Manuscript Additions on Inserted Slips

Biblia latina.
[Strasbourg: Johann Grüninger], 1483. (06887)

In this Latin Bible printed in 1483, a late sixteenth-century English reader has inserted paper slips bearing handwritten English prologues for each book of the Bible. These added texts were transcribed directly from the prologues published in the Protestant “Geneva version” of the English Bible, first printed as The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament at Geneva in 1560. The heading and first eight lines of the exhibited handwritten prologue are transcribed below:

The Book of Joshua, the Argument

In this book the holy Ghost setteth most lively before our eyes the accomplishment of God’s promise, who as he promised by the mouth of Moses, that a Prophet should be raised up unto the people like unto him, whom he willeth to obey, Deut. 18:15. so he showeth himself here true in his promise, as at all other times, and after the death of Moses his faithful servant, he raiseth up Joshua to be ruler and governor over his people, that neither they should be discouraged for lack of a captain, nor have occasion to distrust God’s promises hereafter.