&\^¦i!^^^v^^\^^^^^^^^;;s^^^-iS^^^^^^ ' J NGLISH VERSIONS THE BIBLE. A HAND-BOOK WITH COPIOUS EXAMPLES USTRATING THE ANCESTRY AND RELATIONSHIP OF THE SEVERAL VERSIONS, AND COMPARATIVE TABLES. REV. J. I. MOMBERT, D.D. Multae terricolis lingux, coelestibus una. JlDON : SAMUEL BAGSTER & SONS, Limited. ^'"'"""¦^ Yale Lv,v;.>itv L.bfary Ntw Haven, Coon. dfSo M729e PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. In response to the Publishers' request to write a few prefatory words for this edition of my " Hand book of the English Versions," for some time out of print in America, I cannot refrain from thanking my critics for the singular unanimity with which they have accepted it as an authority. The book is designed to present in compendious form the most important and interesting facts touch ing the origin and lineage of the English Bible, and this new popular edition, unabridged and unchanged, is issued at so low a price as to bring it within easy reach of the Clergy, Sunday-school Teachers, and the public at large. J. I. MOMBERT London, 4ih Septenthtr i8t/>. PREFACE. Next in importance to the conservation of a pure text of the Original Scriptures is confessedly their faithful translation into the living speech of man. An account therefore of the common English Ver sion, from its first rude beginnings in Anglo-Saxon times, through all the changes it has undergone, to the form in which more than seventy millions of peo ple diffused over the globe, now claim it as their common inheritance and joint possession, needs no apology for its existence. From the moment of the first inception, and throughout the long course of the preparation of this work, I have striven to write a history useful not only to scholars but to all readers of the Eng lish Bible, and therefore deemed it expedient to present the longer illustrative examples, drawn from the sacred originals and from versions in extinct or foreign tongues, with companion translations in English. In submitting the results of independent study and research in the interesting field of inquiry touching the ancestry of the Authorized Version, and its relationship to various English and Foreign Versions, the noble labors of others have been duly acknowledged to the full extent of their use. iv Preface. A glance at two Comparative Tables following the Contents may suffice to convey some idea of the magnitude of those labors. The parallel production of related versions in nu merous collations and analyses, on the principle of making the several translations disclose their origin and history will, I trust, prove as advantageous to the reader, as their preparation has been beneficial to the writer. The utmost care and laborious study have been bestowed upon this difficult but very in structive part of the present undertaking. In order to enhance the general utility, and in the hope of establishing the permanent value of this volume, a full account of English Versions based on the Vulgate has been introduced, and the chapters on the Authorized Version and the Revision of the Bible have been prepared with special reference to that important work. The material provided is designed to enable the reader to form an independent judgment of the merits of the Authorized Version, and of the extent to which its demerits may be removed by the forth coming revised edition of the Old Testament, or have already been removed in the published revised edition of the New. In most instances the examples adduced have been copied from original editions, free access to which was kindly accorded to me by the custodians of public and private libraries, whose courtesy I here beg gratefully to acknowledge. The original spell- ' ing has been preserved whenever practicable. I also desire to discharge a debt of gratitude Preface. v to the Rev. Samuel M. Jackson, M.A., one of the editors of the Herzog-Schaff Religious Cyclopcedia for his kindness in reading the plate proofs. A Table of Contents and two Indexes will facili tate reference and render a more lengthy account of the work unnecessary. May the Great Head of the Church own and bless this humble effort to make the reading and knowl edge of His Word truly profitable to all readers of the English Bible. J. I. MOMBERT. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. ANGLO-SAXON VERSIONS. The Ruthwell Cross. Csedmon. Aldhelm and Guthlac's Psalter, Bede. King Alfred. Anglo-Saxon and Semi-Saxon examples. Manuscripts. The Heptateuch. Extracts from .