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 ye 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' 1 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 ye same, to be y defender & keper therof: To y intent y' yf these mē 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).

No. VII.

PARALLEL PASSAGES

From the Pentateuch by Tyndal, in 1530, and the Bible by Coverdale,

in 1535.

GENESIS.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

Pent. Tynd., 1530.

rested in

Thus was heave erth fynished wyth all their apparell: ād ī yo seuēth daye god ended hys worke which he had made y' seuenth daye frō all his workes which he had made. And God blessed yR seuenth daye, and sanctyfyed it, for in it he rested from all his workes which he had created and made.

Bible, Cov., 1535.

Thus was heauē T earth fynished with all their hoost, and thus in the seuenth daye God ended his worke, which he had made, rested in the seuenth daye from all his workes which he had made: And blessed the seuenth daye, sanctified it, because y' in it he rested from all his workes, which God created

made.

EXODUS.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

Pent. Tynd., 1530.

And there wet a mā of the house of Leui ād toke a doughter of Leui. And the wife cōceaued ad bare a sonne. And whe she sawe that it was a propre childe, she hyd him thre monethes longe. And whē she coude no longer hyde him, she toke a basket of bulrusshes ad dawbed it with slyme ad pytche, ad layde the childe therin, ad put it in the flagges by the riuers brynke. And his sister stode a ferre of, to wete what wolde come of it.

Exod. 6. c. * Act. 7. c. Heb. 11. d.

Bible, Cov., 1535.

a And there wente forth a man of the house of Leui, and toke a doughter of Leui. *And the wife conceaued and bare a sonne. And whan she sawe y' it was a proper childe, she hyd him thre monethes. And whan she coude hyde him no longer, she toke an Arke of redes, and dawbed it ouer with slyme and pitch, and layed the childe therin, and set it amonge the redes by the waters brynke. But his sister stode a farre of, to wete what wolde come of him.

LEVITICUS.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

Pent. Tynd., 1530.

Yf any soule will offer a meat offrynge vnto the Lorde, his offerynge shalbe fine floure, and he shall poure thereto oyle ad put frankencens theron and shall bringe it vnto Aarons sonnes the preastes. And one of them shall take thereout his handfull of the floure, and of the oyle with all the frankencēs, ād burne it for a memoriall apō the altar: an offryng of a swete sauoure vnto the Lord. And the rēnaunt of the meat offerynge shalbe Aarons ād his sonnes, as a thinge most holye of the sacrifices of the Lorde.

Leui. 6. b. and 9. c.

Nu. 15. a.

Leui. 10. d.

a

Bible, Cov., 1535.

Whan a soule wyll offre a meat offerynge vnto the LORDE, then shal it be of fyne floure, and he shal poure oyle vpon it, and put frankencense theron, so brynge it vnto Aarons sonnes the prestes. Then shal one of them take his handefull of the same floure, and oyle with all the frankēcense, and burne it for a remembraunce vpon the altare. This is an offeringe of a swete sauoure vnto the LORDE. *As for y remnaunt of the meat offerynge, it shalbe Aarons and his sonnes. This shalbe y most holy of the offerynges of the LORDE.

NUMERI.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

Pent. Tynd., 1530.

And the Lorde spake vnto Moses and Aaron sayenge: The childern of Israel shall pitch: euery man by his owne standert with the armes of their fathers houses, a waye from the presence of the tabernacle of witnesse.

Bible, Cov., 1535.

And y Lorde spake vnto Moses and Aaron, sayde: The childre of Israel shal pitch rounde aboute y Tabernacle of wytnesse, euery one vnder his banner tokens, after their fathers houses.

DEUTERONOMIUM.

THE SECOND CHAPTER.

Pent. Tynd., 1530.

Then we turned and toke oure iurney in to the wildernesse, euen the waye to the red see as the Lord cōmaunded me. And we compassed the mountayns of Seir a lōge tyme. The the Lorde spake vnto me saienge: Ye haue cōpassed this mountayns lōge ynough, turne you northwarde. And warne the people sayenge :

Bible, Cov., 1535.

A Then turned we vs, and toke oure iourney to the wildernesse, euen the waye to the reed see (as the LORDE sayde vnto me) and compassed mount Seir a longe season. And y' LORDE saide vnto me: Ye haue cōpassed this mountayne lōge ynough, turne you Northwarde, and commaūde the people, and saye: