Biblia sacra vulgatae editionis tribus tomus distincta

Rome: Ex Typographia Apostolica Vaticana, 1590. First edition of the Sixtine Vulgate Bible. Engraved illustrated title-page. Title in red and black, text in double columns. [8], 479, [1]; [5], 482-899; [5], 902-1141pp. Lacks the 4ff preface, i.e. the papal bull of Sixtus V beginning "Aeternus ille caelestium, terrestriumq. rerum omnium conditr, ac moderator Deus ..." (as often). Folio (13-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches). Later red morocco, spine darkened, corners bumped, some repairs at head and tail of spine, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. Engraved title and title page paper-backed. Red quarter morocco clamshell box. First edition of the Sixtine Vulgate Bible. Engraved illustrated title-page. Title in red and black, text in double columns. [8], 479, [1]; [5], 482-899; [5], 902-1141pp. Lacks the 4ff preface, i.e. the papal bull of Sixtus V beginning "Aeternus ille caelestium, terrestriumq. rerum omnium conditr, ac moderator Deus ..." (as often). Folio (13-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches). The Sixtine Bible, containing the Vulgate text as edited by Pope Sixtus V, intended as the first ecclesiastically authorized text to be used throughout Christendom. "In its text it comes closer to R. Stephanus' Bible of 1538-40 than to the Louvain editions" (Darlow & Moule, who discuss the textual variations).

The association with Aldus II suggested by Renouard (and lasting long thereafter) is spurious.
Pope Sixtus V died soon after the book was printed, and was followed by three short-lived popes. The Sixtine Bible had "aroused antagonism among both clergy and laity" and was swiftly condemned; the edition was withdrawn by Pope Clement VIII soon after his elevation to the papal throne in 1592, and many copies were destroyed. Preparations began in 1591 for a new edition of the Vulgate, printed in 1592 and known as the Clementine Bible, which long remained the standard Vulgate text.

As often (e.g. the Brooker copy), this copy without the preface, the Bull of Sixtus declaring the text to be immutable and forbidding any reprint without papal permission. Copinger 521; Darlow & Moule, 6181; Adams B1098; BM STC Italian, 1465-1600, p. 93; EDIT16 CNCE 5805. Provenance: Henry John Farmer Atkinson (his sale, Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, March 1896, lot 2752), sold for £18.15s to; Bernard Quaritch; General Theological Seminary (bookplate)