[Foxe's Book of Martyrs]. Actes And Monuments Of Matters Most Speciall And Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Universall Historie of the Same.

Rare sixth edition of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (as it was later known), a foundational text for English Protestant identity first published in 1563. Under Elizabeth I, copies of this work were placed in cathedrals alongside the Bible, and the dedication at front (to Elizabeth) includes a large woodcut initial depicting Queen Elizabeth on the throne. Folio, two volumes bound in three quarter calf with gilt titles and blind-stamping to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges speckled red, woodcut pictorial title pages, woodcut headpieces, tailpieces, and initials, numerous woodcut illustrations, calendar leaves after title printed in red and black. In very good condition. Lacks folding plate to each volume, some occasional dampstaining, leaves occasionally closely trimmed with slight loss to running heads or side-notes, woodcut titles to both volumes relaid, the first with some loss to decorative border lower right, the second with small blank loss to lower outer corner, volume 1 lacks *1 (?blank), paper repairs to lower outer corners of final 53 leaves (pp. 623-728); Volume II lacks pp. 937-40 (binder's error with pp. 935-36 & pp. 941-42 duplicated) and pp. 1176-1212 (5T1-6A6); blank paper repair to lower margin of 5P1 & 7I2, closed tears to 7O5, repairs with some text loss at head and foot of pp. 1535-38 (7H6 & 7I1), final leaf of Index torn and relaid with loss of text at head of recto. STC 11227.