It was on searching for particulars of Coverdale's life, that the total absence of any thing like a satisfactory or consistent account of him, first suggested to the author the idea of the present work; and he was the more confirmed in this design, when he found how erroneous were the views generally entertained, respecting the measures adopted by King Henry the Eighth, with regard to the promulgation of the Scriptures in English. He has therefore tried to supply these wants by as complete a memoir of Coverdale, and as correct an account of the measures taken by the government of that period, to suppress or put forth the Bible, as the materials that existed would enable him to do.
With regard to the list that he has given of Coverdale's works, contained in the Appendix, it is to be observed that, as must ever be the case with old and rare books, little opportunity has offered of verifying the existence of many of them; but the precaution has been adopted of citing the authority for each book, and the reader may therefore judge for himself, as to the degree of credit to be attached to each statement.