woodcut historiated or decorative initials (including one large depicting Queen Elizabeth enthroned in her coronation robes) and tail-pieces, printed slip at foot of AAa2v, duplicates of EEE2&5 bound in (the signature complete), occasional contemporary or later ink marginalia, lacking *1&2 (including title), [fleuron]1-4 (calendar), B6 ('The utility of this history') and VVVV1-4 (index and colophon), all supplied in facsimile, also lacking the 2 slips with the woodcut illustration for pp.25 and 41 (these pp. with blank space for illustration), and the plate of King John at p.69 (this provided in facsimile), KKk2 torn at head and repaired (with loss of text) and with marginal repairs, folding woodcut plate at p.1548 with minor loss to border and mounted on stub, closely trimmed at head in places, occasionally affecting a headline, a few small wormholes in places, occasional marginal repairs, some spotting or staining, lightly browned, endpapers renewed, antique style calf, spine in compartments, covers with metal centre- and corner-pieces (1 corner-piece missing from lower cover), remains of metal clasps, joints starting, but holding firm, ?spine repaired, rubbed and marked, [STC 11222], folio, By Iohn Day, dwellyng ouer Aldersgate, [20th March, 1563].

⁂ A rare appearance at auction of the first edition of Foxe's monumental work of early English Church history. It is most often found defective. This vividly illustrated work is comprised of five books, which include the early Christian martyrs; a brief history of the medieval church, and the Lollard movement; the reign of Henry VIII and the break with Rome; and finally the reign of Queen Mary and the Marian Persecutions.