| Record ID | cp011016 |
| Voet reference number | 724 |
| Museum Plantin-Moretus | c:lvd:3252930 |
| Uniform title | BIBLE: Editions in French |
| Title page transcription | LE NOVVEAV ‖ TESTAMENT ‖ DE NOSTRE ‖ SEIGNEVR IE- ‖ SVSCHRIST. ‖ AVEC ANNOTATIONS ET ‖ expositions des lieux les plus difficiles: ‖ par M. René Benoist, docteur, &c. ‖ Le tout reueu par F. IEAN HENTEN, ‖ docteur en Theologie. ‖ ⊕ 18 ‖ A ANVERS, ‖ De l'imprimerie de Christophle Plantin. ‖ M.D.LXVII. ‖ AVEC PRIVILEGE. |
| Collation | 16mo (121 × 84): A-Z⁸, a-z⁸, Aa-Nn⁸; pages [1-944] |
| Fingerprint | 156716 - # b1 A2 y$d : # b2 2N5 entre |
| Number of sheets | 29.50 |
| Pages | [1]: Title [2]: Privilege (Brussels, Privy Council, 1 March 1566 old style, signed by Vlierden; Council of Brabant, 22 March [1567], s. I. de Witte) [3]: L'imprimeur au lecteur catholique, s [4-5]: Note on the genealogy of Jesus (part in italic type) [6]: Table [7-888]: Text (parts in italic type, marginals in roman type and italic type; each chapter preceded by an 'argument' in italic type) [889-895]: Table (on two columns; parts in italic type) [896]: Blank [897-907]: Recueil d'aucuns mots et manieres de parler difficiles du Nouveau Testament, avec leur declaration (part in italic type) [908-940]: Les epistres du Vieil Testament, qu'on lit l'annee en l'eglise (on two columns; parts in italic type) [941]: Approbationes (s. Iean Henten, Louvain; Michael de Bay, Louvain; Iudocus Tiletanus; 23 February 1567, s. Augustinus Hunneaus) [942]: IMPRIME A ANVERS PAR CHRISTOFLE ‖ PLANTIN, L'AN M.D.LXVII. LE XX. ‖ IOVR DE IVILLET [943-944]: Blank |
| Edition information | |
| Illustrations | Three woodcuts, 55 × 55: Evangelist Mattheus on page [8]; Evangelist Lucas on page [188]; Evangelist Johannes on page [307]. The latter with the monogram of the woodcutter Cornelis Muller; the two others very likely executed by the same artist |
| Copies | Museum Plantin-Moretus- A 1112 |
| Bibliographical references | Bib. catholica Neerlandica impressa, no. 3095 Not in Ruelens-de Backer and Van EysCockx-Indestege, E. Belgica typographica 503 Biblia Sacra 1567.NT.frm.CP.a |
| Online bibliographical references | STCV c:stcv:12923694USTC 5787 |
| Note 1 | Reprint of the French translation made by René Benoist and published for the first time in 1566 (Old and New Testament: Paris, in folio; copies known with the address of G. Buon, of N. Chesneau, of Michelle Guillard, of S. Nyvelle). R. Benoist, at that time priest of St. Pierre d'Arcis at Paris, had in fact followed the Calvinist Geneva translation (first edition: 1560), contenting himself with changing some suspect words and phrases and adding some explanatory notes. The Faculty of Theology of the University of Paris did not appreciate this dangerous method: on 15 July 1567 it condemned large parts of the Old Testament (no critics were formulated against the New Testament), and ordered the edition to be withdrawn. R. Benoist fought this decision. After a new condemnation by the Sorbonne, 3 September 1572, Benoist signed an attest of submission - but continued the legal battle. The whole affair was submitted to Pope Gregorius XIII, who, on 3 October 1575, ratified the decision of the Sorbonne. Again, Benoist refused to accept the condemnation. In fact, outside Paris and the immediate reach of the Sorbonne, his French translation met a rather great success in Catholic circles and was often reprinted. For more details see the studies of C. de Clercq, more especially 'La Bible française de René Benoist'. |
