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(the third part of the Old Testament wanting;) several other of the rarest editions, viz., 1535, 1536, 1539, 1541, 1543, 1545, all printed at Wittemberg, by John (Hans) Lufft. There are also in the same valuable collection, three editions of the Prophecy of HABAKKUK, all dated 1526,4to., but differing from each other in the translation; two of JONAH, of the same date, in 4to. differing from each other in the translation; one of DANIEL, 1530, 4to.; and also JONAH and HABAKKUK, 1526, 4to.; beside many other rare editions of the whole, or parts of Luther's German translation of the Bible, printed during his life. (5) Adleri Bibliotheca Biblica serenissimi Würtembergensium Ducis, olim Lorckiana, sec. xxviii. pt. iii. pp. 7—22.

The following anecdotes, relative to the king of Wurtemberg's Library, will be interesting to the Biblical student. In 1768, Charles, the late duke of Wurtemberg, who was distinguished for his knowledge and love of books, began to collect for his library at Stutgard, which in 1804 contained upwards of 100,000 volumes, and was every day increasing. The duke travelled into various countries, and purchased books at very high prices. The collection of Bibles is unique, and comprises upwards of 9000 different editions; and 3000 more were said to be wanting in 1804, to complete the collection. In 1784, the duke went to Copenhagen, where he purchased the collection of Bibles which had been made by a clergyman of the name of Lorck, amounting to more than 4000 editions; and shortly after bought M. Panzer's collection, consisting of 1645 volumes. Of that part of the Biblical collection which the duke purchased of the Rev. Mr. Lorck, Adler printed the above-mentioned catalogue, comprising notices of 5155 articles, in 4to. at Altona, in 1787. Bishop Marsh pronounces it "a catalogue of great merit, and great utility." As it is become rare, even on the Continent, an analysis of it from one now before me may be acceptable to the reader.

The First Part, containing the Hebrew, Greek, and Oriental versions, has the following list of dialects and editions, comprehending 998 articles:

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An edition of Luther's German translation of the Bible, so far as had then appeared, including the whole, except the Prophets, was printed at Nuremberg, by Peypus, in 1524, fol. A copy of this early edition is in the magnificent library of Lord Spencer. Dibdin (Biblioth. Spencer. vol. I. p. 62)

The Second Part contains the Latin and its dialects; including 1157 articles, viz. Latin Bibles, &c. Portuguese Spanish.

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18

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290

15

Rhætian

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The Third Part exhibits the Teutonic, or German versions, and con

tains 1158 articles, viz.

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The Fourth Part includes the other European dialects, and the American, comprising 774 articles, viz.

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111

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201

The Appendixes, which comprise 1045 articles, contain in various

Poetical Paraphrases, chiefly Psalms

languages,

Apocryphal Books......

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Spanish.

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Concordances of the Bible...

Histories of the Bible.......

33 Books of Images, or Figures. 168

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observes, "they are a magnificent production; being printed in a large type, with jet-black ink, upon stout excellent vellum, and having a great number of capital initials, spiritedly cut in wood, which contain historical or other subjects, treated of in each chapter. They have signatures, catch-words, and paginary numbers."-Respecting the edition of 1539, Luther wrote to his friend Pontanus on the 20th of September, of that year, in which he thus expresses his desire: "I hope the Anhalt noblemen and gentlemen will take care that there be at least three copies of this edition printed upon vellum; for each of which it may be necessary to procure 340 calves-skins, formerly to be procured for 60 florins, but now indeed at four times that price." See Seckendorf's Com. lib. i. pp. 203, 204; lib. iii. p. 254.6

Of the later editions, that of 1541 was the one upon which Luther bestowed the greatest care in revising and correcting. It was printed in 2 vols. folio, and ornamented with wood-cuts. An unique copy upon vellum, of this edition, was in the possession of the late James Edwards, Esq. of Manor House, Harrow-on-the-Hill. At the sale of his rare collection of books, it was purchased by George Hibbert, Esq. for £89. 5. 6. The account of it in the catalogue of Mr. Edwards' library, must interest every Biblical scholar in its fate: it is there described as "the first edition of Luther's translation of the Bible, after his final revision. His own copy which he used till his decease. This copy," it is added, "must always excite the deepest interest and most lively emotions, in the breast of every Protestant. The Manuscript Notes, prefixed to each volume, seem to introduce us to the

