copy in the possession of the Trustees of the Baptist Academy or College, at Bristol except, that the Roman Letter has been employed, with a view to render it more generally useful. The ornamental woodcut letters have been carefully copied from the original volume. An imperfect copy of Tyndale's version of the New Testament is preserved in the library belonging to the Dean and Chapter of Saint Paul's.

The Anglo-American edition is edited with much industry and taste by the Rev. J. P. Dabney. It contains, first, a reprint of the London edition just noticed; secondly, the essential variations of Coverdale's, Matthew's, Cranmer's, the Genevan and Bishops' Bibles, as marginal readings, thus presenting a complete variorum edition of the vernacular versions; and, thirdly, a preface, and an interesting memoir of the martyr Tyndale, re-cast from the memoir compiled by the London editor, a list of Tyndale's Writings, an account of the early vernacular versions, select collations of the first and second editions of Tyndale, and a tabular list of the more common distinctive expressions used by him. (Biblical Repository, vol. x. p. 496.)

3. COVERDALE'S BIBLE.

Biblia. The Bible, that is, the Holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testament faithfully and truly translated out of the Douche and Latyn in to Englishe. [Zurich.] M.D.XXXV. folio. [Reprinted at London in MDCCCXXXVIII. 4to.]

This first English translation of the entire Bible was made from the Latin and German, and dedicated to king Henry VIII. by Myles COVERDALE, who was greatly esteemed for his piety, knowledge of the Scriptures, and diligent preaching; on account of which qualities king Edward VI. subsequently advanced him to the see of Exeter. In his dedication and preface, he observes to this purpose, that, as to the present translation, it was neither his labour nor his desire to have this work put into his hand; but "when others were moved by the Holy Ghost to undertake the cost of it," he was the more bold to engage in the execution of it. Agreeably, therefore, to desire, he set forth this "special" translation, not in contempt of other men's translation, or by way of reproving them, but humbly and faithfully following his interpreters, and that under correction. Of these, he said, he used five different ones, who had translated the Scriptures not only into Latin, but also into Dutch. He further declared, that he had neither wrested nor altered so much as one word for the maintenance of any manner of sect, but had with a clear conscience purely and faithfully translated out of the foregoing interpreters, having only before his eyes the manifest truth of the Scriptures. But because such different translations, he saw, were apt to offend weak minds, he added, that there came more understanding and knowledge of the Scripture by these sundry translations, than by all the glosses of sophistical doctors; and he therefore desires, that offence might not be taken, because one translated scribe," and another "lawyer,"_one repentance," and another "penance," or amendment." This is the first English Bible allowed by royal authority; and also the first translation of the whole Bible printed in our language. It was called a "special" translation, because it was different from the former English translations; as Lewis has shown by comparing it with Tyndale's. It is divided into six tomes or parts, adorned with wooden cuts, and furnished with Scripture references in the margin. The last page has these words: "Prynted in the yeare of our Lorde M.D.XXXV. and fynished the fourth day of October." Of this Bible there was another edition in large 4to. 1550, which was republished, with a new title, 1553; and these, according to Lewis, were all the editions of it. Coverdale, in this edition of the English Bible, prefixed to every book the contents of the several chapters, and not to the particular chapters, which was afterwards the case: and he likewise omitted all Tyndale's prologues and notes. Soon after this Bible was finished, in 1536, Lord Cromwell, keeper of the privy seal, and the king's vicar-general and vicegerent in ecclesiastical matters, published injunctions to the clergy by the king's authority, the seventh of which required, that every parson, or proprietary of any parish church within this realm, should, before the first of August, provide a book of the whole Bible, both in Latin and in English, and lay it in the choir, for every man that would, to look and read therein; and should discourage no man from reading any part of the Bible either in Latin or English, but rather comfort, exhort, and admonish every man to read it, as the very word of God, and the spiritual food of a man's soul, &c.

The edition of Coverdale's version of the Bible published in 1838 contains a beautiful and

1 Hist. of Eng. Transl. p. 29.

accurate reprint, from a copy in the possession of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex. A bibliographical description of the original edition is prefixed.

4. MATTHEW'S BIBLE.

The Byble, which is all the Holy Scripture: In whych are contayned the Olde and Newe Testament, truly and purely translated into Englysh. By Thomas MATTHEW. M.D.XXXVII. folio.