| Note 2 | In a letter to the Lyonese publisher, Charles Pesnot, end February or first days of March 1567, Plantin wrote 'J'ay aussi la Bible en françois entre mains in-fº corrigée après celle de N.M. Besnoist et approuvée à Lion' (Corr., I, no. 24). The printer was granted the privileges to print the French translation of the complete Bible of R. Benoist on 1 March and 22 March 1567. He decided, however, to start first with the edition of the New Testament, in order, as he explains in the introductory note 'L'imprimeur au lecteur catholicque', to speed up the publication (or as he puts it '…qu'il n'estoit pas bon, ami Lecteur, de te frustrer si long temps du total de ceste oeuvre tant divine'). The reason is not given, but it has very likely something to do with the revision of the Old Testament. Plantin had taken the precaution to submit the potentially dangerous Bible-translation to the Theologians of the University of Louvain. The revision was done, as is noted on the title-page and duly stated in the introductory note 'L'imprimeur au lecteur catholicque', by the Louvain theologian, Joannes Hentenius. It is possible that J. Hentenius in February 1567 (the approbatio is dated 23 February 1567) had only finished the revision of the New Testament and that Plantin had to wait for the Old Testament - for such a long time that he decided finally to publish without further delay the New Testament. |
| Note 3 | The cost-accounting notes in Arch. 4, folio 116 and folio 120, make it clear that Plantin had indeed at the beginning the idea to publish the complete Bible-translation: on folio 116 he starts with the heading 'Bible en françois', and notes: 'Le 1 Mars [1567] pour les frais de la visitation etc. 61 florins Carolus guilders 4 stuivers; Pour les Privileges des deux conseils, 12 florins Carolus guilders; 3 May, pour les espreuves et la feille signee A 1, 4 florins Carolus guilders 12 stuivers; Le 28 Juin pour A. 2. 3. qui sont 2 feilles, 4 florins Carolus guilders'. Here the note abruptly ends. On folio 120, under the new heading 'Le Nouveau Testament franc. avec annot.', Plantin continues: '28 Junij: Pour…19 feilles: 68 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers; Reglettes et format et affustage, 1 florins Carolus guilders 19 stuivers 13 Juillet: Pour 10½ feilles dont y en a 3 feilles de plus petite lettre, 40 florins Carolus guilders 14 stuivers'. This brought the wages for composing and printing to a total of 111 florins Carolus guilders 1 stuivers 1,250 copies were printed. As each copy contains 29½ sheets, 73 reams 17 mains of paper were needed, plus 3 reams 3 mains of imperfections, making a total of 77 reams, which, at 1 florins Carolus guilders 16 stuivers per ream, came to 138 florins Carolus guilders 7 stuivers, bringing the overall costs to 249 florins Carolus guilders 8 stuivers, or 4 stuivers per copy. In fact, Plantin forgot to add the 81 florins Carolus guilders 6 stuivers he had already noted as expenses on folio 116. |
| Note 4 | The colophon states that the work was finished on 20 July 1567, but it was, in fact, already some weeks before 20 July available: Plantin, in a letter of 17 June 1567 to G. Bacque, Abbot of Ename, lists the edition among the works he had already finished (Corr., I, no. 35), and in a letter to J. Hentenius of 13 July 1567 he notes 'Suivant ma promesse, je vous ay envoyé 4 exemplaires du Nouveau Testament en françois, afin d'en faire vostre volonté devant que j'en vende aucuns' (Corr., I, no. 54). |
| Note 5 | This French New Testament had a strange and for Plantin potentially dangerous after-effect: in March 1568 it was supposed that he was the printer of a Novum Testamentum Gallicum corruptissimum. The authorities either confounded his 1567-edition with this N.T. corruptissimum or supposed that he must be the culprit because he had already brought a similar work on the market. For some time Plantin's head was at stake but the danger subsided when the real printer, Plantin's Antwerp colleague, Willem Silvius, was finally discovered and put into prison (for a short time). Cf. L. Voet, The Golden Compasses, I, pages 57-59; H. de la Fontaine Verwey, 'Silvius en Plantijn' in Het Boek, 26, 1940-1942, pages 111-125. |
| Note 6 | Listed in M 296, folio 13r (Nouveau Testam[ent] fran[çois] avec annotations 16⁰ a⁰ 1567, f[euilles] 29½, [price:] stuivers 7). |
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