John Jewel's Defense of the Apology, printed by Henry Wykes

Title page from Jewel's Defense of the Apologie... featuring the printer's mark of Henry Wykes.

An example of a printed manicule included in the Defense. Commonly used to direct the reader's attention to a specific passage, they were also often added in manuscript by readers making marginal notes.

The verso side of the title page features extensive marginalia, most of which seems to be added by a single family, the Milborne's from Milborne Port.

The final page of the Defense also features extensive marginalia, possibly also by members of the Milborne family. It appears that someone was practicing their penmanship by copying out 'John Sainsbury'. 

This volume is part of a flurry of books involved in what became known as the Jewel-Harding Controversy. This is the second edition of Jewel’s Defense of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande, printed by Henry Wykes in 1571 in London. The first edition was printed a year prior, also by Wykes. 

Henry Wykes was another printer located on Fleet Street and a member of the Stationers’ Company. He was located at the Sign of the Black Elephant, which he incorporated into his printer’s mark. His first entry in the Stationers’ Register was in 1565-6, and his last entry was dated 1568-69. He had started as an apprentice of Thomas Berthelet and became free in 1565. 

This work was printed as a response to the Confutation by Thomas Harding, published in 1565. Harding's Confutation responded to Jewel’s Apologie of the Churche of Englande, published in 1561. The Apologie defended the charges of heresy raised by Rome against the Church of England and set to establish the grounds of its doctrine and practices. 

Both responses aimed to challenge the other’s position, paragraph by paragraph, issuing challenges and counterchallenges, accusing the other of misconstructions, falsities, and deceptions to prove their own positions. It has been claimed that Jewel managed to keep a degree of civility in the exchanges, but it was thin as both men were ruthless in their disputations. 

Our edition is bound in suede with blind tooling in a floral motif on both the cover and spine. The title is included on the spine, which has five raised bands. The fore-edges of the text block have been densely speckled with red as decoration. 

A point of interest in our volume is the verso of the title page which is covered in inscriptions. The inscriptions mention both a George and a Richard Milborne. References were found to a George Milborne born in Milborne Port in Somerset, England in September 1569, the same year and month inscribed below George’s name in the book. The record relating to George listed a brother named Richard, pointing to the possibility that this is indeed the family that previously owned the book. 

The final page also bears interesting marks from a previous owner or reader. While portions of the writing are illegible, it appears that it may have been a practice in penmanship. Jewel signs his work ‘John Sarisburie’ in reference to his position as the Bishop of Salisbury. This name has been copied out multiple times on the final page in a few different hands. Also inscribed is the name Robert, with a surname that appears to read ‘Starts’, although it is unclear. This name also appears on the title page.