From the appearance of the types, it is most probable that this edition was printed at Marlborow in Hesse; it was edited by Coverdale, though it bears the name of Thomas Matthew, and it was published with the royal licence, which was granted in consequence of Archbishop Cranmer's application to Lord Cromwell. The Old Testament is Tyndale's to the end of the second book of Chronicles; it then becomes a mere copy of Coverdale's Bible, with a few corrections, and continues so to the end of the Apocryphal Books. The New Testament is wholly a transcript of Tyndale's version, as contained in his last published edition of the New Testament. 2 In the year 1538, an injunction was published by Cromwell, as vicar-general of the kingdom, ordaining the clergy to provide, before a certain festival, one book of the whole Bible, of the largest volume, in English, and to set it up in some convenient place within their churches, where their parishioners might most commodiously resort to read it. A royal declaration was also published, which the curates were to read in their several churches, informing the people, that it had pleased the king's majesty to permit and command the Bible, being translated into their mother-tongue, to be sincerely taught by them, and to be openly laid forth in every parish church. But the curates were very cold in this affair 3, and read the king's injunctions and declarations in such a manner, that scarcely any body could know or understand what they read. Johnson adds, that they also read the word of God confusedly; and that they bade their parishioners, notwithstanding what they read, which they were compelled to read, to do as they did in times past, and to live as their fathers, the old fashion being the best." Fox observes, that the setting forth of this book much offended Gardiner and his fellow-bishops, both for the prologues, and especially because there was a table in the book chiefly about the Lord's supper, the marriage of priests, and the mass, which was there said not to be found in Scripture. Strype, however, says, it was wonderful to see with what joy this book was received, not only among the more learned, and those who were noted lovers of the reformation, but generally all over England, among all the common people; and with what avidity God's word was read, and what resort there was to the places appointed for reading it. Every one that could, bought the book, and busily read it, or heard it read, and many elderly persons learned to read on purpose. During a vacancy in the see of Hereford, it was visited by Cranmer, who enjoined the clergy to procure, by the 1st of August, a whole Bible in Latin and English, or at least a New Testament in these languages; to study every day one chapter of these books, conferring the Latin and English together, from the beginning to the end; and not to discourage any layman from reading them, but encourage them to it, and to read them for the reformation of their lives, and knowledge of their duty.

5. HOLLYBUSHE'S NEW TESTAMENT.

The Newe Testament both in Latine and Englishe, eche correspondent to the other, after the vulgare Text, commonly called St. Jerome's. Faithfully translated by Johan HOLLYBUSHE. London, M.D.XXXVIII. 4to.

M.D.XXXIX. 8vo.

This translation of the Latin Vulgate was executed by Myles Coverdale, who dedicated it in his own name to Henry VIII. It is not known why he assumed the fictitious name of John Hollybushe. We are indebted for our knowledge of this edition to Mr. Walter's Letter to the Bishop of Peterborough, p. 31.

1 Strype's Life of Cranmer, p. 58.

2 Mr. Walter's Letter to the Bishop of Peterborough, pp. 101, 102. In the following p ges he has corrected various errors of preceding historians of the English Bibles, respecting Matthew's (or rather Coverdale's) Edition.

3 Lewis, p. 108.

4 Hist. Account, &c. in Bp. Watson's Collection, vol. iii. p. 94.

5 Acts, &c. vol. ii. p. 516.

6 Life of Cranmer, p. 64.

6. CRANMER'S GREAT BIble.

The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye, the content of all the holy scripture bothe of ye olde and newe testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes by ye dylygent studye of diuerse excellent learned men, expert in the forsayde tonges. Printed by Rychard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch. Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. M.D.XXXIX. folio.

