History of the Church of Englande Compiled by Venerable Bede, Englishman. Translated out of Latin in to English by Thomas Stapleton Student in Divinite.

Antwerp: Imprinted...by John Laet, 1565. STAPLETON, Thomas. First edition of Bede in "Modern English" along with the first edition of the Stapleton. Two works in one quarto volume (7 1/8 x 5 1/4 inches; 182 x 134 mm). [14], 192, [4]; 5-162, [2] leaves. The second work, "A Fortresse of the Faith" is bound without title-page and the three following leaves (author's dedication), but the text is complete. Bede's work with four engravings in the text, three of which are full-page, including the armorial seal stating "God save the Queen" on the verso of the title-page. Title-page with engraved vignette. Engraved initials throughout both works.

17th (truncated) or 18th-century full red calf, rebacked to style with original spine. Spine ruled in gilt and lettered in blind. Front and back board ruled in gilt and stamped in gilt with the armorial crest of "The Society of Writers to the Signet." Board edges gilt. Gilt dentelles. All edges gilt. Two bookplates to front pastedown. Old ink ownership name-stamp to front fly-leaf. Title-page for Bede work with a repair along bottom margin, touching imprint but with no loss. Leaf TT3 of Bede work with old ink marginalia. Top edge trimmed close, occasionally touching headline. Overall a very good copy of these two works. Housed in a custom full red morocco clamshell.

"The first translation of Bede's influential Ecclesiastical History of the English People into "modern" English, by the Catholic writer Thomas Stapleton (1535-1598), alongside his polemical supplement to Bede entitled A fortresse of the faith... Stapleton's English prose style is considered to be superlative." (Sotheby's)

"St Bede - also known as the Venerable Bede - is widely regarded as the greatest of all the Anglo-Saxon scholars. He wrote around 40 books mainly dealing with theology and history... His scholarship covered a huge range of subjects, including commentaries on the bible, observations of nature, music and poetry. His most famous work, which is a key source for the understanding of early British history and the arrival of Christianity, is 'Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum' or 'The Ecclesiastical History of the English People' which was completed in 731 AD. It is the first work of history in which the AD system of dating is used." (The BBC Historic Figures).

Stapleton appears to have made this translation for use as a controversial weapon against the Reformation divines of the Elizabethan establishment, and, although the translator was acknowledged to be one of the most learned men of his time, this text has been censured as not altogether true. It was several times reprinted by the seminarists, but always on the continent. Laet also published the same year (the imprimaturs bear the same date) Stapleton's A fortresse of faith. The two books sometimes occur bound together and may well have been originally so issued. This book was included among the 'unlawful' books found in John Stowe's library (Arber I. 394) and also among the 'Trayterous and popish bookes intercepted' (Arber 1. 492). (Pforzheimer 55).

The Society of Writers to the Signet is a private society of Scottish Lawyers which dates back to 1594. According to their website "The Society owns and operates the Signet Library, a magnificent example of neo-classical architecture from the Enlightenment era, located in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. The Signet Library is adjacent to St Giles’ Cathedral and connected to Parliament Hall where Scotland’s Supreme Courts are located. The Signet Library is not only a law library but a repository of books, manuscripts, newspapers, journals and other texts on all aspects of human knowledge and literature. Our archives are a treasure chest of Scottish history and culture."

Pforzheimer 55. STC 1778. STC 23232.

HBS 69073.

$20,000. (Inventory #: 69073)