In-folio (34 x 21,7 cm), [32], 272 (=268); 202 [2] pp, Stephanus' prefatory letter in roman otherwise in ""GRECS DU ROI"" throughout. Basilisk device of royal printers on titles. Stephanus' device on last page, tables within woodcut frames, fine decorated initials. Condition: age-toned, first and last leaves soiled, margins of title page repaired, some pale damp staining in the (inner) margins. Old calf binding, rebacked, all edges gilt, edges and corners repaired, new endleaves, gilt ornament on both covers
Robert Estienne's New Testament scholarship culminated in this grand edition. So important was the authority of this text that a later scholar called Estienne the ""Protestant Pope."" This version of the Greek New Testament is often referred to as the ""received text"" (textus receptus), which means that it established a standard so authoritative that subsequent editors need to record deviations from it. Third and most important of R. Stephanus' editions, known as the Editio Regia. It was at the instance of François I that Claude Garamond, a pupil of Tory, and the first and perhaps most distinguished of French letter-cutters and type-founders, produced his famous Greek fonts, grecs du roi, based on the handwriting of a clever calligrapher and copyist Angelo Vergecio. Proctor said ""it was and is, by far the best type of its kind that has ever been cut."" Fournier states that no Greek characters save theses, possessed practically all the know ligatures"". Ref. Adams B-1661; Darlow & Moule 4622; Mortimer, French 78; Renouard P.76.1 ; Schreiber 105 (""sumptuous edition... the first use of alle three fonts"") ; Updike, Printing Types, I, 236-7 ; Rémi Jimenes, Claude Garamont, typographe de l'humanisme (2022), p. 149-153 ""Sur le plan esthétique, les Grecs du Roi constituent en effet une réussite totale"" Provenance: Orphelinat Saint-Jean Berchman Liege (stamps on title page), manuscrit ex dono Hieronymi Ghirinse Collegij Societatis Jesu Leodiensis