The Supplement contains, beside Commentaries on some of the Canonical Books, and Poetical Paraphrases of the Psalms, Syriac version of the Gospels; 1 Tamul version of the Old Testament to Job inclusive; 1 Cingalese version of several portions of the New Testament; 1 Malay version of the New Testament; Books of Prints, &c. (6) Dibdin's Bibliographical Decameron, I. p. 164, note.

closest acquaintance with a bright assemblage of reformers. We find Luther exhibiting in the privacy of retirement, the same unshaken confidence in the Deity under the persecutions he was suffering, as he nobly evinced in public. In a manuscript note in the second volume, he transcribes the [4th] verse of the xxiii. Psalm, 'Etiam quum ambularem per vallem lethalis umbræ, non timerem malum, quia tu mecum es;' and then adds a passage strongly indicative of his own exalted ideas of faith. He appears to have bequeathed this copy to Bugenhagen, who, on the 19th of May, 1556, wrote in it a pious distich, and some religious sentiments, in which he denies the necessity of profane learning. The illustrious Melancthon was its next possessor. He writes a remarkable passage relative to the final consummation of all things, and intimates his belief, that the end of the world is not far distant, adding, 'May Jesus Christ, the Son of Almighty God, preserve and protect his poor flock. Scriptum manu Philippi, 1557.' The same year it passed into the hands of George Major, another reformer, who has written in it a compendious exposition of his faith, signed with his name. In this version Luther omits the contested verse relative to the three heavenly witnesses.” * 1 John v. 7. It is a singular coincidence, that in the library of the king of Wurtemberg, there is a copy of the edition of 1545, in which the same reformers, Luther, Bugenhagen, Melancthon, and George Major, have likewise written manuscript notes.

Different opinions have been formed of the style and correctness of Luther's version, and it might be expected that his adversaries would endeavour to depreciate his version, yet even the papal historian, Maimbourg, acknow

* Walch says, the first edition of Luther's translation, in which this verse was inserted, was the Wittemberg edition of 1596. See Walchii Biblioth. Theolog. IV. cap. viii. p. 86.

(7) Gentleman's Magazine, LXXXV. p.284. Bibliotheca Edwardsiana. (8) Adleri Biblioth. Biblica, &c. sec. xxviii. p. 12.

ledges, that Luther's translations of the Old and New Testament were remarkably elegant, and in general so much approved, that they were read by almost every body throughout Germany. Women of the first distinction studied them with indefatigable diligence, and steadily defended the tenets of the reformer against bishops, monks, and catholic doctors." The dialect of the translation became the literary language of the most elegant German writers, and has maintained its superiority to the present time.. Of this last instance of the popularity of the important version of Luther, a modern grammarian thus expresses himself: "There existed, about the time of the Reformation, three grand divisions of the German language, viz, the Upper German, (Ober Deutsch,) the Low German, (Nieder Deutsch, or Platt Deutsch,) and lastly the High German (Hoch Deutsch). Before that era, every literary production which was composed in the German tongue, was written in the Upper German; this was the vehicle of literature in that country. The High German was the native dialect of Luther, and by the influence of his example, it began to rise up into competition with the former idiom, and was soon spread throughout the whole nation. The BIBLE, and other works of great interest at that period, published in this dialect, and the number of protestant divines which issued from the electorate of Saxony, tended to make it known even in the remoter parts of the country. It was read and understood every where, and by degrees cultivated as the general language of all Germany. It drove the Upper German from that preeminence which it had hitherto occupied, and in its stead, possessed itself of the fields of literature and science." 10

The chief coadjutors of Luther in the laborious task of translation, and in the subsequent revisions, were

(9) Milner's Hist. of the Church of Christ, V. ch. xvi. p. 84. (10) Noehden's Grammar of the German Language, Introd. pp. 3, 4.

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