English it would destroy the Latin tongue.” Marbeck, according to Foxe, was sent to the Marshalsea, as it would appear from the story, not because he was an accused heretic, but in order that the Church authorities might gather from him evidence relative to certain Windsor people who were strongly suspected of heresy. But the organist declined to say anything, and his silence was construed into a proof of sympathy with heretical neighbours. Gardiner is represented as using violent language, and urging the improbability of Marbeck's preparing a concordance without the help of others."Truly, my lord," said Marbeck, "I cannot tell in what part your lordship doth take it, but howsoever it be, I will not deny but I did it without the help of any man, save God alone." "Say what thou wilt," rejoined the prelate; except God Himself would come down from heaven and tell me so, I would not believe it!" And so, going forth to a window where two great Bibles lay upon a cushion, the one in Latin, the other in English, he called Marbeck to him, and pointing his finger to a place in the Latin Bible, said, "Canst thou English this sentence?" "Nay, my lord, thow I be not so cunning to give it a perfect English, but I can fetch out the English thereof in the English Bible.” The story is oddly told, and much of it is unintelligible.

Renewed endeavours to obtain from Marbeck evidence against his friends were in vain, and his refusal greatly exasperated his persecutors. The Bishop of Winchester now plainly accused him as a great heretic, because he had read more Scripture than any man in the realm. Five examinations of the Windsor organist are recorded, and in one of them, before the Bishop of Salisbury, he thus describes how he worked at his concordance. "When Thomas Matthew's Bible came first in print, I was much desirous

to have one of them; and being a poor man, not able to buy one of them, I determined with myself to borrow one amongst my friends, and to write it forth. And when I had written out the five books of Moses in fair great paper, and was entered into the Book of Joshua, my friend Master Turner (of Magdalen College, Oxford, and afterwards of Windsor) chanced to steal upon me unawares, and seeing me writing out the Bible, asked me what I meant thereby; and when I had told him the cause, Tush!' quoth he,' thou goest about a vain and tedious labour. But this were a profitable work for thee, to set out a concordance in English.' 'A concordance,' said I, what is that?' Then he told me it was a book to find out any word in the whole Bible by the letter, and that there was such an one in Latin already. Then I told him I had no learning to go about such a thing. 'Enough,' said he, for that matter, for it requireth not so much learning as diligence; and seeing thou art so painful a man, and one that cannot be unoccupied, it were a good exercise for thee.' And this, my lord, is all the instruction that ever I had, before or after, of any man." At last Marbeck came to be indicted as a heretic, on the ground that he had spoken against the mass, and being found guilty was condemned to be burnt; but he escaped the flames through the intercession of a friend.* Three Windsor men, however, Pearson, Testwood, and Felmer, accused with him, were consumed to ashes in that part of the park which lies under the North Terrace of the Castle, near the spot where stands the South-Western Railway Station.

*Foxe, v. pp. 474-494.

ENRY VIII. was buried on 16th February, 1547, in St. George's Chapel, Windsor, with all the pomp characteristic of that pageant-loving age, and with many of the rites and ceremonies of Popery; on the Sunday after, young Edward was crowned in the Abbey of Westminster. It has often been said that when the royal insignia were presented to the boyish monarch, and he saw the three swords borne in state on such occasions, he asked for a fourth. Some one, not catching the idea, inquired what his majesty meant; when he replied, "The Bible; that book is the sword of the Spirit, and to be preferred before these swords. That ought, in all right, to govern us, who use them for the people's safety by God's appointment. Without that sword we are nothing, we can do nothing, we have no power; from that we are what we are this day; from that we receive whatsoever it is that we

at this present do assume. to be called God's minister or a king. Under that we ought to live, to fight, to govern the people, and to perform all our affairs. From that alone we obtain all power and virtue, grace and salvation, and whatsoever we have of Divine strength."* During the short reign of this young princeembracing only six years and a half-men could read their Bibles without molestation; and no less than about fifty editions of the Scriptures issued from the press during that brief space.

He that rules without it is not

Thirty-one out of fifty-seven English printers who plied their trade in the cities of London, Canterbury, and Worcester, and in the town of Ipswich-so greatly had the use of typography become extended-employed their presses in executing copies of the Scriptures, each selecting whatever version he chose; and it is curious to find that of Coverdale's Bible, in Edward's reign, three editions were published; of Cranmer's, seven of the whole Bible and eight of the New Testament; of Matthew's, five; of Taverner's, two; of the New Testament of Tyndale, or Matthew, there were twenty-four, fifteen of them bearing Tyndale's name. In each year there were eight issues of the Bible. That came to pass which is written, "The plowman shall I give these words as found in Strype's Ecclesiastical Memorials, vol. ii. p. 22. The author connects these words with the coronation, on the authority of one "who wrote about those times," and who relates "that he heard it from credible hands." Strype gives a minute account of the coronation of Edward in his Life of Cranmer, book ii. c. 1, but says nothing there of the presentation of a Bible. Camden's Remains have been cited as an authority for the anecdote. It is related there as follows: King Edward the Sixth, when three swords were delivered at his coronation unto him as King of England, France, and Ireland, said there was yet another sword to be delivered unto him. Whereat, when the Lords marvelled, he said, I mean the sacred Bible, which is the sword of the Spirit, without which we are nothing, neither can do anything." Neither Strype nor Camden says that a Bible was presented to him,

overtake the reapers, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed."* Of all versions, Tyndale's was the most popular.

Yet there were no editions of the Scriptures published at the royal charge or by the royal command; people were left to themselves, to moral influence, and the guidance of God's providence and Spirit; and such was the result. Upon Tuesday, the 15th of November, in the House of Lords, a bill was introduced, by whom is not stated, though Cranmer was present, for the reading of the Scriptures; but it never reached a second reading, nor was any such measure even hinted at throughout the reign.†

No new translation was published in the reign of Edward, except a translation of the paraphrase by Erasmus. The preparation of this book had been commenced in Henry's reign, at the request of Queen Catherine Parr. Nicholas Udal, a distinguished scholar, and Master of Eton College, translated the Gospel of Luke. Mark was translated by Thomas Key, Registrar of Oxford. The translators of the Gospel of Matthew and the Book of Acts are unknown; but the most remarkable circumstance connected with the volume was, that the Lady Mary-the future persecuting Queen of England-was employed on the translation of John; "but when she had with overpainful study and labour of writing cast her weak body into a grievous and long sickshe committed the same work to Mr. Francis Mallet." The courtly Master of Eton, Dr. Udal, takes care in the preface, which is the production of his pen, to compliment Queen Catherine and the Princess Mary on their connection with the work, by remarking, "It was now no

ness,

*Eadie, Hist. Eng. Bible, vol. i. p. 423.

+ Lords' Journals, Anderson, vol. ii. p. 247.

Lewis, p. 165.