and in tyme to come for all enemyes and adūsaryes of the same. And for as moche as this request is for the mayntenaunce of the lordes wórde, which is to mayntaỹe the lorde him selfe. I feare not but that yo' lordship wilbe ernest therin. And I am assewred that my lorde of Canto'bury, Worsetter and Salsbury, will geue yo' lordship soche thankes as in them lyeth. And sewre ye maye be that the heuenly lorde will rewarde you for the establysshynge of his gloryous truthe. And what youre lordshipes pleaso' is in this request. yf it maye please yo' lordship to enforme my sūnt, I and all that loue god hartely are bound to praye for yo* pseruacyon all the dayes of o' lyfe. At london the xxviij daye of this present moneth of August 1537. (Superscribed) To the honorable lorde pryvaye Seale. Yo' Orato' whyle he lyueth Rychard grafton grocē. This letter is an original in the Cotton. MSS. Cleop. E. v. fol. 330. No. III. A LETTER FROM COVERDALE AND GRAFTON TO CROMWELL. After moost humble and hartie commendacions to Your good Lordship. Pleaseth the same to understand, that we be entred into your worke of the Byble, wherof (accordynge to our moost bounden dutie) we have here sent unto your Lordship 2 ensamples; one, in parchement, wherein we entende to prynt one for the Kynges Grace, and another for your Lordship; and the second, in paper, wherof all the rest shalbe made; trustynge, that it shalbe not onlye to the glorye of God, but a synguler pleasure, also, to your good Lordship the causer therof, and a generall edefyenge of the Kinges subjectes, accordynge to your Lordshipes moost godlye request. For we folowe not only a standynge texte of the Hebrue, with the interpretacion of the Caldee, and the Greke, but we set, also, in a pryvate table, the dyversite of redinges of all textes, with such annotacions, in another table, as shall douteles delucidate and clear the same; as well without any singularyte of opinions, as all checkinges and reprofes. The prynt, no doubt, shall please your good Lordship. The paper is of the best sorte in France. The charge certaynly is great; wherin, as we moost humbly requver your favourable helpe, at this present, with whatsoever yt shall please your good Lordship to let us have, so trust we, (vf nede requyer) in our just busynes, to be defended from the Papistes by your Lordshipes favourable letters; which we most humbly desyer to have (by this berer, Wyllyam Graye,) ether to the Bysshop of Wynchester, or to some other, whome your Lordship shall thinke moost expedyent. We be dayly threatened, and looke ever to be spoken withall, as this berer can farther enforme your Lordship; but how they will use us, as yet we knowe not. Neverthelesse, for our farther asse wraunce,where thorough we maye be the abler to performe this your Lordshipes work, we are so moche the bolder of your good Lordship; for other refuge have none, under God and our Kynge, whom, with noble Prynce Edward, and all you, their most honorable Councell, God Allmightie preserve, now and ever. Amen. Wrytten at Parys, the 23 daye of Juyn, by Your Lordshipes assured and daylye Oratours, This letter is an original in the Chapter House, Westminster, Bundle C., printed in the State Papers, vol. i. p. 575. Date assigned (1538). No. IV. A LETTER FROM COVERDALE, GRAFTON, AND GREY TO CROMWELL. After moost humble and due salutacion to Your good Lordship. Pleaseth the same to understand, that your worke going forward, we thought it oure moost bounden dutie to sende unto your Lordship cer tayne leaves therof, specially seynge we had so good occasyon, by the returnynge of your beloved servaunt, Sebastian. And as they are done so will we sende your Lordship the residue, from tyme to tyme. As touchynge the maner and order, that we kepe in the same worke, pleaseth your good Lordship to be advertised that the merke in the text, signifieth, that upon the same (in the later ende of the booke) there is some notable annotacion; which we have writen without any pryvate opinion, onlye after the best interpreters of the Hebrues, for the more clearnesse of the texte. This marke betokeneth, that upon the same texte there is diversitie of redynge, amonge the Hebrues, Caldees, and Grekes, and Latenystes; as in a table, at the ende of the booke, shalbe declared. This marke sheweth that the sentence, written in small letters, is not in the Hebrue, or Caldee, but in the Latyn, and seldome in the Greke; and that we, neverthe lesse, wolde not have it extinct, but higlye accept yt, for the more explanacion