Bible, English.- The Byble, Becke's revision of 'Matthew's Bible', printed in black letter, double column, title in red and black with woodcut border of 14 panels, other titles with woodcut borders, woodcut illustrations and initials, lacking preliminary leaves AA2-6 otherwise complete, blank leaf AAa8 present at end of part 3, opening several leaves frayed with loss, mostly at bottom outer corner because of damp, title also holed in upper woodcut panel, some of these opening leaves also loose and creased, a few leaves at end in similar (but less severe) condition, corner of Kk1 defective with loss of text, outer margins of Ff2-3 defective with loss to sidenotes, EE1 torn, title to part 3 trimmed with slight loss to woodcut border and woodcut illustration on verso, many other leaves trimmed with loss of sidenotes or headlines, a few leaves loose, some staining and soiling, 17th-century reversed calf, worn and stained, upper cover and endpaper detached, backstrip crudely reinforced with tape, [Herbert 74], folio (283 x 182mm.), Jhon Daye, 1549.

⁂ Apart from the missing preliminaries and the unsightly opening leaves, this is a substantially complete copy in good overall condition of a scarce and important version of Matthew's Bible. "It is often called the 'Bug Bible,' though the rendering bugges in Ps.xci. 5 is first found in the Coverdale Bible of 1535, and occurs in many others." (Herbert). It is also known as the "Wife-Beater's Bible" because of the reading in 1 Peter iii "And yf she be not obedient and healpfull unto hym endevoureth to beate the feare of God into her heade, that therby she maye be compelled to learne her dutie and do it."

Immediately after Tyndale's death, Bible translating received support from Henry VIII, Archbishop Cranmer and the State Secretary, Thomas Cromwell, and there was also suddenly a rise in popular demand for the printed Scriptures. Tyndale left his published and unpublished manuscripts to his collaborator, John Rogers, an Oxford graduate. Rogers printed the Bible on the continent in 1537, but because Tyndale's name was still unpopular in certain quarters in England, it was called Matthew's Bible, either simply as a pseudonym for Rogers or for Tyndale himself. It is also unknown where the book was printed although, as Herbert states, conjecture "points to Antwerp, perhaps at the press of Matthew Crom" - perhaps another explanation for it being known as Matthew's Bible.

Provenance: John ?Lamont (ink inscription in red at foot of Ggg6, dated 1658); Jane Burns (ink name on front free endpaper).