Binding.- The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, with architectural engraved general title 'The Holy Bible...' of the same imprint, as well as NT letterpress title, also with additional engraved architectural NT title in Latin bound as frontispiece (presumably from another work), ruling in red to all titles and throughout, various later ownership inscriptions, extra illustrated with 40 engraved plates only (of 60) from the suite ‘The Life of Our Blessed Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. An heroic poem…’ [by William Faithorne] 1693, several of these after Rembrandt, (Wing B2672), [Cambridge], John Hayes, 1675, bound with The Whole Book of Psalms, [Cambridge], John Hayes, 1675, distinctively bound in contemporary black goatskin much tooled in gilt, covers with zig-zag roll-tool border and decorative triangles and tulips surrounding ‘cottage-roof’ pattern featuring various floral volutes, a central shaped red goatskin onlay and four further at edges, each with delicate gilt pointillé, gilt spine compartments with semicircle and triangle tools, upper joint nearly broken with later ?canvas repair to hinge, a few scuffs to covers and extremities, 4to.

⁂ An eye-catching and attractive 17^th century binding; although less fine in execution, the style of the binding may conceivably recall the work of Thomas Dawson the elder who was active in Cambridge from the 1660s (c.f. Maggs Bookbinding in the British Isles Part II, no.52).