of the text. This token †, in the Olde Testament, geueth to understand, that the same texte, which foloweth it, is also alledged of Christ, or of some Apostle, in the Newe Testament. This (amonge other oure necessarie laboures) is the waye that we take, in this worke; trustynge, verely, that as God Allmightie moved youre Lordship to set us unto yt, so shall it be to His glorie, and right welcome to all them, that love to serve Him, and their Prince, in true faithfull obedyence. As is onlye knowen to the Lorde of Heaven, to whom we moost hartely praye for your Lordshipes preservacion. At Parys, the 9 daye of August 1538, by your faithfull Oratours, (Superscribed) To the Right Honorable and their synguler good Lorde, Lorde Prevye Seale, be this delyverd. (Signed) MYLES COVDALE. This letter is an original in the Chapter House, at Westminster, Bundle C., printed in the State Papers, vol. i. p. 578. No. V. A LETTER FROM COVERDALE AND GRAFTON TO CROMWELL. After most humble and due salutacions to Your moost honorable Lordshippe. Pleaseth the same to understand, that we are instantly desyred of oure hoste, (whose name is Fraunces Reynold, a Frenchman) to make supplication for him, unto your Lordshippe. Where as, of long tyme, he hath bene an occupier in to England more then 40 yere, he hath allwayes provyded soche bookes for England, as they moost occupied ; so that he hath a great nombre, at this present, in his handes, as Prymers in Englishe, Misseles, with other soche like, wherof now (by the Company of the Booksellers in London) he is utterly forbydden to make sale, to the utter undoyng of the man. Wherefore moost humbly we beseke your Lordshippe, to be gracious and favourable unto him, that he maye have lycence to sell those, which he hath done allready ; so that, herafter, he prynte no moo in the English tong, onlesse he have an English man, that is lerned, to be his correctour, and that is the man well contented withall. He is also contented, and hath promised before my Lord Elect of Harfford, that yf there be founde any notable faute in his bookes, he will put the same out, and prynte the leafe agayne. Thus are we bolde to wryte unto your Lordshippe, in his cause, (as doth also my Lord Elect of Herfford) beseching your Lordshippe to pardon oure boldnesse, and to be good lorde unto this honest man, whose servaunt shall geve attendaunce upon your Lordshippes most favorable answere. Yf your Lordshippe shewe him this benefyte, we schall not fare the worsse in the readynesse and due expedicion of this your Lordshippes worke of the Bible, which goeth well forwarde, and, within few monethes, will drawe to an ende, by the grace of Allmightie God, who preserve Your good Lordshippe, now and evermore. From Parys, the 12th daye of Septembre. This letter is an original in Coverdale's hand-writing, and is in the Chapter House at Westminster, Bundle C., printed in the State Papers, vol. i. p. 588. Date assigned (1538). No. VI. A LETTER FROM COVERDALE TO CROMWELL. Right honorable and my syngular good lorde (after all dew salutacions) I humbly beseche youre lordshippe, y' by my lorde electe of herdforde, I maye knowe youre pleasure, cōcernyng the Annotacions of this byble, whether I shall proceade therin or no-Pitie it were, y' the darck places of y text (vpon y which I haue allwaye set a hande ∞) shulde so passe vndeclared. As for anye pryuate opynion or contencious words, as I wyll utterly avoyde all soche, so wyll I offre y annotacions first to my sayde lord of herdforde; to y' intent y' he shall so examen y same, afore they be put in prynte, yf it be y' lordshippes good pleasure, y' I shall so do. As concernyng y new Testamēts in english latyn, wherof yo' good lordshippe receaued lately a boke by yo' seruaunt Sebastian y cooke, I besech yo'l to consydre y grenesse therof, which (for lack of tyme) can not as yet be so apte to be bounde, as it shulde be: And where as my sayde lord of hardforde is so good vnto us as to convaye this moch of y° Bible to yo' good lordshippe, I humbly beseche y same, to be y defender & keper therof: To y intent y' yf these mẽ proceade in their cruelnesse agaynst us cōfiscate the rest, yet this at y leest may be safe by y meanes of youre lordshippe, whom god y allmightie euermore preserue to his good pleasure. Amē. Written somwhat hastely, at Parys the xiii day of decembre. This letter is an original in Harl. MSS. cod. 604. p. 98, and is printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxi., p. 415. The date assigned (1538). |