(Elfric. The mutilated Decalogue. Prmted Scriptures. Anglo-Saxon com pared with other tongues. Dlustrative examples of Anglo-Saxon versions. Versions in Anglo-Saxon and Old English compared. Anglo-Saxon helps. 1 CHAPTER II. THE EARLIEST ENGLISH VERSIONS. The Ormulum. The Sowlehele. Metrical Psalms. William de Schorham. Richard Rolle. Prose Versions of the Psalms. Il lustrative examples. Purport ofthe Translations. JohndeTre- visa. Literature. ......... 23 CHAPTER III. THE WICLIFITE VERSIONS. Account of John Wiclif. His version the first English published. Knyghton. The versions translated from the Vulgate. Order of the books. Nicholas de Hereford. Purvey's revision. Principles of translation. WicliPs style. Analytical and com parative examples: Vulgate — Hereford — Authorized Version; Old French and English; Wiclif and Purvey's revision; Here ford and Purvey. Purvey's annotations. Collation of St. Mat thew viii. 1-13: Anglo-Saxon — Vulgate — Wiclif — Purvey— Authorized Version. Examples exhibiting the literalness ct viii Contents. WicliPs translation. Wiclif's version compared with sundry ver sions in manuscript. Characteristics. The influence of WicliPs version on the Authorized Version illustrated. The Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans. Editions of Wiclif. . . . .40 CHAPTER IV. TYNDALE'S VERSION. Ignorance of the monks. Historical notice. Difficulties in England. Departure for the Continent. Conjectures considered. Ham burg, Cologne, Worms. Tyndale and Luther. Tyndale's helps. The influence of Luther's Version, and the character of Tyn dale's. Use made of the Vulgate. Tyndale's independence. His scholarship. His English. Collation exhibiting the relation of Tyndale's version to the Vulgate, and the versions of Wiclif and Luther. The version in England. Account of the various editions. Joye. Hacket. The pseudonyme Hutchins. Entry in Spalatin's Diary. Facts relating to Marlborow (Marburg) de veloped. Original correspondence on the subject. Tyndale's knowledge of Hebrew illustrated. Helps relating to the Ver sion of the Old Testament. The Pentateuch. Wis miscellane ous writings. Later editions of his version. Tynilale and Joye. The labors of Joye. Comparison of the editions of 1526 and 1534. His betrayal and martyrdom. Peculiar spelling in the edition of 1535. The New Testament of 1536. Estimate of Tyndale. Examples of his version, indicating the extent to which it continues in Ihe Authorized Version. Collation of different editions. Archaisms and idiosyncrasies. . . .77 CHAPTER V. COVERDALE. Historical notice. The Bible of 1535; the title changed in the edi tion of 1536. The Nicolson editions. Order of the books. The Latin-English New Testament. Collations. Estimate of Cov- erdale's New Testament. His life and labors on the Continent. Sketch of his career. The notices of Bishop Tanner and Bale. Examination of the version; not made from the Originals. His own account. Collation of his version with Pagninus and the ZOnch version, also with Luther, Schofer's Bible, and the Com- Contents. ix bination Bible, as well as the Vulgate, Pagninus and the Za- rich. His sentiments conceming the value of different trans lations. Examples of his notes. Estimate of the version. Idiosyncrasies. The Prayer-Book version of the Psalter. Spec imen from his Ghostly Psalms, The versions of Tyndale and Coverdale compared. Prayers in the edition of 1537. Order of the books i^g CHAPTER VI. MATTHEW'S BIBLE. Publication of the volume in 1537. Conjecture as to where it was printed. Notice of John Rogers. The initials R. G. and E. W. The first Authorized Version. Nature of this Bible. Foxe's ac count in correction of Bale's. The name Thomas Matthewe. Examination of the text with respect to its authorship. The labors of Rogers described. Collation of Jonah in Tyndale and Matthewe. Collation of Luther, Zurich, Coverdale, and He brew. Agreements and differences in the versions of Tyndale, Coverdale, and Matthew stated and illustrated. Additional Ex amples. Remarkable notes, explanatory and otherwise; some traced to Pellican and Luther. " The Summe and Content of all the Holy Scriptures." The antipapal tone of many notes illustrated. Comparison of the text of the New Testament in Tyndale, 1534, 1535, and Matthew, 1537. His Bible set forth by royal authority. Extracts from the Prologue. . . .174 CHAPTER VII. taverner's bible. Account of Tavemer. His Bible published in 1539. The Dedication. Character of the version. The individuality of the translator or reviser strongly stamped upon it; illustrations. His depend ence on the Vulgate. Nature of his recognition, and examina tion of his corrections. Examples of words and phrases, intro duced by Tavemer, remaining in the Authorized Version. . 