The famous first edition of Robert Estiennes four editions of the Greek New Testament published in 1546, 1549, 1550 and 1551 respectively. After Erasmus edition of the New Testament in Greek in 1516 - the first edition in the original language of this part of the Holy Scripture - this is a really ground-breaking step in the history of Biblical textual criticism. The edition played a decisive roll in the developing ideas of the Reformation which was in full force at the time. The text of Erasmus was long considered as the "Textus receptus" (the received text) of the New Testament, but the new editions by Estienne, although largely based on the text of Erasmus, mirrored the deeply felt need of a text that responded to the modern principles of scholarly textual criticism.
Robert Estienne (1503-1559) took over the printing shop of his father Henri Estienne (d. 1520) in Paris from his fathers collaborator Simon de Colines in 1526. Within a few years he established himself as the "Royal Typographer", and the "Printer in Greek to the King" (Francis I). He printed many Greek classical editions, grammatical works, and schoolbooks. He is most famous, however, for the printing of religious texts such as the entire Bible in Hebrew (1539-1543) and the four editions of the Greek New Testament. Especially the 1550 edition became known as the "Editio Regia", comparing and correcting Erasmus text with even more and better Greek manuscripts. From 1546 on we can see textual criticism effectively at work and essential questions of authenticity and originality of the text were at stake, often to the displeasure of the official Catholic Church.
Both editions of 1546 and 1549 are among the neatest Greek texts known, called "O mirificam" after the three first words of Robert Estiennes preface, in which he dwells on the use of his Greek type-face. This 1546 edition is the first in which he uses the famous magnificent small cursive Greek characters designed by Claude Garamond, known as "Grecs du Roi", according to some "la plus belle cursive grecque jamais gravée".
With two gold-tooled red morocco bookplates mounted on the front pastedown of volume 1, the first of the library of the American book collector and author Richard Montgomery Gilchrist Potter (1899-1941), and the second with the initials "C.C.K." of Charles C. Kalbfleisch (1868-1943), a prominent member of the Grolier club and book collector from New York; Montgomery's bookplate is repeated in volume 2. Further with a manuscript owner's inscription at the head of the front pastedown ("ex bibliotheca Fantoniana Lutecia(?) Parisiorum 1811"), one on the recto of the first blank flyleaf in volume 1 ("H.R. Luard, Rome, 6 December 1879"), and a crossed out/faded owner's inscription at the foot of the title page. The boards are slightly stained, the front hinges of both volumes show slight signs of wear, some very slight foxing throughout (mainly to the first few leaves of both volumes), the title pages and first few leaves are slightly soiled. Otherwise in good condition. Adams B1657; Armstrong, Robert Estienne, Royal printer, p. 52; Darlow & Moule, no. 4615, pp. 585-586; Mortimer, French 74; Renouard, p. 65, 2; Schreiber, B3, p. 90; USTC 149681.