DESCRIPTION: English bible, Great Bible version (The Byble in Englyshe), fifth edition. Published by Edwarde Whitchurch, London: 1541. Approximately 328 leaves, text in double columns and black letter, woodcut illustrations throughout mostly in the Pentateuch. Woodcut title page in red and black supplied in fascimile by Francis Frye with Cromwell's arms covered. Part 2 woodcut title in red and black remains. Calf covers with tooling. Scattered notes and marginalia in sixteenth century and later hands. Front free endpaper with a hand written copy of a Phyllis Wheatley poem (America's second woman and first African American to publish a book) by Hannah Scaife in 1787. Rear free endpaper with laid in early clippings regarding the 1541 Great Bible. MEASUREMENTS: Folio. 16" x 11". CONDITION: Repaired and rebacked by Thomas Ford in 1942. Approximately fifty-one pages with repairs with some affecting text. Half of the first page of the Book of Mordecai and half of a page from Maccabees missing. Most of Revelations missing and possible others.