In 1538, an edition in 4to. of the New Testament, in English, with Erasmus's Latin translation, was printed, with the king's licence, by Redman. In this year it was resolved to revise Matthew's Bible, and to print a correct edition of it. With this view Grafton went to France, where the workmen were more skilful, and the paper was both better and cheaper than in England, and obtained permission from Francis I., at the request of King Henry VIII., to print his Bible at Paris. But, notwithstanding the royal licence, the Inquisition interposed, and issued an order, dated December 17. 1538, summoning the French printers, their English employers, and Coverdale, the corrector of the work, and prohibiting them to proceed; and the impression, consisting of 2500 copies, was seized, confiscated, and condemned to the flames. Some chests, however, of these books escaped the fire, by the avarice of the person who was appointed to superintend the burning of them; and the English proprietors, who had fled on the first alarm, returned to Paris as soon as it subsided, and not only recovered some of these copies, but brought with them to London the presses, types, and printers, and, resuming the work, finished it in the following year. As soon as the papal power was abolished in England, and the king's supremacy settled by parliament in 1534, Cranmer was very assiduous in promoting the translation of the Holy Scriptures into the vulgar tongue; well knowing how much the progress of the reformation depended upon this measure. Accordingly, he moved in convocation, that a petition should be presented to the king for leave to procure a new translation of the Bible. This motion was vigorously opposed by Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, and his party: but Cranmer prevailed. The arguments for a new translation, urged by Cranmer, and enforced by Queen Anne Bullen, who had then great interest in the king's affections, were so much considered by him, that, notwithstanding the opposition, public and private, on the part of Gardiner and his adherents, Henry gave orders for setting about it immediately. To prevent any revocation of the order, Cranmer, whose mind was intent on introducing a free use of the English Scriptures by faithful and able translators, proceeded without delay to divide an old English translation of the New Testament into nine or ten parts, which he caused to be transcribed into paper-books, and to be distributed among the most learned bishops and others; requiring that they would perfectly correct their respective portions, and return them to him at a limited time. When the assigned day came, every man sent his appropriate portion to Lambeth, except Stokesley, bishop of London. This laudable design of the archbishop failed; but the business was executed by other persons, whom he countenanced and encouraged. In April, 1539, Grafton and Whitchurch printed the Bible, the title of which is given at the head of this article. From its containing a prologue or preface by archbishop Cranmer, as well as from its size, it is commonly called "Cranmer's Great Bible." A magnificent and probably unique copy of it, on vellum, which formerly belonged to Henry VIII., is preserved in the Library of the British Museum. It is richly illuminated; and the vividness of the colours is very little impaired. This edition has a beautiful frontispiece, designed by Holbein, and particularly described and exhibited in an engraving by Lewis; and in the text those parts of the Latin Version, which are not found in the Hebrew or Greek, are inserted in a smaller letter; such, for instance, as the three verses of the 14th Psalm, which are the 5th, 6th, and 7th, in the translation of the English liturgy, and the controverted clause in 1 John v. 7, 8; and a mark is used to denote a difference of reading between the Hebrew and Chaldee, afterwards explained in a separate treatise. In this edition, Matthew's Bible was revised, and several alterations and corrections were made in the translation, especially in the book of Psalms. Tindal's prologues and notes, and the notes added by others, in the edition of 1537, were wholly omitted. The superintendence of this work was confided to Coverdale, who, in a sermon at St. Paul's Cross, defended his translation from some slanderous reports which were then raised against it, acknowledging that " he himself now saw some faults, which, if he might review the book once again, as

1 Johnson's Hist. Acc. in Bp. Watson's Tracts, vol. iii. p. 76.

:

he had twice before, he doubted not he should amend but for any heresy, he was sure that there were none maintained in his translation." This is related by Dr. Fulke, who was one of Coverdale's auditors.

7. TAVERNER'S BIBLE.

The most sacred Bible, whiche is the holy scripture, conteyning the olde and new testament, translated into English, and newly recognised with great diligence after most faythful exemplars, by Richard TAVERNER. London. Prynted by John Byddell. M.D.XXXIX. folio.

Richard Taverner, the editor of the Bible which bears his name, was educated at Christ Church, Oxford, patronised by Lord Cromwell, and probably encouraged by him to undertake the work, on account of his skill in the Greek tongue. This is neither a bare revisal of Cranmer's Bible, nor a new version; but a kind of intermediate work, being a correction of what is called "Matthew's Bible," many of whose marginal notes are adopted, and many omitted, and others inserted by the editor. It is dedicated to the king. After his patron's death, Taverner was imprisoned in the Tower for this work; but he had the address to reinstate himself in the king's favour. Wood gives a particular account of Taverner; attributes his imprisonment to the influence of those bishops who were addicted to the Romish religion; and informs us, that his version was read in churches by royal authority.

8. OTHER EDITIONS OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE, DURING THE REMAINDER OF HENRY VIII.'S REIGN, AND THE REIGN OF EDWARD VI. In November, 1539, the king, at the intercession of Cranmer, appointed Lord Cromwell to take special care that no person within the realm should attempt to print any English Bible for five years, but such as should be admitted by Lord Cromwell; and assigns this reason for the prohibition, that the Bible should be considered and perused in one translation, in order to avoid the manifold inconveniences to which human frailty might be subject from a diversity of translations, and the ill use that might be made of it. In the year 1540, two privileged editions of the Bible, which had been printed in the preceding year, issued from the press of Edward Whitchurch. Lewis mentions three other impressions of the "Great Bible," which appeared in the course of this year; two printed by Whitchurch, and one by Petyt and Redman. Cranmer wrote a preface for the editions of the year 1540, from which we learn the opinions and practice of those times. In May of this year, the curates and parishioners of every parish were required by royal proclamation, to provide themselves with the Bible of the largest volume before the feast of All Saints, under the penalty of 40s. for every month during which they should be without it. The king charged all ordinaries to enforce the observance of this proclamation; and he apprised the people, that his allowing them the Scriptures in their mother-tongue was not his duty, but an evidence of his goodness and liberality to them, of which he exhorted them not to make any ill use. In May, 1541, one edition of Cranmer's Bible was finished by Richard Grafton; who, in the November following, completed also another Bible of the largest volume, which was superintended, at the king's command, by Tonstal, bishop of Durham, and Heath, bishop of Rochester.

