Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, By John Foxe, Originally Published in 1563, Under the Title Actes and Monuments, This New and Complete Book Of Martyrs, or, An Universal History of Martydom. Circa 1750

We also have the earlier version, as a seperate volume, detailing the Burning at the Stake of the Protestant Martyrs Under Queen ‘Bloody’ Mary the 1st’s Rule, Published 1741, Formerly Part of the Richard Hoare Collection.

Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, originally published in 1563 under the title Actes and Monuments, underwent a dramatic transformation in structure, format, and title during the mid-18th century (circa 1750).While the 16th and 17th-century editions were massive, multi-volume academic folios chained to church lecterns, the 1750–1850 window marked the era where publishers heavily abridged the text. They stripped away John Foxe's complex Latin theological debates and focused strictly on the dramatic, biographical narratives of the martyrs. This is precisely the era when the simplified title "The Book of Martyrs" became standard public parlance.

In 1571 under Queen Elizabeth I, there was an order for John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to be chained alongside the Bible in cathedrals and some churches and halls. Anne Askew's own testimony of her faith and trials was included. As Foxe said of her:

She being born of such stock and kindred that she might have lived in great wealth and prosperity, if she would rather have followed the world than Christ

Editions printed around 1750 began replacing the classic 16th-century woodcuts with highly detailed, dramatic copperplate line engravings depicting scenes of trial and execution (such as the famous imagery of John Badby or the Marian persecutions)

Title in gilt on spine in second compartment, all edges gilt. Engraved frontispiece, vi, 7-951, (5) pages. Being the Book of Martyrs, Revised and Corrected, The Whole originally Composed by the Rev. Mr. John Fox. An expanded version of Fox's Book of Martyrs, first published in 1563, with handsome engravings depicting the sufferings of Christian martyrs. Engraved frontispiece and illustrations in text. Covers rubbed and scuffed, mainly at edges. Previous owner's business name inscribed on his notepaper.
Scattered foxing. Some of the pages have been professionally repaired. Engraved loose frontispiece has some loss along the edges due to trimming by a previous binder. With 49 fine full-page copperplates of martyrdoms Index at rear. Contains five books: Books I,II, and III are Protestant Martyrs, Book IV is Eminent Protestant Martyrs, and Book V is Part II, a Supplement on Primitive and Early Martyrs. English historian and Reverend John Foxe compiled multiple volumes documenting Christian martyrology and persecutions from the earliest ages of the church to the late 16th century, most notably his Universal History of Martyrdom. His extensive history was revised and with additions and corrections by multiple authors, including Paul Wright, the Vicar of Oakley under the reign of Queen Mary the first who also authored a Complete British Family Bible and Complete Life of Jesus Christ. With the intention of promoting the Protestant religion, Foxe's martyrology includes accounts of the lives and persecutions of the Macabees by the Greeks, the Hebrews by the Egyptians, the Israelites by the Phillistines, Jesus Christ and his Apostles, and the Protestants in England, Scotland and Ireland.

The Apostles and Evangelists: Accounts of the dramatic deaths of Christ’s disciples, including the stoning of Stephen, the crucifixion of Peter (upside down), and the beheading of Paul in Rome.
The Ten Primitive Persecutions: Stories of early Christians under Roman Emperors like Nero, Domitian, and Diocletian. Famous narratives included Christians being thrown to lions, burned as human torches, or tortured in the Colosseum.

By 1750, editors routinely added updated appendices to make the book highly relevant to contemporary British readers. These additions included: The Spanish Armada (1588): The miraculous defeat of the Catholic invasion fleet.The Gunpowder Plot (1605): Guy Fawkes' failed conspiracy to blow up Parliament.The Irish Rebellion of 1641: Sensationalized accounts of the massacres of up to 40,000 Protestant settlers in Ireland.The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572): The slaughter of French Protestant Huguenots in Paris.
The European Persecutions: Stories of the Waldensians and the Albigenses in Europe, who resisted papal authority centuries before the Reformation.
The Spanish and Italian Inquisitions: Highly descriptive accounts detailing the torture methods, secret trials, and public executions (autos-da-fé) carried out by the Catholic Church.

Mid-18th-century printings such as this, are typically large quartos or folios bound in period full calf or sheepskin leather, blind-stamped decorations. The pages were printed on handmade rag paper, which frequently shows varying degrees of "foxing" (brown spotting) today

Code: 26324