51 - THE NEW TESTAMENT, that is, the New Covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire work has been revised and collated with the Greek texts by the pastors and professors of the Church of Geneva—THE PSALMS OF DAVID, set to rhyme by Clem. Marot and Theodore de Besze, along with the 16 Hymns from the Old and New Testaments—THE HOLY HYMNS collected from both the Old and New Testaments. Set once again in French rhyme by Theodore de Besze—HISTORICAL CALENDAR, in which one may determine, from now until twenty years hence, when Easter, the new moon, and the Sunday epistle will fall, according to both the old and the new calendars. Geneva, Mathieu Berjon, 1601–1602. Set of four works in two 12mo volumes bound in contemporary fawn calfskin, bound back-to-back, front and back covers entirely covered with an elegant Renaissance-style gilded decoration consisting of interlacing patterns and volutes on a blue background with a central oval in reserve, spines adorned with foliage, gilt edges.

THE NEW TESTAMENT, that is, the New Covenant of our Lord Jesus Christ. The entire work has been revised and collated with the Greek texts by the pastors and professors of the Church of Geneva—THE PSALMS OF DAVID, set to rhyme by Clem. Marot and Theodore de Besze, along with the 16 Hymns from the Old and New Testaments—THE HOLY HYMNS collected from both the Old and New Testaments. Set once again in French rhyme by Theodore de Besze—HISTORICAL CALENDAR, in which one may determine, from now until twenty years hence, when Easter, the new moon, and the Sunday epistle will fall, according to both the old and the new calendars. Geneva, Mathieu Berjon, 1601–1602. Set of four works in two 12mo volumes bound in contemporary fawn calfskin, bound back-to-back, front and back covers entirely covered with an elegant Renaissance-style gilded decoration consisting of interlacing patterns and volutes on a blue background with a central oval in reserve, spines adorned with foliage, gilt edges. Rare Protestant editions printed in very small type. The Psalms and Hymns are accompanied here by their engraved music. A rare and very fine example of so-called “twin” bindings, or back-to-back bindings. Léon Gruel (Historical and Bibliographical Manual for the Bookbinding Enthusiast, Paris, 1905) writes about them: “[They have been] given the name ‘twin bindings’ because, when paired with one another by interchanging the spines and gutters, they form a single, unified object.” He adds: “Some bibliographers, who had rarely encountered curiosities of this kind, claimed that these bindings had been adopted by Protestants for their liturgical books.” Be that as it may, this is indeed the case here. The copy cited and reproduced by Gruel, covered in a binding with a design quite similar to ours (see Volume II, Plate I), was itself composed of editions of the New Testament and the Psalms, published in London in English. A very fine copy, carefully rebound in its day with a lovely Renaissance-style gilded decoration, preserved in the most pristine condition. Very rare in this condition. Bookplate of Henry J.B. Clements. The copy appeared in a Sotheby’s auction on April 6, 1895 (an excerpt from the catalog is pasted onto one of the endpapers). Acquired by Émile Rossignol in 1984.