Printing Work
His most important work is the Biblia Regia, published between 1568 and 1572. His editions of the Bible in Hebrew, Latin and Dutch, his Corpus juris, Latin and Greek classics, and many other works produced at this period are renowned for their beautiful execution and accuracy. He also planned a much greater enterprise—the publication of a Biblia polyglotta, which would fix the original text of Old and New Testaments on a scientific basis. In spite of clerical opposition, he was supported by King Philip II of Spain, who sent him the learned Benito Arias Montano to lead the editorship. With Montano's zealous help, the work was finished in five years (1569–1573, 8 vols, folio). This work earned Plantin little profit, but resulted in Philip's granting him the privilege of printing all Roman Catholic liturgical books (missals, breviaries, etc.) for the states ruled by Philip, and the office of prototypo-graphus regius.
Besides the polyglot Bible, Plantin published many other works of note, such as editions of St. Augustine and St. Jerome, the botanical works of Dodonaeus, Clusius and Lobelius, and the description of the Netherlands by Guicciardini. In 1575, his printing firm reckoned more than 20 presses and 73 workmen, in addition to a similar number that worked for him out of their homes.
Though outwardly a faithful son of the Catholic Church, he was a lifelong supporter of a mystical sect of heretics. It is now proved that many of their books published without naming the printer came from his presses.
Read more about this topic: Christophe Plantin
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