194 CHAPTER VIII. THE GREAT BIBLE. Cromwell the promoter of a new edition of the Bible. Coverdale in Paris. The work of printing there stopped by the inquisitor X Contents. general, resumed and finished in London, 1539. Description oi the volume; the title-page, and frontispiece designed by Hol bein. Contents of the volume. The injunctions of 1538, and royal declaration. Account of its reception. The nature of the version. Helps used by Coverdale. Account of theearly edi tions. Collation of the version with the Hebrew, Vulgate, Lu ther, Zurich, Matthew, Coverdale, and MUnster, and in a second example with these and Pagninus. The influence of MUnster and the Zurich. Textual comparisons of different editions. The influence of Erasmus. Coverdale the editor of the Great Bible. Cranmer's Prologue. Cranmer's Bible. Merits and demerits. Objectionable additions. The Prayer Book Psalter taken from this version. Synoptical comparison of renderings of the Psalms in the Prayer Book and the Authorized Version. Later editions of the Great Bible. Extract from The Supplication of the Poor Commons to the King. The pecuniary interest of Grafton in the production of this Bible. 201 CHAPTER IX. THE ENGLISH BIBLE DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF HENRY VIII., AND UNDER THE REIGNS OF EDWARD VI. AND MARY. Convocation of 1542. Gardyner's proposals. Act for the Advance ment of true Religion. The injunctions of Edward VI. Edi tions of the Bible and New Testament published in his reign. Mary's translation of Erasmus' paraphrase on John. Leo Judae's paraphrase on the Revelation. Sir John Cheke; specimens of his English, and extracts from his version. Account of Mary's hostility to the reading of the Scriptures in the vernacular. . 230 CHAPTER X. THE GENEVAN BIBLE. The exiles at Geneva. Their labors. The New Testament of 1557. Title and description of the volume. Examples, collated and annotated, illustrating its relation to Tyndale's version. The Genevan Bible. Description of the edition of 1560. The Breeches Bible. The Dedication and Address to the Christian Reader. The popularity of the version. Helps used by the translators. Collations of the text of the Great Bible and the Contents. xi Genevan, and of the same versions and the French of 1556 and 158S. Collation illustrating changes in different editions and re visions of the Genevan Bible. The influence of Beza. Supple mentary clauses. Peculiarities of the version illustrated. The marginal notes. The first Bible printed in Scotland a reprint of the Genevan edition of 1561. Collation of the New Testaments of 1557 and 1560. Examples with annotations. Account of sundry matters furnished after the New Testament. Specimens of the Arguments before the books. . . . . 239 CHAPTER XI. THE BISHOPS' BIBLE. Origin of the version. Archbishop Parker's Observations respected ofthe Translators. His perplexity conceming the translators. List of the revisers. The archbishop's letter to the queen upon the completion of the work. Account of editions. The Bible described. Classification of the books of the Bible as legal, his torical, sapiential, and prophetic. The order of the books. The preface. Quality of the translation. Helps used. Influence of the Genevan and other versions. Lawrence's list of errors in the renderings of the New Testament. Example, and Colla tions. Specimens of literalness and expansion. Marginal notes. The Apocrypha. Broughton's critique; specimens of his stric tures. Collations with other versions, and notes. The use oi the Vulgate in the Apocrypha. Example from double version of the Psalms in edition of 1572. The controversy of Martin and Fulke illustrated 265 CHAPTER xn. THE RHEMES NEW TESTAMENT AND DOUAY BIBLE. Account of the translators. The New Testament of 1582. Title. Extracts from the preface. Examples of characteristic render ings. Its dependence on Wiclif. Specimens. Redeeming fea- tures. Illustrations. Animus of the notes. Controversy be tween Martin and Fulke. The Old Testament of l6ia Title. Preface. Collation of two infallible versions of the Vulgate. Origin of the text of the Douay Bible. Examples from the ver sion, and specimens of the notes. Literature on