Page of Preface from Plantin’s Biblia Polyglotta, Antwerp, 1568 (13¼ × 8¼ inches)
Text Page of Plantin’s Biblia Polyglotta, Antwerp, 1568 (13¼ × 8¼ inches)
Text Page of Plantin’s Biblia Polyglotta, Antwerp, 1568 (13¼ × 8¼ inches)
PLANTIN’S BIBLIA POLYGLOTTA, Antwerp, 1568
Second Page
(13¼ × 8¼ inches)
The eight massive parts of the Biblia Polyglotta appeared during the years 1568 to 1573. The first volume opens with a splendid engraved title, representing the union of the people in the Christian faith, and the four languages of the Old Testament ([opp. page]). In the lower, right-hand corner appears the famous Plantin mark. Immediately following are two other engraved plates (page [232]), illustrative as well as decorative in their nature. One of these pages gives to the faithless Philip an undeserved immortality. There are also single full-page engravings at the beginning of the fourth and fifth volumes. Twelve copies were printed on vellum for King Philip. A thirteenth copy on vellum was never completed. In addition to these, ten other copies were printed on large Italian imperial paper, and were sold at 200 florins per copy. There were 300 copies on imperial paper at 100 florins, and 960 printed on fine royal Troyes paper, which were offered to the public at 70 florins each, with ten florins discount to libraries. One of the vellum copies was presented by the King to the Pope, another to the Duke of Alba, and still a third to the Duke of Savoy, the remaining copies being left in the library of the Escurial.