THE FIRST SHORTHAND ENGLISH BIBLE
[Title in shorthand: Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments with singing Psalms in shorthand, written by William Addy. The Bible engraved by John Sturt] .
London.
Printed for the author, and Peter Story and sold by, Tho: Fabian at the Bible in Pauls Churchyard. Dorman Newman at ye King's Armes in the Poultry..., 1687.
First edition.
16mo.
[6], 278, [3], 279-358, [2], 359-396pp, [2]. With an engraved title (included in the pagination, displaying the figures of Moses and Aaron within an architectural design), an engraved portrait frontispiece of William Addy, two further engraved divisional titles (also included in the pagination) of the New Testament (Holy Dove and the Four Evangelists) and the Psalms (King David playing the harp), and a terminal blank. Contemporary gilt-tooled and panelled black morocco, A.E.G., marbled endpapers. Some rubbing to extremities, bumping to corners, short split at head of spine, upper hinge starting. With old bookseller's ticket tipped to verso of FFEP, further bibliographical notes tipped in at end to blank fly-leaf. Early ownership initials of W.R. to verso of engraved frontispiece, with a further name neatly erased.
The first complete Bible to be produced entirely in shorthand, engraved throughout by John Sturt and including the metrical psalms of Sternhold and Hopkins, translated from the King James (Authorised) Version by English writing master and stenographer William Addy (c.1618-c.1695).
Addy's shorthand system was extensively outlined in his Stenographia, or, The art of short- writing compleated in a far more compendious method than any yet extant (London, 1684). As he himself acknowledged, it owed a great debt to the system of Jeremiah Rich (d. c. 1660). Darlow & Moule transcribe a note from the B.M. copy, which explains the method of production:
'This Bible in Stenography, my Brethren at sight, and all others skill'd in ye Art of Sculpture know it's Engraven; but in a Peculiar Manner. It was written by Mr. Addy in ungum'd Ink burnished on the wax and then run through with the Engraver by John Sturt'.
The old bookseller's description tipped into this copy refers to the work as the 'Pepys shorthand Bible', referencing J.W. Carlton's 1933 article "Samuel Pepys his Short-hand Books" (Transactions of the Bibliographical Society. New Series, Vol. XIV, p.83, 1933); however Pepys copy is described as featuring 'a rapturous dedication to William of Orange' which was not added until the 1689 reissue (confusingly, with the title continuing to display the 1687 date) of this Bible.
One of three slight variant editions published in 1687. All are rare; ESTC locates copies of this edition, with imprint 'Printed for the author, and Peter Story' on verso of the second leaf, at just four locations worldwide (Cambridge, NYPL, Oxford and Senate House).
Addy's shorthand system was extensively outlined in his Stenographia, or, The art of short- writing compleated in a far more compendious method than any yet extant (London, 1684). As he himself acknowledged, it owed a great debt to the system of Jeremiah Rich (d. c. 1660). Darlow & Moule transcribe a note from the B.M. copy, which explains the method of production:
'This Bible in Stenography, my Brethren at sight, and all others skill'd in ye Art of Sculpture know it's Engraven; but in a Peculiar Manner. It was written by Mr. Addy in ungum'd Ink burnished on the wax and then run through with the Engraver by John Sturt'.
The old bookseller's description tipped into this copy refers to the work as the 'Pepys shorthand Bible', referencing J.W. Carlton's 1933 article "Samuel Pepys his Short-hand Books" (Transactions of the Bibliographical Society. New Series, Vol. XIV, p.83, 1933); however Pepys copy is described as featuring 'a rapturous dedication to William of Orange' which was not added until the 1689 reissue (confusingly, with the title continuing to display the 1687 date) of this Bible.
One of three slight variant editions published in 1687. All are rare; ESTC locates copies of this edition, with imprint 'Printed for the author, and Peter Story' on verso of the second leaf, at just four locations worldwide (Cambridge, NYPL, Oxford and Senate House).
Darlow & Moule 637, ESTC R172956, Wing B2805B.
£ 2,500.00
Antiquates Ref: 30934
