Bible, English | Erasmus’ paraphrases of the New Testament, 1551–1549. London, 2 volumes - photo 1
Bible, English | Erasmus’ paraphrases of the New Testament, 1551–1549. London, 2 volumes - photo 2
Bible, English | Erasmus’ paraphrases of the New Testament, 1551–1549. London, 2 volumes - photo 3

Bible, English | Erasmus’ paraphrases of the New Testament, 1551–1549. London, 2 volumes

Lot 7
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Starting price
£ 24 000
AuctioneerSotheby´s
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1073285
Lot 7 | Bible, English | Erasmus’ paraphrases of the New Testament, 1551–1549. London, 2 volumes
Estimate value
£ 24 000 – 36 000
Bible, English—Desiderius Erasmus

The first [second] tome or volume of the paraphrases of Erasmus upon the Newe Testament. [London: Edward Whitchurch], 1551-[1549]

Second edition of the first volume, first edition (?later issue) of the second, 2 volumes, 4to (330 x 210 mm.; 302 x 195 mm.), roman and black letter types, titles within elaborate woodcut borders, large and small historiated and decorative woodcut initials, skilfully restored and rebound (the first volume with original blind panelled covers and new matching spine, the second volume newly covered using sympathetic roll tooling), unadorned spines with thick raised bands, preserved in morocco-backed, folding cloth case, lacking 12-leaf index at end of volume 2, title pages backed somewhat rather soiled, early leaves in both volumes slightly frayed and soiled, table at back of first volume with minor marginal dampstaining, second volume with browned edges, with a few quires at the back noticeably soiled, and with headlines in perhaps half the gatherings partly trimmed

This is a rarely seen, surprisingly well-preserved copy of an early English printing of Erasmus’ paraphrases to the New Testament. After translating and editing the Testament, Erasmus wrote paraphrases in Latin between 1517 and 1524 for all books except the Apocalypse. The work was universally applauded, and in England a translation of them was ordered during the reign of Edward VI, with funds supplied by Catherine Parr, the sixth, last, and surviving wife of Henry VIII. Among the translators were Miles Coverdale, Leonard Coxe, Thomas Key, John Olde, Nicholas Udall, and the young Princess Mary (later to be queen), who translated most of the paraphrase on the Gospel of John. (A paraphrase of Revelation was added in Edmund Alen’s translation from the work of Leo Juda.) An injunction was issued in Edward’s name ordering that the English “Paraphrases” be placed beside the Bible in all churches. According to Berkowitz, “The Edwardian reformation was still in a moderate phase, and its doctrinal stance as well as literary judgment is reflected in [this] order, which functionally placed Erasmus’ ‘Paraphrases’ on a par with the Great Bible.”

The second volume seems to be a variant of the versions of Erasmus’ “Paraphrases” described in Darlow & Moule; it is dated 1552, which matches the second printing, but it has its own foliation, as did the first printing of 1549 (in the second printing, the foliation is continuous between volumes). Given their difference in size, the two volumes offered here obviously comprise a married set, but finding any copy of Erasmus’ “Paraphrases” in
English that is even substantially complete is very difficult, let alone finding a set in decent condition. Rare Book Hub finds two complete or near-complete copies of the second volume by itself in the past 25 years, one of these mouldy and also lacking the 12-leaf index wanting here, and one in poor condition, sold “as is”.
Auction house category:Prints, graphics, books
Address of auction Sotheby´s
34-35 New Bond Street
W1A 2AA London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2023
Phone +44 (0) 20 7293 5000
Phone +1 212 606 7000
Email
4FQ.AE2YUKFA@AYGLGHC3Y@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.