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singular history, there is no favour, we must repeat, bestowed upon Britain, that is ever to be compared with the Bible in her vulgar or vernacular tongue; to say nothing of this being now her most distinguished and distinguishable feature. But for its free and unfettered perusal, the eminence to which she has attained among the European nations, or confessedly above them, had never been reached. Her rise and progress, in all that is worthy of possession, can never be separated from this heavenly gift or deposit. Yet, if this be granted, and the best of her sons with one voice will do so, then, in the introduction, or first importation, of the Sacred Scriptures in type, at such a period, and by such means, there must have been certain paths, certain footsteps, in divine Providence, corresponding to the greatness of the boon bestowed. In other words, though the cause itself, in the morning of its origin, might seem only like "smoking flax or a bruised reed," one might expect to witness even national affairs, or the Crown itself, and the movements of Government, treated, in many instances, as altogether subordinate. As far, then, as men in power and place were concerned, the reader must now be left to judge whether he does not observe the cause, emphatically in its commencement, and upon all necessary occasions ever after, like the star in Joseph's dream, to which "the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance." These, and other singular occurrences, it is true, ought to have been marked and recorded long before three centuries had passed away; but though they have required to be sought out in the pages of original manuscript, and of rare books, and to be traced with scrupulous caution, they are not the less worthy of observation now, and more especially in the existing state of our country. Perhaps some unknown benefit may be involved in so many important incidents having been left for disclosure to the present hour.

The Scriptures in English manuscript, the revival of Letters, as well as the Invention of Printing, preceded, by many years, any application of that noble art to our English version. But the entire period may be, or rather ought to be, regarded as containing a series of events, preliminary to that memorable occurrence, and, therefore, though but slightly sketched, they require to be noticed in the light of a deliberate, yet appropriate

introduction. This, accordingly, has been attempted, as due to the history following.

It is, however, the English Scriptures in print, and their first introduction, especially into England and Scotland, with their subsequent introduction to North America, which are about to claim particular attention; and as the path has never been trodden before, some explanation becomes necessary, with regard to the sources whence materials have been derived. Having looked into the histories already named, as well as other kindred works, and observing not only the paucity of facts, but various discrepancies among all these authors, the writer's first resort was to that unrivalled store of original manuscript in the British Museum. It was impossible to entertain any previous theory. Various details were expected, though not the slightest hope was then indulged that any very connected series of events could ever be drawn out. On discovering, however, to what extent these manuscript pages had been permitted to remain in oblivion, he persevered. Important original documents, both in the Chapter House of Westminster, and in the State Paper Office, have also been consulted; and, of course, the State Papers, or Correspondence, in five volumes quarto, relating to England, Scotland, and Ireland, printed since 1830, by the Government Commission. After having gone over the entire surface of Tyndale's age, the writer was highly obliged by the perusal and use of various extracts of correspondence, collected by the indefatigable industry of the Rev. Thomas Russell, A.M., the editor of the works of Tyndale and Fryth. It was no trifling corroboration when the author found himself not only unmoved from a single position he had taken, but confirmed in his statements by several incidental circumstances, some of which might have escaped notice.

With reference to rare printed works, as well as scarce editions of the Scriptures, besides the British Museum; the Bodleian at Oxford; the University Library, that of St. John's College, and others, at Cambridge; the Baptist Museum of Bristol; the Althorp Library of Earl Spencer; that of his Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, while yet entire, with those of Lambeth and St. Paul's, have been consulted in succession; but to no other collection of Bibles and Testaments has

the author been so much indebted as to that of his friend Lea

Wilson, Esq., of Norwood Hill. In early days an English merchant of Antwerp will be found to occupy a conspicuous and honourable place at the commencement of this history; and it is in perfect keeping with the entire narrative, that a collection so rich, and in such a perfect state, should now be in the possession of a London merchant. Without his assistance as to various minute particulars, the list at the close of this work could not have been so complete. It will be found to contain many authentic editions, which, altogether unknown, have never been inserted in any account previously published. To the polite kindness of the Right Honourable Thomas Grenville, the author has been indebted, not only for access to that distinguished library, but for the perusal of the first edition of Fox's Acts and Monuments, a folio of which it has been said the inspection "non cuivis homini contingit." For the very accurate sketches of Little Sodbury Manor House, under whose roof the resolution of Tyndale was formed, and which may therefore be regarded as the starting point in this vast enterprise, the writer has been obliged to his friend George Joseph Bompas, M.D., of Fishponds, Bristol; and certain particulars relating to the unique fragment of Tyndale's first New Testament, have been kindly furnished by Mr. Thomas Rodd, of Great Newport Street, London. The portrait of TYNDALE is an exact copy from a rare volume, namely, "Holland's Herwologia Anglica." No. 39. This is considered to be the best likeness. With regard to Scotland, living in Edinburgh, it need scarcely be added, that satisfaction on certain points could not have been obtained, without access to the invaluable Library of the Faculty of Advocates, so freely granted; and as to books, among others, my special thanks are due to David Laing, Esq., for the use of several rare pieces, unknown to the English reader, by an illustrious Scotsman, who has been all along better known in Germany than in his own country, Alexander Ales or Aless (Alesius) of Edinburgh. Other acknowledgments will occur throughout these volumes, where every authority, whether in manuscript or in print, has been distinctly noted.1

