1st English ed., 1574 The Pageant of Popes by John Bale (and John Studley). London, Thomas Marsh.

The first (and only 16th century) English edition of John Bales' Pageant of Popes, an influential protestant work, originally printed in Latin in 1558 (at the end of Bloody Mary's intense persecution of Protestants) as Acta Romanorum Pontificum, which denounced the Popery and sought to demonstrate the many ways in which Popes had failed throughout the centuries.

Bale was a feisty reformer, and biographies note that he earned the nickname "bilious Bale" with some. His protestant views required him to live in exile in Basel during the reign of Queen Mary, but still he published works such as this from there.

For this edition, John Studley, an English clergyman, translated (and expanded) the work into English. By 1574 England was under Elizabeth, and protestant works were acceptable once again.

This work is scarce-to-market; at the time of listing Harrington (London) is also offering a copy for roughly $7,500 USD (listed for the 2023 Abu Dhabi fair, lot 60, at 5,750 pounds)

Bibliographic Details -

Fun biblio note, this printing is found in the Transcript of the Registers of the Company of Stationers of London (Volume 5, 1894 edition) in the year 1574.

Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) number 507740, 35 copies recorded in the world's libraries. Held at locations such as Cambridge Trinity College Library, King's College Library, National Library of Scotland, Lambeth Palace Library, Bodleian Library, Houghton Library, Huntington Library, Folger Shakespeare Library, among others.

English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) number S100602.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 13.5 x 19.5 x 2.5 cm. Calf binding. Boards with outer frame of blind fillet. Spine with five raised bands; five compartments with a central gilt leaf decoration, and one with the title in gilt. Text block edges sprinkled red.

Pages – xxxx, 198, [6]

Collation – *a-e4, A-Z8, Aa-Bb8. Collates complete, with last blank leaf (Bb8) present.

Condition -

See pictures. A few finger-ring scuff marks to boards. Fresh endpapers.

Name written on title page. Title page and five leaves beyond repaired with Japanese tissue. Text block toned throughout, with occasional rust spots, page edge chips, dog-eared pages, thumbing, small holes (less than 1 cm), etc. Pages quite soft; it may have been washed at some point. Leaf *e1 with 1” damage near bottom edge. *e3 and *e4 with several tears from edges.

Due to the soft paper, there are quite a few pages with tears from edges near where they’re turned, mostly marginal. H4-6 with some fore-edge marginal damage from being stuck/unstuck.

Small spot on L4 that may be old mold but it’s very dry and hard (I believe, if it is mold, it’s long dormant, and maybe why the book was possibly washed).

Annotation and date (1574) written at bottom of last printed page. Word written on last blank page.