In August or September, 1577, Richard Jugge died, and Christopher Barker (buying
out a Court nominee, Thomas Wilkes) obtained a patent of the office of Queen's Printer
which was so drawn as to give him a complete monopoly of Bible-printing in
England, with the right of seizing English Bibles imported from abroad. Aided by
money advanced by various friends, including Sir Francis Walsingham, Barker now
displayed great activity in printing GenevaBibles, including two editions 'in the largest
volume', intended for use in churches. The Bishops' Bible he severely neglected until
called to account by Archbishop Whitgift, who made him produce a quarto Bible for
use in poor churches in 1584 and a large folio in 1585. After this, for the remainder
of the Queen's reign, folio editions of the Bishops' Bible were printed, as need arose,
for use in Church, but for private use the Geneva version enjoyed a scarcely
disturbed monopoly.
Meantime at Rheims there had appeared in 1582 the first Roman Catholic version
of the New Testament, mainly the work of Gregory Martin, a member of the English
College at Douay, which had then temporarily been transferred to Rheims. The Old
Testament had been translated at the same time as the New, but owing to lack of



48 GUIDE TO BIBLE EXHIBITION

funds this was Mot printed until 1609. The New Testament was accompanied by'
highly controversial notes, and these with the text were several times reprinted in
England with the refutations of the Rev. William Fulke, the version thus gaining
a far wider influence than it would otherwise have had.
64. First English. Edition of the Geneva New Testament.
Printed by Thomas Vautrollier for Christopher Barker, 1575.