the version. Anecdote of Mary, queen of Scots. The relation of different R. xii Contents. C. versions to the Authorized Version. Collation exhibiting the differences in the text of R. C. editions of the Bible. Ac count of R. C. versions. Caryl's Psalms. Nary's New Testa ^ ment. Witham's New Testament. Troy's Bible. Geddes' Bible. Murray's Bible. Lingard's Gospels. Kenrick's Ver sion. Ward's Errata ^93 CHAPTER XIII. THE AUTHORIZED VERSION. Historical notice of its origin. Order agreed upon for translating the Bible, with biographical notices of the translators. Set of instructions. Information respecting the version drawn from the preface, from Selden, and the account of the delegates to the Synod of Dort. Title of the edition of 1 6 1 1 . No evidence of its having been authorized. Preliminary matter. Account of vari ous editions. Errata. The Cambridge Paragraph Bible. Amer ican editions. The italic type. Collation illustrating its use. Authorized and unauthorized matter contained in the volume. Examples of alternative renderings. Parallel references; their number, and arithmetical statement of the contents of the Au thorized Version. Punctuation. Chapter headings. Origin of chronological dates. Examination of the work done by the sev eral companies of translators. Illustrations'. Examples with analysis. Collation showing the demerits of the Apocrypha. Felicitous renderings. The same Greek word expressed by dif ferent English words. The preponderance of Saxon words. Estimate ofthe version by Selden, Walton, Lowth, British Critic, Middleton, White, Whittaker, Doddridge, Taytor, Geddes, Beattie, Clarke, and Newman. Critical apparatus used by the translators. The nature of their Greek text. Collation of A. V., the Vulgate, and Tremellius, and of A. V., the Vulgate, and Beza. Nature and origin of the improvements introduced into the version. The versions of Cassiodoro de Reyna, Usque, and Diodali; examples of their influence on the Authorized Version. Critical examination of six longer passages. Classified lists of alleged blemishes, imperfections, infelicities and archaisms re maining ill the version and necessitating revision, with proposed corrections. Survey of attempted revision in chronological order byBroughton; Ainsworth; Canne; Fox; Beausobre and L'En- fant; Mace; Simon; Whiston; Purver; Wynne; Doddridge; Har- Contents. xiii wood; Lowth; Blayney; G. Campbell; Wakefield; Newcome, Scarlett; Macrae; Evanson; Thomson; Socinian New Testa ment; Bellamy; Campbell-Doddridge-MacKnight; Alex. Camp bell; Nourse; Coit; Dickinson; Webster; Penn; Lee; Norton; Sawyer; Wellbeloved-Smith-Porter; Five Clergymen; Heinfel ter; Bagster; Baptist version; Alford; Noyes; Tischendorf; Da vidson; McClellan; Julia E. Smith; Cheyne-Driver-Clarke-Good- win; Gotch-Davies-Jacob-Green; Taylor; Rotherham. . . 338 CHAPTER XIV. THE ANGLO-AMERICAN REVISION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; OR, THE WESTMINSTER VERSION. Lightfoofs Sermon. Parliamentary action in 1653. John Row's Proposal. Additional Literature on the subject. Reference to American writers. Controversy on the merits of the Revised - New Testament. History of the present Revision drawn from official documents. Lists of the Revisers with notes. Appear ance of the New Testament. Title. Contents. The Preface. The Greek text used. Illustrations. Nature of the altera tions made, with critical estimate of them. Classification of changes introduced, with examples. Language. More changes desired by the American revisers. Treatment of proper names. The marginal notes. Italics. Paragraphs. Metrical arrange ment. Punctuation. Illustrative collation. The omission of Summaries of contents, chapter headings, and parallel refer ences. Adverse criticism. Renderings less felicitous than those of the Authorized Version. Compromise and concession. Ex amples of shortcomings. The Appendix. Classes of passages preferred by the American Committee. Specimens. Collation of three representative passages with notes. Estimate of the version. Conclusion. ........ 442 Preface iii. Contents v. Comparative Tables . xiv. General Index 495 Index to illustrative Passages ........ 507 TABLE I.