1569 First Complete Bible in Spanish, La Biblia del Oso Reina – The Bear Bible

GENERAL TITLE LEAF, 2 pages, LA BIBLIA, QVE ES, LOS SACROS LIBROS DEL VIEIO Y NVEVO TESTAMENTO. Trasladada en Espanol. La Palabra del Dios nuestro permanece para siempre, Isa.40. MDLXIX. Features a wonderful engraving of a bear endeavoring to obtain honey from a hole in the trunk of a tree which has the upper part broken off. The hole is partly covered by a large mallet suspended from an overhanging branch. Bees are flying about, or are settled on a book, representing the Bible, which lies on the ground. Other details are a spider hanging from a web in the branches and three birds, one of which appears to be attacking the bees. Two varieties of this title occur. This is variant A as evidenced by a narrow ornament placed at the top of the page and the words La Biblia…..Testamento are arranged in five lines. Variant B omits the ornament and the text is arranged in six lines instead. The verso contains two citations from the decrees of the Council of Trent in both Latin and in Spanish. The paper is clean crisp and bright with some very minor soiling from use. COMPLETE.

(A blank leaf here is absent as called for in entry 8472, however, both copies examined by Darlow and Moule, the blanks are noted as absent as well. Also in several other copies we have viewed, the blank is absent.)

DEDICATORY PREFACE,  7ff., AD SERENISS ILLVSTRISS….Featuring both engraved plates- a full page one of Ezekiel’s Vision and a half page one of King Tyrus. Leaf 1 has a small repair to the upper blank corner. The final leaf is signed C.R. The paper is clean, crisp and bright, no torn or missing pages, excellent margins all around,clean gutters, strong corners and straight edges.Very Good. COMPLETE.

PREFACE TO THE READER, 7ff., AMONESTACION DEL INTERPRETE DE LOS SACROS LIBROS…..,The paper is clean, crisp and bright, no torn or missing pages, excellent margins all around,clean gutters, strong corners and straight edges.Very Good. COMPLETE. 

THE OLD TESTAMENT, Part 1, Genesis- Ecclus., Signed A – Yy8, Printed in double columns that are individually numbered 1-1438. Text measures 210mm x 143mm to a full page.Lovely illustrated drop capitals are present on each book’s title page. Recto of leaf R6 columns are numbered 501/502 but really 533/534 without a break in the collation. Verso of leaf S5, left column is numbered 593 but really 563 without a break in the collation. Verso of leaf X3, left column is numbered 451 but really 651 without a break in the collation. Verso of leaf Y7, left column is numbered 999 but really 699 without a break in the collation. Leaf Cc8 columns are numbered 729/730 but really 829/830 without a break in the collation, Recto of leaf Ee8, right column is numbered 849 but really 894 without a break in the collation.Columns 1124/1125 with staining caused by an old ribbon that was pressed inside. Recto of leaf Oo2, has the column numbers reversed 1158/1157 without a break in the collation. Paper is remarkably clean, crisp and bright with virtually no staining or soiling at all.No torn or missing pages, excellent margins all around,clean gutters, strong corners and straight edges. No extraneous writing or repairs. Near Fine. COMPLETE. 

THE OLD TESTAMENT, Part 2, Isaiah- Second Maccabees, Signed AA- RR8, Printed in double columns that are individually numbered 1- 544. Text measures 210mm x 143mm to a full page.Lovely illustrated drop capitals are present on each book’s title page. Recto of leaf OO6 both columns are mis-numbered 441/442 really 439/440 without a break in the collation.Verso of leaf QQ5 both columns are mis-numbered 597/598 really 497/498 without a break in the collation.Paper is remarkably clean, crisp and bright with virtually no staining or soiling at all.No torn or missing pages, excellent margins all around,clean gutters, strong corners and straight edges. No extraneous writing or repairs. Near Fine. COMPLETE.

THE NEW TESTAMENT, Signed a- q7, Printed in double columns that are individually numbered 1- 508. Text measures 210mm x 143mm to a full page.Lovely illustrated drop capitals are present on each book’s title page. Columns 23-26 are moderately soiled without obscuring the text.The recto of leaf c7 has the right column mis-numbered 99 really 89 without a break in the collation. The verso of leaf d2 has columns mis-numbered 71/72 really 103/104 without a break in the collation, The verso of leaf h3 has columns mis-numbered 225/226 really 235/236 without a break in the collation, The recto of leaf h6 has the right column mis-numbered 245 really 246 without a break in the collation, Leaf k2 contains the error in Romans 3:28 omitting the words por fe (by faith) as called for. The recto of leaf k8 has the right column mis-numbered 718 really 318 without a break in the collation,The recto of leaf l7 has the left column mis-numbered 348 really 345 without a break in the collation, The verso of leaf l8 has columns mis-numbered 315/316 really 351/352 without a break in the collation, The verso of leaf m5 has columns mis-numbered 339/340 really 371/372 without a break in the collation,The verso of leaf m7 has the left column mis-numbered 399 really 379 without a break in the collation. Leaf o7 contains the Hebrews 12:29 error omitting the verse as called for.The recto of leaf p8 skips columns 477/478 without a break in the collation continuing with columns 479/480. The verso of leaf p8 has columns mis-numbered 479/480 really 477/478 without a break in the collation. Paper is remarkably clean, crisp and bright with virtually no staining or soiling at all.No torn or missing pages, excellent margins all around,clean gutters, strong corners and straight edges. No extraneous writing or repairs. Near Fine. COMPLETE.

LIST OF ERRATA, q7-8, Los errores que en la impresión no se pudieron excusar. Printed in triple columns ending with “Anno del Senor M.DLXIX. en Septiembre. Includes the following blank leaf as called for. COMPLETE.

NOTE-

Absent from this copy are the 3 leaves of the appendix titled “Annotationes breves sobre los lugares mas difficiles”. 

Many copies do not contain these additional notes, but that they properly belong to this edition is shown by a reference to them on the eleventh page of the Amonestacion (prefatory material). A few copies have them inserted elsewhere other than at the end of the volume, e.g. before Genesis , or before the New Testament. In 1858 a limited edition of 50 copies of the Annotationes was reprinted from a copy in the possession of B.B. Wiffen, at the expense of Luis de Usoz i Rio.

Conclusion: It is the opinion of this seller that the Annotationes were a mid-press and/or a post press run addition to the edition making their presence or absence both correct. Further,it is impossible to make a determination regarding our copy.  

This Bible has been recently rebound in full medium brown calfskin in a more modern style. It has new heavy boards that feature a decorative blind stamped border with gold lines. The five compartment spine is nicely decorated in gold with raised cords and is stamped “LA BIBLIA and 1569”. The binding was beautifully finished with brilliant gold leaf applied to the fore edges of the text block. The text block is tight, sound, square and unshaken. A matching custom fitted half calf clamshell storage box is included.