The Booke of Common Prayer
The Booke of Common Prayer The Booke of Common Prayer The Booke of Common Prayer The Booke of Common Prayer The Booke of Common Prayer The Booke of Common Prayer The Booke of Common Prayer
£1,250.00

London: Christopher Barker. [1583].

8vo, 177x128mm. Printed in black-letter. Collates Cii-Cv (Lacking first nine leaves - C1-8 including title page and C1) Lacking Cvi. Aii-v (lacking Ai, Avi) Avii, viii. Bi, ii, and viii (lacking Biii-vii with two leaves supplied from a contemporary but slightly different edition), v-vii. (lacking Bviii), Ci, iii-viii (lacking Cii), D8-Y8, Aa8-Kk4 (lacking Iiv and with Uiv, v, Ccii and Ii4 supplied in manuscript (with rather good calligraphy). Hole in R2 (c15mm diameter) with loss of a few words. Top edges closely trimmed.
Separate title page to The Psalter or Psalms of David, after the translations of the great Bible, pointed as it shalbe sung or said in Churches. Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, printer to the Queenes Maiestie, with ownership signature at head: "John Merewether 1702".

Bound with The Whole Booke of Psalmes, collected into Englishe Metre by T. Sternhold, W. Whitingham, I. Hopkins, and others: conferred with the Hebrue with apt Notes to sing them withall. Newly set forth etc. London: printed by John Daye, 1583.
pp [8], 401, [21]. Collates A4, B-Y8, Aa-Ee8, Ff3, lacking Ff4-8 and G1-4. Title printed within elaborate woodcut border, close-trimmed to fore-margin, with slight loss, occasional marks. Repair to F6 with loss of some text and a tear to foot of T8 with loss of a few words.

Near contemporary calf with brass clasps, rebacked with original spine laid down. Spine with four raised bands, red morocco labels (added later) lettered in gilt. Repairs to three of the four outer corners. On the upper cover are three small brass plates, the central plate engraved with the name Merewether which is also, as noted, inscribed on the title page for the Psalms in the Prayer Book. Twentieth century endpapers with bookplates of Albert Thorndike and the Zion Research Library. On a blank preliminary is the ownership inscription (in ink) "John Lee, Colworth, 1826, a present from the Reverend H. L. Knapp of St. Paul's". On the verso of the Psalms title page in the Prayer Book are various inscriptions (not easily legible) with, at the foot of the page the date 1650.

A very good copy, in a lovely, unsophisticated binding, of a rare edition of the Elizabethan prayer book from early in the long career of the Barker family.