— GENESIS XLV. 26-2S. < Septuagint [Walton, 1^57)- 26 Et nunciaveruut ei, dicentes. Quia filius tuus, Joseph vivet, et ipse est princeps universflB terree iEgypti. Et obstupuit mente Jacob: non enim credidit eis. 27 Locuti sunt autem ei omnia, quSB dicta fuerant d Joseph.quSBcumque dixit eis. Videns autem plaus- tra, qu® miserat Joseph, ut assumerent eum, re vix it spiritus Jacob patris eo rum. 23 Dixit autem Israel, Magnum mihi est, si ad huc Joseph filius, mens vi- vit: profectus videbo eum, priusquam moriar. Samaritan Pentateuch {Walton, ibS7)- a6 Narraveruntque illi, dicentes; Adhuc vivit Jo seph, & ipse domlnatur omni terrse TEgypti: Tunc defecit cor ejus, non enim credebat illis. — 27 Retule- runtque illi omnia verba Josephi qufe dixerat illis: videns quoque currus quos miserat Joseph ad vehen- dum ipsum, revixit spiritus Jacobi patris eorum. 28 Et dixit Israel, Suf&cit; vi vit adhuc filius, meus Jo seph: ibo, videbo eum, antequaia moriar. Chaldee {Onkeios) {Wat- Syriac {Walton, i6s7)- Arabic {Walton 1 6^7)' ton, i6s7)- 26 Et narraverunt ei, dicentes, Adhuc Joseph vivit; et quod dominatur in universa terrS. ^Egypti: Et erant verba hsec vacil- lantia in corde suo; quo niam non credebat eis. 27 Et locuti sunt cum eo omnia verba Joseph, quae locutus fuerat cum eis: & vidit plaustra quE8 miserat Joseph, ut portarent eum: & requievit Spiritus 'sanc tus super Jacob patrem suum. 28 Dixitque Isra el; Magnum gaudium est mihi.Josepho filio meo ad huc vivente: Vadam & vi debo eum, antequam mo riar. 26 Et nunci3>runt ei, di centes; Adhuc Joseph vi vit, ipseque dominatur in tola terra ^Egypti. Ipse ver6 neglexit in corde suo, quia non credidit eis. — 27 Et retulerunt ei omnia ver ba qu88 dixerat eis Joseph: cernensque Jacob plaustra qu® miserat Joseph ad ve- hendum eum, quievit spi ritus Jacob patris eorum. 28 Et ait. Maximum est apud me hoc, quod hacte- nus Joseph filius meus vi vit: ibo, videbo eum ante quam moriar. 26 Et nunciaverunt ei, acdixerunt; Adhuc Joseph superstes est; quinetiam est propositus universte regioni i^gypti: hsQsitavit autem cor ejus, nee fidem prsebuit eis. — 27 Prsete- rea narraverunt ei omnes sermones Josephi quos lo cutus fuerat ad eos, vidit- que currus quos miserat ad vehendum ilium, qua- propter revixit spiritus Ja cob patris eorum. 28 Et dixit, sufficit mihi quod Joseph filius meus adhuc superstes est; vadam, & videbo eum antequam mo- > I'ulgatc {Bazel. ISS7)- 26 Et nunciauerunt ei, dicentes loseph {filius tu us) uiuit; & ipse domina- . tur in omni terra ^gypti. Quo audito lacobj quasi de graui somno euigilans, tamen non credebat eis. — 27 Illi econtra referebant 3mnem ordinera rei. Wiclif {Forshall and Madden), 1380. 26 and telden to hym, and seiden, Joseph, thi sone, lyueth, and he is lord in al the lond of Egipt. And whanne this was herd, Jacob wakide as of a greuouse sleep; netheles he bileuyde not to hem. 27 Thei telden Luther {1323)' 26 tJhd verkttndigten ihm, undsprachen: Joseph lebet noch, und ist ein Herr im ganzen Egypten- lande. Aber sein Herz gedachte gar viel anders, denn er glaubte ihnen nicht. 27 Da sagten sie ihm Pagninui [rj28). 26 Et nunciaverunt ei, dicendo; Adhuc Joseph vivit & ipse dominatur in universa terra ^gypti. Et debilitatum est cor ejus, quia non credebat eis. 27 Et locuti sunt ad eum omnia verba Joseph, qu88 Tyndale {T S3 o)' 26 ... I and tolde him saynge. Joseph is yet a lyue and is gouerner ouer all the land of i€gipt«. And Jacobs hert wauered I for he beleued the not. 27 And they tolde hiOi all the wordes of Joseph which he had sayde unto Cumque uidisset plaustra '& tiniuersa quae miserat, reubcit spiritus eius,— 28 et ait, Sufficit mihi si ad huc loseph filius meus ui uit: uadam & uidebo ilium antequam moriar. aghenward al the ordre ofthe thing; and whanne Jacob hadde seyn the waynes, and all thingis whiche Joseph hadde sent, his spirit lyuede aghen, and he seide, 28 It suffi- sith to me, if Joseph my sone lyueth ynit, Y schat go and Yschal se hym be fore that Y die. alle Worte Josephs, die er zu ihnen gesagt hatte. Und da er sah die Wagen, die ihm Joseph gesandt hatte, ibn zu fiihren; ward der Geist Jakobs, ihres Vaters, lebendig. 28 Und Israel sprach: Ich habe genug, dass mein Sohn Joseph noch lebet; ich will hin, und ihn se- hen, ehe ich sterbe. focutus fuerat ad eos: & vidit currus quos miserat Joseph ad deportandun\ eum; & revixit spiritus pa tris eorum. 28 Dixitque Israel: Suf- ficit; adhuc Joseph filius meus vivit; ibo, & videbo eum, antequam moriar. them. But when he saw the charettes which Jo seph had sent to carie him I then his sprites re- viued. And Israel savde. 