Title: Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Universall History of the Same. Wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles and great persecutions against the true Martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by Heathen Emperours, as now lately practised by Romish Prelates, especially in this Realme of England and Scotland. Now againe, as it was recognised, perused, and recommended to the studious reader, 1596-97. The Fifth Edition of Foxe’s Great Book of Martyrs
Author: John Foxe
Publisher: London, Peter Short, by the assign of Richard Daye
Condition: Very Good
An uncommon late 16th century, and Fifth Edition of John Foxe’s ecclesiastical history, Actes and Monuments, and more famously known as the Book of Martyrs, the first imprint produced following his death in 1583, and containing the six-verse encomium in memory of the author by John Hopkins, included at the end of the preliminary leaves to volume One.
Published rather early in Queen Elizabeth the First’s Reign, the work is a polemical account of the sufferings of Protestants under the Catholic Church, focusing particularly on England and Scotland. The powerful Protestant messaging in Foxe’s work, combined with the narrative and visual impact of the martyred English very much helped shape the perception of Catholicism among the English and Scottish for centuries to come.
Volume I is an "Ecclesiastical History" containing "the acts and monuments [no capitals] of thynges passed in every kynges tyme in this realm [England], specially in the Church of England". It describes "persecutions, horrible troubles, the suffering of martyrs [new], and other such thinges incident ... in England and Scotland, and [new] all other foreign nations".
Volume II has its own title page and, again, an altered subject, being an "Ecclesiastical History conteyning the Acts and Monuments of Martyrs".
This edition has been numerous woodcut illustrations, being roughly 140 large in text examples, with the cuts to the second volume providing vividly brutal imagery of various Protestant martyrs in their final stages of life, whether burnt at the stake, beheaded, or executed in some other gruesome fashion. There is also a rather large and decorated historiated initial at the beginning of the dedication, depicting Queen Elizabeth.
There is an early ownership inscription of one 'Mary Hope, May 1659' to the lower margin of the second volume title page, and a bookplate for one Willaim Horton Esq, Chaderton to the front pastedowns of each volume.
The first volume has been rebacked with only the original upper board preserved. The second volume has been fully rebound in matching dark calf, with blind stamped borders to the upper boards, and gilt lettering to the spines of both volumes.
The volume one title page, as well as both folding woodcuts are lacking, though the folding insert of Windsor Castle has been replaced in facsimile. The main work is textually complete.
ETST records 42 existing copies in libraries. But of those 42, 18 are either imperfect, incomplete, or simply orphan volumes. It is a common note that the folding plates are often lacking as well.
Two finely bound volumes in large folio, (26 of 28)+1-718+719-1949+(27) pages
These volumes are in very good shape, with minor rubbing and wear to the binding, less so to the modern leather. Leaf Aaaa2 in the Second volume has small repairs to the lower corners of the margins, and a prior ownership inscription has been erased. The first three and last few leaves of volume One has repairs to the outer margins. A few other leaves have minor marginal repairs. There is very light, scattered, soiling throughout.