In consequence of the king's settled judgment," that his subjects should be nursed in Christ by reading the Scriptures," he again, on the 7th of May, published a brief or decree for setting up the Bible of the great volume in every parish church throughout England. However, this decree appears to have been very partially and reluctantly observed; and the bishops were charged, by a writer in 1546, with attempting to suppress the Bible, under pretence of preparing a version of it for publication within seven years. After the death of Cromwell in 1540, the bishops inclined to popery gained strength; and the English translation was represented to the king as very erroneous and heretical, and destructive of the harmony and peace of the

1 Hist. et Ant. Univ. Oxon. 1. ii. p. 264. Edit. 1674.

kingdom. In the convocation assembled in Feb. 1542, the archbishop, in the king's name, required the bishops and clergy to revise the translation of the New Testament, which, for that purpose, was divided into fourteen parts, and portioned out to fifteen bishops; the Apocalypse, on account of its difficulty, being assigned to two. Gardiner clogged this business with embarrassing instructions; and Cranmer, clearly perceiving the resolution of the bishops to defeat the proposed translation, procured the king's consent to refer the matter to the two universities, against which the bishops protested; but the archbishop declared his purpose to adhere to the will of the king his master. With this contest the business terminated; and the convocation was soon after dissolved. The Romish party prevailed also in parliament, which enacted a law that condemned and abolished Tyndale's translation, and allowed other translations to remain in force, under certain restrictions. After the passing of this act, Grafton, the king's printer, was imprisoned; nor was he released without giving a bond of 300l. neither to print nor sell any more English Bibles till the king and the clergy should agree on a translation. In 1544, the Pentateuch was printed by John Day and William Seres; and in 1546, the king prohibited by proclamation the having and reading of Wickliffe's, Tyndale's, and Coverdale's translations, and forbad the use of any other than what was allowed by parliament. From the history of English translations during the reign of Henry VIII. we learn that the friends to the reformation conducted themselves with zeal and prudence in the great work of introducing and improving English translations of the Bible; that they encountered many difficulties from the dangerous inconstancy of a despotic prince, and from the inveterate prejudices of a strong Romish party; and that the English Scriptures were sought after and read with avidity by the bulk of the people.

Upon the accession of Edward VI. the severe stat. 34 and 35 Hen. VIII. c. 1. was repealed, and a royal injunction was published, that not only the whole English Bible should be placed in churches, but also the paraphrase of Erasmus in English to the end of the four Evangelists. It was likewise ordered by this injunction, that every parson, vicar, curate, &c. under the degree of a bachelor of divinity, should possess the New Testament, both in Latin and English, with the paraphrase of Erasmus upon it; and that the bishops, &c. in their visitations and synods should examine them, how they had profited in the study of the Holy Scriptures. It was also appointed, that the epistle and gospel of the mass should be read in English; and that on every Sunday and holiday, one chapter of the New Testament in English should be plainly and distinctly read at matins, and one chapter of the Old Testament at even-song. But in the year 1549, when the Book of Common Prayer, &c. was finished, what nearly resembles our present custom was enjoined, viz. that after reading the Psalms in order at morning and evening prayer, two lessons, the first from the Old Testament, and the second from the New Testament, should be read distinctly with a loud voice. During the course of this reign, that is, in less than seven years and six months, eleven impressions of the whole English Bible were published, and six of the English New Testament; besides an English translation of the whole New Testament, paraphrased by Erasmus. The Bibles were reprinted, according to the preceding editions, whether Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, Cranmer's, or Taverner's; that is, with a different text, and different notes. But it is doubted by the writer of the preface to King James's translation, whether there were any translation, or correction of a translation, in the course of this reign.

In 1562, the "Great Bible," viz. that of Coverdale's translation, which had been printed in the time of Henry VIII. and also in the time of King Edward, was revised by Archbishop Parker, and reprinted for the use of the church; and this was to serve till that projected by his grace was ready for publication.