28 I have ynough | Yf Joseph my sonne be yet alyue: I will goo and se him [ yer that I dye. Zurich {Froschouer, fo.y 1531)- 26 Also zugend sy auss von Egypten, vnnd kam- end ins land Canaan zu jrem vatter Jacob | vnnd verkllndigetend es jm, vnnd sprachend; Deyn sun Joseph labt noch, vnnd ist ein herr im gan- tzen Egypten land. Aber sein hertz schwancket, dann er glaubt es jnen nit. 27 Do sagten sy jm alle wort Josephs, die er zu jnen geredt hatt. Vnnd do er sach die wagen die ihm Joseph gesendet hat jnn zefUren, ward seyn geyst labendig, z8 vnnd sprach: Ich hab gnug das meyn sun Joseph noch Ijibt, ich wil hin, vnd jn sehea ee ich sterb. Olivetan {rSSS)- 26 et luy racopterent disans: loseph vit encore I lequel domine en toute la terre de Egypt. Et son coaur luy evanuyt: car il ne leur adioustoit point de foy. 27 Et ilz luy di- rent toutes ses parosles que Joseph leur avoit dit. Puis veit les chairs que Joseph avoit enuoye pour remporter. Et le sperit reuint a Jakob leur pere. 28 Adonc Israel dit: II suffit I puis que Joseph mon nls" vit encore. Ie iray et le verray deuant que ie meure, t OmerdaU, {iSSS)- 26 ... . and tolde him and sayde: Thy sonne Jo seph is yett alyue and is a lorde in all the lande of vEgipte. But his hert wauered, for he beleued them not, 27 The tolde they him all the wordes of Joseph, which he had sayde unto them. And when he saw ye charettes that Joseph had sent to fetch him, his sprete re uyued, 28 and he sayde, I haue ynough that my sonne Joseph is yet a liue I wil go, and se him, be fore I dye. Matthew {iS37)- 26 & told him say inge. Jo seph is yeta lyue andisgou- erner ouer all the land of Egypte. And Jacobs hert wauered | for he beleued the not. 27. And they tolde him all the wordes of Joseph which he had sayde unto them. But when he saw the charettes whych Joseph had sent to carye him | then his sprites reuiued. 28 And Israel sayde. I haue ynough | yf Joseph my sonne be yet alyue: I will goo and see hym | yer that I dye." Cranmer {iS39) {Ca- •wood's ed., I J 68). 26 They departed there- J^ fore from Egypt and came fjT into the land of Canaan ^ vnto Jacob theyr father ^ I & tolde hym, sayinge: " Joseph is yet alyue, ahd is ^^ gouernour ouer all the • Lande of Egypte. And Jacobs hart wauered, for hee beleued theym not, 27 And they tolde hym all the wordes of Joseph, which he had sayde vnto them. And when hesawe the charettes, whiche Jo seph had sent to cary hym, the spyrite of Jacob theyr father reuyued. 28 And Israeli sayde: I haue ynoughe, that Joseph my sonne is yet alyue: I wil go and see him ere that I X dye. < Tavemer ffS39)- 26 ... . and tolde hym, sayenge, Joseph is yet a lyue, and is gouvernour ouer all the lad of ^Egypte. And Jacobshert was trou bled, but he beleued them not. 28 And they tolde him all the wordes of Jo seph, which he had sayde unto them. But when he sawe the charettes which Joseph had sent to carye him, then his sprytes re uyued. 28 And Israel sayde, I haue ynoughe, yf Joseph my sonne be yet alyue: I will go and sc hym, or that I dye. Castalio {ed. Basel, rSSrJolio). 26 Qui postquam ex Egypto in Chananaaam ad patrem suum lacobum peruenerunt, narrant ei, losephum adhuc in uiuis esse, & principatum tenere in omni ./Egypto. Ad quem ille nuncium exani- matus, fidem eis non ha bebat. 27 Sed cum illi omnia losephi uerba ex- ponerent, quibus apud eos usus esset, simulque missa a losepho uehicula ad se uehendum conspiceret, collegit ipse se, z8 et, satis est, inquit Israel : post quam uiuit adhuc filius meus losephus, adibo, eumque uidebo antequam moriar. Usque {1SS3) {Amster- darn, 539o-S4^(>-) 26 Y denunciaron a el por dezir, aun Yoseph bibo, y quel el podestan en toda tierra de Egypto; y debilitose su coracon que no creia a ellos. 27 Y hablaron a el a todas palabras de Yoseph que hablo d ellos, y vido a las carretas que embi6 Yoseph por llevar £ el, y rebivio espiritu de Yaa- cob su padre. 28 Y dixo Ysrael, basta aun Yoseph mi hijo bivo? andarS y verloe en antes que muera, Geneva {isdo). 26 And tolde him, say ing, loseph is yet aliue, and he also is gouerner ouer all the land of Egypt, and laakobs heart Ifailed: for he beleued them not. 27 And thei tolde him all the wordes of loseph, which he had said vnto them: but when he sawe the charets which loseph had sent to cary him, then the spirit of laakob their father reuiued. 28 And Israel said, 1 haue ynough: loseph my sone is yet aliue; I wil go and se nim yer I dye. 1 As one betwene hope andfeare. Bishops {Jugge, iS74)- 26 And tolde him, say ing, Joseph is yet aliue, and is gouernour ouer al the lande of Egypt. And Jacobs hart "wauered, for he ibeleeued them not. 27 And they tolde him all the wordes of Joseph, whiche he had sayde vnto them : And when he sawe the charrettes which Jo seph had sent to cary hym, the spirite of Jacob theyr father reuiued. 