Bible, English. [The Byble, which is all the holy Scripture: in whych are contayned the Olde and Newe Testament truly and purely translated into Englysh by Thomas Mathew], [?Antwerp: M. Crom for (London) R. Grafton and E. Whitchurch, 1537

small folio, FIRST EDITION OF ``THE REAL PRIMARY VERSION OF OUR ENGLISH BIBLE'' (DMH), black letter in double columns, New Testament border within woodcut border representing tree supporting table, Moses, the Fall, the Annunciation etc, titles to Parts 2 (Prophets) and 3 (Apocrypha) within woodcut block borders, title pages and Ball140et of Balettes of Salomon printed in red and black, NUMEROUS FURTHER WOODCUTS IN THE TEXT, red edges, marbled endpapers, later calf, binding very worn and scuffed; lacking six preliminary leaves (including general title), blank leaf Kkk10 and final leaf Ooo8; leaves a^{8, b1-b2} and Ooo3-Ooo7 torn and previously re-margined (repairs defective, tears sometimes heavy, with loss of text or commentaries); AA4 and CC8 with large tears, other occasional tears or slight loss to text, occasional damp-staining, darkening or soiling (particularly at beginning and end) This lot contains 1 item(s).

The first edition of the Bible known as `Matthew's version', actually welding together the best work of Tyndale and Coverdale. ``Thomas Matthew is commonly treated as a pseudonym of John Rogers (1500?-1555), Tyndale's intimate friend, and the first martyr in the Marian prosecution. But as Rogers only edited what is essentially Tyndale's translation, it seems more probable that Matthew stands for Tyndale's own name, which it was then dangerous to employ. The text in the Pentateuch adheres closely to Tyndale's version, and the New Testament follows his G.H. edition. In the portion from Ezra to the end of the Apocrypha it is substantially Coverdale...Rogers' own share in the work was probably confined to translating the prayer of Manasses...As to the place of printing, nothing definite is known. Conjecture points to Antwerp, perhaps at the press of Matthew Crom...Richard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch, the London printers, published the edition of 1,500 copies in England'' (A.S. Herbert, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of The English Bible 1525--1961, revised and expanded from the edition of T.H. Darlow and H.F. Moule, 1903).

References: DMH 34; STC 2066