The first of these Bibles, which was finished in April with Cranmer's name, we have referred to under 1539, as preparing. We have seen that it had been subjected by Henry to the inspection of certain Bishops, though merely as individuals, but belonging to that body, which had all along shown such hostility to any translation whatever. The determined aspect and imperative tones of the Monarch had very soon made these enemies yield their feigned obedience; and his heart, however capricious, being in the hand of God, here is the book entire, and with Cranmer's preface attached, enforcing "high and low, male and female, rich and poor, master and servant," to read it, at home in their own houses, and ponder over it! This, the first Bible, is entitled

"The Byble in Englishe, that is to saye the contet of al the holy Scripture, both of the Olde and New Testamēt, with a prologe thereinto made by the reverende father in God, Thomas, archbishop of Cantorbury. ¶ This is the Byble apoynted to the use of the Churches. ¶ Printed by Edward whytchurche. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum MDXL." The Colophon is "The ende of the new Testamēt: and of the whole Bible fynisshed in Apryll, Anno MCCCCCXL. A dño factu est istud."

Of this first edition printed on English ground, there is a splendid copy on Vellum, with the cuts and blooming letters, curiously illuminated, in the British Museum. It has, for some reason, recently been rebound, in three volumes; but splendidly in morocco. This fine book, once actually possessed by Henry VIII., is valuable as one key to the party concerned in the expense of the impression; for so far from this being the King himself, this copy was given to him as a present. The first leaf bears the following inscription in legible characters:-" This book is presented unto your most excellent Highness, by your loving faithful and obedient subject and dayly oratour, Anthony Marler of London, haberdasher." "Who this haberdasher was," said Baker, "I wish to know. He must have been a considerable man that could make such a present to a prince, and seems to have been a sharer in the charge of the impression." Respecting this London gentleman, nothing more has been ascertained except that he was a member of this Livery Company, whose records were almost wholly destroyed in the great fire of 1666; but that he was more than a sharer in the expense of this, and other impressions, will appear presently, and before the Privy Council.

No sooner were copies of this large volume ready, than the King's brief for setting up the Bible of the greater volume was issued, ordering now that the decree should not only be solemnly published and read," but "set up upon every church door-that it may more largely appear unto our subjects. Witness myself, at Westminster, the seventh day of May, in the thirty-second year of our reign," i. e. Friday, 7th of May, 1540.

It is curious enough, however, that there was another Bible in folio, also dated in April of this year. It has been frequently mis-stated as being Cranmer's, as if it were the same as the last. There are various distinctions. It is not only without Cranmer's prologue, and differs from his translation in the psalms and elsewhere, but the New Testament is said to be after the last recognition of Erasmus: that is, it is the same version as that which accompanied the Latin and English Testament printed by Redman in 1538. The book, therefore, is to be classed with Matthew's or Tyndale's translation. It is on a smaller type and paper than the last, and seems to have been intended for the use of families,-Entitled,

"The Byble in Englishe, that is to saye the content of all the holye scripture, both of the old and Newe Testament, truely translated after the veryte of the Hebrew and Greke textes. Printed at London by Thomas Petyt and Robert Redman for Thomas Berthelet, printer unto the Kynge's grace, 1540." The Colophon is "The end of the New Testament, and of the whole Byble, finisshed in Apryll, Anno MCCCCCXL.”

This book had been submitted neither to the King, nor any Bishop, even though it was executed for his Majesty's printer. It was warranted by Crumwell, according to the privilege given to him on the 14th of November last. By the month of July, however, another of the great Bibles was ready.

"The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the contet of al the holy Scripture, both of the olde and newe Testamet, with a prologe thereinto made by the reverende father in God, Thomas Archbishop of Cantorbury. This is the Byble apoynted to the use of the churches. ¶ Printed by Richard Grafton, cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum, MDXL. The Colophon is "The ende of the newe Testament and of the whole Byble, fynished in July, Anno MCCCCCXL."

Trembling for his life, and imploring mercy from his inhuman

come, for C.

master for a month past, this Bible is remarkable for its being finished at the very time of Crumwell's execution, and the more so from its having still on the engraved frontispiece, his shield or coat of arms! This had first appeared last year, or 1539, and now a third time in this book; but Crumwell is dead, nay, was put to death on the 28th of this very month, and any other undertaking must have suffered, in which he, or any other disgraced minister, had taken such a prominent interest. It has been asserted, indeed, that after his fall, the Bible was complained of, as being heretical and erroneous; nay, that means were taken to persuade the King that the free use of the Scriptures, which Cranmer had so strongly urged in his preface, rious to the peace of the country. But a crisis had by the month of November, a third folio Bible is ready for publicat. Two editions with Cranmer's name on the title, and marked a already out, and what was now to be done? Crumwell is gone, appointed for public worship, were and Cranmer had not power sufficient command the Bishops; but there is one alive who in a moment can command them all, or any one whom he is pleased to select. This book, then, must not be lost, nor even suppressed, though the Vicar-General be no more. Nay, an expedient must be adopted not only to si solence all calumny, but push the sale of the work, to which, it will appear in due time, neither the King nor the Bishops had tributed any pecuniary aid. Here, then, was Tunstal stand by, who of all the rest had been so conspicuous as an oppone since 1526, and it was fit that the unbending heterodoxy of th original enemy should now be put to the test; and here was Heath, who had recently gone over to Tunstal's party. Henry therefore, did what seemed to him the best thing that could have been thought of in these circumstances. He commanded these two men to sit down, and say what they thought of the Bible now ready. The book was printed by November: mean while Gardiner is sent out of the way to the Emperor's court, and Tunstal and Heath must apply to their task. As Gardiner and others had delayed Cranmer's first edition, and then declared in the end that there were "no heresies in it," why examine the translation again? We may reply, because of Crumwell's execution, and because it was much better, by way of con

