W. Hansford Watford, Jr., MD
My interest in collecting Bibles began over twenty years ago when I was called by a rare book dealer, saying he had one that needed a good home. That was a 1496 Biblia Sacra printed in Brescia, Italy, one of seven known to exist in its original binding. This led to interest in other Incunabula, then to historically significant Bibles from over the centuries. I particularly like ones that people risked their lives to protect. Finding some in disrepair led to a desire to train at the American Academy of Bookbinding, with further concentration on Conservation and Restoration. I love to hold these works of art as I imagine who sewed the thread through the signatures and around the raised bands of their spine. The ‘finishing’ on the leather or vellum can be breathtaking. Bound books are works of exceptional skill, created by artists who rarely received the admiration their craft deserved.
King James Bible (OT/NT Book of Common Prayer, complete Genealogies, Psalms, and Apocrypha.)
London: Robert Barker, 1613.
First issue, first Quarto printing in Black Letter type, the so-called “TRUE HE” Bible having misprint in Ruth III, v15: “and he went into the citie.” Original binding with old re-backed spine, original brass central diamond and corners, original boards.
King James Bible (OT/NT, complete Genealogies, Psalms, and Apocrypha.)
London: Robert Barker, 1613.
Quarto in Black Letter type, So-called “TRUE SHE” Bible, the first correction of the misprint in Ruth III, v15, now stating “...and she went into the citie.” Rebound at some period, perhaps 18th Century w calf reverse skin exterior, blind tooling decoration worn.
There is controversy surrounding the meaning of the True He vs True She printings. Many scholars refer to the Quarto True He as evidence that the printing of the KJV in Black Letter type might have been outsourced to a second printer, due to demand of pre-orders, since the mistake was present in both the initial Black Letter Folio (1611) and this initial Black Letter Quarto (1613), despite the Folio having been corrected in the second printing of 1611. This camp argues that Ruth going to the citie makes more sense than Boaz going. There also was precedence, with the older Geneva Bible (1560) and the Bishop’s Bible (1568) each using the feminine form in English.
Other scholars point out that the Hebrew verb “went” was originally in the masculine form, thus the initial “He” was more appropriate. They further imply that someone was championing the point to have the “He” reappear in the new Quarto Black Letter edition. No records have been found that could settle this controversy.
Subsequent editions were printed in Roman type, which is cleaner and easier to read, compared to the Black Letter type, which imitates manuscript Gothic Script lettering.
References:
- Rare Bibles by Edwin A. R. Rumball-Petre 1938, revised 1954 and 1963.
- A Textual History of the King James Bible by David Norton, 2005.