Beschreibung:

BIBLE, New Testament, Greek. Edited by Robert Estienne. Paris: Robert Estienne, 1550.
BIBLE, New Testament, Greek. Edited by Robert Estienne. Paris: Robert Estienne, 1550. Two parts in one volume, 2 o (335 x 224 mm). 43 blank leaves at end. Greek type: all three sizes of grecs du roi designed by Claude Garamond Estienne's woodcut basilisk device on title (Schreiber B1) and olive tree device on final leaf (Schreiber 10), Eusebian canons set within woodcut frames decorated with cherubs and architectural ornaments, woodcut foliate and grotesque Greek initials in two sizes, matching headpieces, ruled in red. CONTEMPORARY BINDING FOR JULIUS, BISHOP OF NAUMBURG, black morocco over oak boards, tooled in blind, initial "I.E.N." in blind at top and dated 1556 at bottom of front cover, spine rebacked with gold-tooling with the French royal arms in the 18th century, gilt and gauffred edges (worn at spine ends and corners, lacks clasps and catch plates, some rubbing). Provenance : Julius von Pflug (1599-1564), Bishop of Naumburg (binding; two vellum leaves mounted on pastedowns: front with large Crucifixion on a background of diapered-arabesque pattern, bordered with ornamentation, a Latin inscription beneath in gold on a red ground; back emblazoned with the Bishop's arms on a green and yellow ground and dated 1557; a manuscript leaf at front within architectural borders with the antiphon to Psalm 33, written in the same hand as the inscription beneath the Crucifixion miniature); William Constable (bookplate); Hamill (bookplate); purchased from Emil Offenbacher, 15 March 1955. A FINE COPY OF THE "EDITIO REGIA", the third and most important Estienne edition of the Greek New Testament and the first edition to contain a critical apparatus. It is also of great typographical importance as it marks the first use of all three founts of grecs du roi in a single book and the very first use of the largest size. The edition is most directly responsible for Robert Estienne's departure for Geneva, "following his final clash with the theologians of the Sorbonne, who saw in Estienne's marginal variant readings an instance of the most brazen heresy" (Schreiber). WITH A FINE CONTEMPORARY PROVENANCE. Julius von Pflug was the last Catholic Bishop of Naumburg from 1542 onwards. He corresponded with Erasmus and tried to heal the rift with Protestantism. "At Leipzig he was the pupil of Peter Mosellanus, and at Padua of Lazaro Buonamico. He had received benefices at Mains and Merseburg, and on his return was made dean of the cathedral of Meissen and provost at the collegiate church of Zeitz; The times in which he lived were full of troubles; Luther and his adherents were using every energy in spreading their religious views, and were supported in their work by the civil power. Pflug himself had received an education in accordance with the humanistic ideals then prevalent, while his theological knowledge, mostly self-acquired, was not very profound. He was gifted with rare diplomatic talents, and, being naturally inclined to peace and harmony, he was willing to make sacrifices even in matters of doctrine and discipline. Hence his presence was requested for nearly every theological conference held for the purpose of finding some lines of conformity in doctrine between the Catholics and Evangelicals" ( Catholic Encyclopedia ). The gold-tooling bearing the French royal arms was added in the 18th century. Adams B-1661; Darlow & Moule 4622; Harvard/Mortimer French 78; Renouard Estiennes , p. 75, no.1; Scholderer Greek Printing Types , p. 10; Schreiber Estiennes 105.