icon

ng

it

a

nt

28

founding the enemy, to make these opponents speak out. They took time, till the year to which the book belongs was ended, or the 25th of March, and then out it came with a title still more pompous, declaring the fact as now stated.

"The Byble in Englishe of the largest and greatest volume, auctoryed and apoynted by the commandemente of our moost redoubted Prynce and soueraygne Lorde Kynge Henry the VIII., supreme heade of this his churche and realme of Englande: to be frequented and used in every churche in this his sayd realme, accordynge to the tenour of his former Injunctions giuen in that behalfe. ¶ Oversene and perused at the commaundmēt of the Kynge's Hyghnes, by the ryghte reverende fathers in God Cuthbert Bysshop of Duresme, and Nicolas Bisshop of Rochester. Printed by Edward Whitchurch. Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. 1541." The Colophon-"The end of the New Testament and of the whole Byble Fynisshed in November 1540," though not pub. lished till 1541.

This was in truth another triumph over the enemy, one of most grievous annoyance to Master Gardiner; and this he will not fail to discover on the first occasion in which he can find his brethren assembled, after his return from abroad. Some poor petty spite was indeed already discoverable. The reader will recollect of the homage falsely imputed to Henry, by an engraved frontispiece to the three last Bibles; in which Crumwell and Cranmer are represented at full length, above, as receiving the Bible from the King, and below, as giving it to the people. At the feet of each figure, it will be remembered, was his shield or coat of arms. The frontispiece, esteemed a treasure of its kind, must not be thrown away. But the arms of Crumwell were now erased! Still there stands the figure intended for him, and so it continued to do, throughout seven editions! That is, three of them with his shield and four without. But if this was the first with the shield erased, it was the first also with Tunstal's name, and the figure of Crumwell, now so well known, standing by. And is Saul also among the Prophets? might not the people have exclaimed, and perhaps did; though we have yet to hear again of Tunstal and Heath's feigned obedience. There had been no time left for them to alter the translation. The book was laid before them, no doubt, as it had come from the press. A title was wanting to suit the moment, and Henry now, his own Vicar-General, commanded the present one. will make way for two other editions from Cranmer.

It

In addition to these four Bibles, it is said that there was a fifth, and in five volumes as small as sexto-decimo, printed by Redman; but, at all events, there was a New Testament in quarto, with Erasmus and Tyndale in parallel columns. Thus amidst all the turmoil, and in spite of foes, the cause went forward, and still from conquering to conquer.

MDXLI.

THE THIRD LARGE BIBLE, WITH TUNSTAL'S NAME, BY COMMAND-THE FOURTH, IN MAY, WITH CRANMER'S NAME-EXPENSE OF THESE LARGE UNDERTAKINGS -THE MEMORABLE PROPRIETOR, ANTHONY MARLER-BONNER'S FEIGNED ZEAL EARNEST READING AND LISTENING-THE FIFTH GREAT BIBLE, WITH TUNSTAL'S NAME THE SIXTH, WITH CRANMER'S NAME-GARDINER RETURNED,

--

TO WITNESS THE PROGRESS NOW MADE DURING HIS ABSENCE.

FTER the fall of Crumwell, after the royal marriage of last year, and some degree of amicable intercourse commenced between the Emperor and Henry, the Norfolk, Gardiner, and Tunstal party may be considered as at the height of their power; so that whatever shall take place with regard to the printing or publication of the Sacred Volume, becomes the more remarkable. This year is the last in which Bibles were printed under the present reign, even though Henry had still five years to live. By his "commandment" we have seen both Tunstal and Heath giving in their adherence to the translation, and in an edition certainly finished in November last. It may therefore be presumed that the order to look over it, had come after the book was finished at press, since it did not appear before the 25th of March this year. But this would not suffice

for 1541.

By the end of May another edition was ready by Cranmer, thus proving that, for all practical purposes, the version was precisely the same throughout, whether his name, or that of its ancient foe, Tunstal, was affixed. This edition, as if marked out for observation, is particularly dated in red on the title page, as well as in black at the end.