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Chosen by:
Dr Brian McMullin,
Monash Centre for the Book
The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments : newly translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised (Oxford : Printed by the university-printers, 1701) 2 v. (fol.)
The privilege of printing and publishing the ‘Authorized’ (or ‘King James’) Version of the English Bible (1st edition 1611) was invested in the King’s Printer, but by virtue of their over-riding freedom to print any book whatsoever the same privilege came to be enjoyed by the two universities. Cambridge published its first Authorized Version in 1629; Oxford, however, did not exercise its right until 1675.
The Oxford University Press became recognized for its series of large folio editions of the Bible, along with parallel editions of the Book of Common Prayer (the service book of the Church of England), designed to be placed on lecterns for use during public worship. Oxford-printed bibles might be typographically impressive, though often enough their texts could be grossly defective – witness the 1717 folio bible, known variously as the ‘Vinegar Bible’ (from the misprinting of the intended ‘Vineyard’) or ‘A Baskett-full of Errors’ (from its printer John Baskett).
The Monash copy of the 1701 Bible is in two volumes, bound in the black calf that is typically found on bibles and prayer books, and at one time it had silk ties. Stamped in the centre of all boards are the arms of Queen Anne, and in the panels on the spine appears the monogram ‘AR’ – i.e., ‘Anna Regina’ – indicating that the volumes cannot have been bound before her accession to the throne in March 1702. The presence of the arms and monogram suggests that this particular pair of volumes may at one time have done duty in a royal chapel, though books bearing royal arms do not necessarily have a royal provenance.
The volumes came to Monash from Ridley College; both contain the signature of Thomas Gould, dated June 1st, 1811.
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