While these sheets were passing through the press, the author has enjoyed

The following pages, it is presumed, will be found to possess one recommendation to many readers. They are removed, as far as it is possible to be, from what have been styled polemics. Jaded as the human mind has often been for the last three

the advantage of a second journey on the Continent. Taking occasion to visit the principal places about to be mentioned, not only Antwerp and Mechlin, Vilvorde and Brussels, but other cities on both banks of the Rhine, from Cologne to Strasburg, as well as Basil, Berne, Zurich, and Geneva, he has only been more confirmed in the general correctness of the history now given. Some discrepancies may be detected in a work now first taken from the writer's manuscript, in which there are so many references to authority; but the general stream of the narrative, it is presumed, can never be disturbed.

The well-known collection of Bibles and Testaments in the possession of the King of Wirtemberg, time did not admit of his examining. But though it be

the only eminent collection which has not been explored, it is believed that there is no English edition at Stuttgard which is not to be found in the libraries of our native land. The Royal Library at Paris is not at all remarkable for editions of the English Scriptures.

Into the once imperial city of WORMS, where our first English New Testaments appear to have been finished, and where a printing-press was first set up, three hundred and thirty years ago, any man may now enter, and either reflect on the marriage of Charlemagne, or look on the few remaining fragments of the ancient imperial palace; he may visit the Cathedral or Dom Kirche, standing as it did; look into the little Jewish Synagogue, above eight hundred years old; or within a church at the market-place, the site of the venerable Rathhaus, stand upon the ground which Luther trode when he appeared before the Emperor; but in reference to the printing-office to which, only four years after, Tyndale had repaired, it was in vain to inquire for the street or the corner where Peter Schoeffer, or any other brother of the trade, had once been so busy. Not one solitary printer was to be found at work throughout the city! COLOGNE, on the contrary, where Tyndale had commenced his New Testament at the press, exhibited a different aspect. Lately declared to be a free port, and now also to be reached by railway, it promises to rise to greater importance than ever before. It was indeed equally in vain to inquire for the quarter were Ulric Zell, Henry and Peter Quentel, or any other ancient printer, once plied their occupation, but their works were to be found there. In one repository was a catalogue of Bibles and Testaments (1843) such as is scarcely ever to be found with any bookseller in this country. Besides Polyglots, there were Bibles, or parts of the Scriptures, in twenty-seven different languages,in Hebrew, Greek, Latin (in 240 articles), Ethiopic, Arabic, Syriac, Persic, Armenian, and even Tamulian or Malabar. And of European languages, in Gothic, Finnish, Danish, Russ, Slavonic, Turkish, Polish, German (in 236 articles), Wendish, Hungarian, Bohemian, Swiss, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Belgian, and English. These, however, in general, were ancient, not modern, editions, but amounting to more than 800 articles of sale, in the Bibliotheca of J. M. HEBERLE. Here, also, the very rare tracts of Alexander Ales had been recently sold for a trifle, which altogether in this country have fetched above four guincas.

hundred years, and especially in Britain, with controversial divinity, it may be grateful to not a few, if they can find another walk, in past times down to the present, of such a character as lies at the root of all that has ever existed under the name of Christianity within the kingdom; and so important as in vital connexion with its progress throughout the earth. If with the changing scenes through which the history will be found to pass, it had ever forfeited its original cast or character, there it might have terminated, and there it ought. But, on the contrary, as the continuation so singularly corresponds with the commencement, there was to be found no halting-place before the present day.

In point of time, the history of our English Scriptures, from the date of their first appearing in print, will be found to take precedence of all the Institutions, Establishments, or local interests, within our shores. The noble contest, so singularly commenced and conducted, was nearly decided before their origin; at least, the first brunt of the battle was over, and Divine truth had been so effectually sown and rooted in our native soil, that, from that early period, all the power of the has been in vain. This, of itself, gives the story a preenemy ference, or a prior claim to consideration, before any other narrative in the form, or under the name, of religious history. Nor is this its only peculiarity. Ever since, the continuation will be found maintaining a higher place, describing a larger, and therefore a loftier circle, than that of any mere class or denomination whatever; embracing, without any interruption, the Christian community of Britain in its widest sense. It will continue throughout as independent of all local interests, as it was before they had existence. That the history of the English Bible has never before been viewed in this light, is freely granted; nor had the author himself the slightest idea of this, its marked or distinguishing peculiarity, before he began. It is now the more worthy of notice, and may prove of some service, in different ways, beside that of promoting modesty of statement by any single community in Britain. No section of Christians, it will be seen, of whatever name, can possess any title to rank itself as having been essential, either to the progress or to the general prevalence of the English Scriptures, much less