Bible, English. The Most Sacred Bible, Whiche is the holy scripture, conteyning the old and new testament, translated...by Rychard Taverner, printed in black letter, preliminaries single column, text double column, lacking 2 preliminary ff. and blank leaf 3N4 at end of OT, otherwise complete, titles within woodcut architectural borders, OT trimmed to edge of border, mounted on 19th century paper with some surface abrasion causing slight loss, and loose, woodcut initials, several preliminary leaves badly torn, frayed and creased, first c.60 leaves and a few at end with 19th century guards/repairs to inner margins and sometimes elsewhere with some loss to side-notes, other tears to various leaves throughout, some leaves, especially near beginning trimmed at upper edge affecting headline, some staining, particularly at beginning and end, a few early ink annotations, mostly to verso of final leaf with some partially obscured by later paper repair, signature A (first 6 leaves of Genesis misbound after signature B, NT without signature K as in all known copies, 19th century vellum, gilt, black leather spine labels lettered in gilt, one slightly chipped, a little soiled and stained, front cover starting to bow, [Herbert 45], folio (271 x 190mm.), Prynted...by John Bydell, for Thomas Barthlet, 1539.

⁂ An almost complete copy of the first edition of Taverner's Bible, a revision of Matthew's Bible of 1537. Despite the poor condition of the preliminary leaves, they are probably for the most part reparable and the vast majority of the text is in generally good condition.

"Richard Taverner (1505?-1575), the author of this revision, was born in Brisley in Norfolk about 1505. He was a scholar of both Cambridge and Oxford and received his Master's degree of Cambridge in 1530. He had high repute for his Greek scholarship, and was at this time Clerk of the King's Signets, and in the employ of Thomas Cromwell. He lost his position under Queen Mary but under Queen Elizabeth I was appointed High Sheriff of Oxfordshire. In his corrections of the text, Taverner aims at compression and vividness. He substitutes in many places a Saxon for a Latin word, as spokesman for advocate; and does not hesitate to coin words, as mercystock (1 John i.2). Many marginal notes are omitted, and some new comments added. Taverner's work exercised practically no influence on later revisions (Westcott, History, p. 219), although he introduced parable, passover and a few other terms still in use. There are many peculiarities in the spelling - e.g. peax for peace, hable for able, etc." (Herbert).

Only four copies have appeared at auction since 1988 and all have been substantially less complete than this.