28 And Israel sayde, (/ haue) 2yenou^h that Jo seph my sonne is yet aliue: I wyl goe, and see him yer that I dye. " Was loosed. 1 The aucthones of lyrs are scarce beleued when they tell tr ueth. 2 His loue tuas not de cayed by space of tyme. < >tdr Cassiodoro de Reyna, iBasUn {1 5 ^9-1 6 2 2). 26 Y dierOIe las nueuas diziedo, loseph biue aun: y e! es sefior entoda la tierra de Egypto: y su - coraQo se desmayo: que no los creya. 27 Y ellos le contaron Tremellius {iS7S-79)' 26 Cui quum renuncia- rent dicendo.adhuc loseph vivit, & ipsum prSBesse universflB terrsB jfegypti: defecit animus ejus, quia non credebat eis. 27 Sed quum eloquuti Valera {r86s)- 1602. 26 Y difironle las nuevas diciendo : Joseph vive aun : y 61 es sefior en toda la tierra de Egypto: y su corazon se desmayd, que no los creia. 27 Y ellos le contaron Diodati {Firenze, 1S68), 1607. 26 E gli rapportarono la cosa, d\ctx\&Q: Giuseppe vive ancora; e anche h rettore in tutto il paese di Egitto. E il cuore gli vennc meno; perciocchfi non rredeva loro. Douay {4io., 1610). 26 ... . And they told him saying, loseph thy sonne is lining: and he ruleth in al the Land of ./Egypt, Which when Ja cob heard, awaking as it were out of a heauie todas las palabras de lo- sepfa^ que el les auia ha- blado, y viedo el los car ros que loseph embiana paralleuarlo, el espiritu de iacob su padre rebiuib. 38 Entdces dixo Israel, Basta, au loseph mi hijo biue: yo yr6 y verlohfi antes que muera. essent apud eum omnia verba loseph^ quibus erat alloquutus ipsos, vidisset- que plaustra quiB miserat loseph ad deportandum ipsum, revixit spiritus la- hakobi patris eorum : 28 Et dixit lisrael, sufR- cit, adhuc loseph filius meus vivit: ibo & videbo eum antequam moriar. todas las palabras de Jo seph, que 61 les habia ha- blado: y viendo 6i los carros que Joseph enviaba para llevarle, el espiritu de Jacob su padre revivib. 28 Entonces dijo Israel: Basta; aun Joseph mi hijo vive: yo irfi y verle he fintes que muera. 27 Ma essi gli dissero tutte le parole che Giu seppe avea lor dette; ed egli vide i carri. che Gi useppe avea mandati per levari^; allora lo spirito si ravviv6 a Giacobbe, lor padre. 28 E Isr&ele disse: Basta, il mio figliuolo Giuseppe vive ancora; to andr<3, e lo vedro, avanti che io mu- Authorized Version iibii). 26 And told him say ing, Joseph is yet aliue, and he is gouernour ouer all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he beleeued them not. 27 And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said vnto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to cary him , the spirit of Jacob their fatiier reuiued. 28 And Israel said. It ia ynough; Joseph my Bonno is yet aliue; I will goe ind see him before I die. sleepe, notwithstanding did not beleeue them. 27 They on the contrarie side reported the whole order ofthe thing. And when he saw the waynes and al things that he had sent, his spirit reuiued, 28 and he said: It suffi ceth me if Joseph my sonne be liuing yet: I wil goe, and see lum before I dye. This table is designed to illustrate all that had been done in the way of translatidn until i6ir. King James's translators were probably ac quainted with all the versions given, and made use of not a few of their number. The order observed from Wiclif forward is strictly chronological. The extracts in almost every instance have been made from the first editions; they show at a glance the material available to the authors of each succeeding version. The uniform verse reference may be found useful. > < TABLE II.— JOHN I. 6-12. < Vulgate {Basel, ISS7)- Anglo-Saxon {995)' 6 Man wsbs fram Gode asend, dhSBs nssma wfes lohannes. 7 Dhes com to gewit nesse, dhast he gewitnesse cydhde be dham leohte, dhfet ealle men thurh hy ne gelyfoon. 8 NsBs he leoht, ac dhast he gewitnesse forth-bsBre be dham leohte. g Both leoht wffis, dhsBt onlyht selcne cumendne man on dhisne middan- eard. 10 He wies on mi'ddan- earde, and middan-eard W8BS geworht thurh hine, and middan-eard hine ne 6 Fuit homo missus a deo, cui nomen erat Io- annes. 7 Hie venit in testimo nium ut testimonium per- hiberet de lumine, ut om nes credereni per ilium; 8 non erat ille lux, sed ut testimonium perhiberet de lumine. 