Bible, English.

folio (419 x 280mm.),  text in double columns, black letter, letterpress General title and New Testament title within engraved compartment depicting the Tribes, Apostles, Evangelists, and more, Calendar printed in red and black, 34 genealogical tables by John Speed, double-page map of the Holy Land, vignetts, woodcut inital capitals, modern black morocco lettered in gilt on spine, decorated in blind, red edges, D4 in Preliminaries misbound after D1, final six leaves apparently from the 1617 folio edition (DMH 353), general title cut down and mounted, several preliminary leaves re-margined, some of the preliminaries possibly from other copies, Kk1 torn at lower corner with loss of a few words, Nnn2 and Nnn3 slightly stained and torn, a number of leaves repaired at edges affecting some words including Dddd3-4, Gggg6, Llll3-4, Llll6 and C6 (New Testament), N2 in New Testament torn with slight loss, leaves of final five gatherings stained and sometimes torn at edges, final leaf torn at bottom with some loss and silked, some further small burn-holes and occasional tears, occasionally browned or slightly damp-stained

DMH 319; STC 2224

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, when appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

the second folio edition of the king james bible, one of the two greatest books in the english language.

This Authorised Version of the English Bible, the culmination of the work initiated by King James I in 1604,  was produced for use in churches, and as such most copies bear the marks of heavy use. Robert Barker began work on this edition in 1611 but publication was delayed until 1613. The reason for this delay is unclear, and also unexplained is the fact that about two-thirds of the sheets are found in two different states. It is the first edition to contain the reading "and she went into the citie" at Ruth 3:15, and also has the remarkable error of "Judas" for "Jesus" (Matthew 26:36), here uncorrected.

Generally regarded as one of the two greatest works in the English language (the other being the the First Folio of Shakespeare, 1623), the Authorised Version was the result of the industry of about fifty translators who carefully crafted a text from the various earlier translations (it has been said that it is the only literary masterpiece ever written by a committee). It became the central literary text of which all Englishmen knew something by heart, a common reference point open to all, to be used both as a source of truth and for a pattern of conduct, whose phrases have become deeply embedded in the English language.

"Without this holdfast our vitiated imagination would refine away language to mere abstractions" (Samuel Taylor Coleridge)