9 Erat lux uera quae il- luminat omnem hominem uenientem in hunc mun- dum: ID in mundo erat, Et mundus per ipsum factus est, & mundus eum non cognouit, II In propria uenit, & sui eum non receperunt: 12 quotquot autem re ceperunt eum, dedit eis potestatem filios dei fieri, his qui credunt in nomine eius. gecneow. II To his agenum he com, and hig hyne ne un- derfengon. 12 Sothlice swa hwylce swa hyne underfengon, he sealde him anweald dhsBt hig wSBron Godes beam, dham dhe gelyfath on his naman. Wiclif {1380). 6 A man was eente fro God, to whom the name was Ion, 7 this man cam in to wit- nessynge, that he schulde bere witnessynge of the ligt, that alle men schulde bileue bi hym, 8 he was not the ligt, but that he schulde bere witnessynge of the ligt, q ther was a verri ligt, whiche ligtneth eche man that cometh in to this world. 10 he was in the world, and the world was made bi hym: and the world knewe hym not, 1 1 he cam in to his owne thingis: hise resceyueden hym not: 12 but how many euer resceiueden hym: he gaf to hem power to be made the sones of God, to hem that bileueden in his name. Wiclif {1389). 6 A man was sent fro God, to whom the name wasjoon. 7 This man cam in towit- nessinge, that he schulde bere witnessinge of the ligt, that alle men schulden biteue bi him. 8 He was not the ligt, but that he schulde bere witnessing of the ligt. 9 It was verri ligt,which ligtneth ech man comynge into this world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was maad bi him, and the world knew him not. 1 1 He cam in to his own thingis, and hise receyued- en not him. 12 Forsothehow manye euere receyueden him, he gaf to hem power for to be maad the sones of God, to hem that bileuen in hi& name. Rhemes {1382). 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was lohn. 7 This man came for testimonie: to giue testi monie of the light, that al might beleeue through him. 8 He was not the light, but to giue testimonie of the light. 9 It was the true light, which lighteneth euery man that commeth into this world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. II He came into his ovvne, and his owne re- ceiued him not. 12 But as many as re- ceiued him, he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God, to those that beleeue in his name. Douay {Haydock) {1848). Luther{vonGebhardt,i88i) Erasmus[3d.ed){iS32). {IS22). 6 There was a man sent 6 Es ward ein Mensch 6 Erat homo missus & from God whose name was von Gott gesandt, der hiess deo, cui nomen lohannes. John. Johannes. 7 Hie uenit ad testifican- 7 This man came for a 7 Derselbige kam zum dum, ut testaretur de luce, Zurich {fo., lS3r). 6 Es war aber ein mennsch vonn Gott ge sandt, der hiess Johannes, 7 The same came as a 7 derselb kam zur zeug- Tyndale {ts 30). 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was Jhon. > witness, to bear witness of the light, that all men might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but was to bear witness of the light. Q That was the true light which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world. lo He was in the world, and the world was made ' by him, and the world knew him not. II He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as re ceived him to them he gave power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name. Tyndale {t S3 4)- 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. y The same cam as a witness to beare witness of the lyght, that all men through him myght be- leve. 8 He was not that lyght: but to beare witness ofthe lyght. Q That was a true lyght, which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde. zo He was in the worlde. Zeugniss, dass er von dem Licht zeugete, auf dass sie alle durch ihn glaubten. 8 Er war nicht das Licht, sondem dass er zeugete von dem Licht. 9 Das war das wahr- haftige Licht, welches alle Menschen erieuchtet die in diese Welt kom- men. IO Er war in der Welt, und die Welt is durch dasselbige gemacht; und die Welt kannte es nicht. II Er kam in sein Ei- genthum. und die Seinen nahmen ihn nicht auf. 12 Wie viele ihn aber aufnahmen, denen gab er Macht Gottes Kinder zu werden, die an seinen Namen glauben. Great Bible {fo., iS39\ 6 There w^ sent from God a man, whose name was lohn. 7 The same cam as a wytnes to beare wytness ofthe lyght, that all men through hym myght ie- iLue. 8 He was not that lyght : but was sent to beare wyt nes of the lyght. 9 That lyght was the true lyght, whych lyght eth euery man that com eth into the worlde. ut omnes crederent per ipsum. 8 Non erat ille lux ilia, sed tnissus erat ut testaretur de luce. 9 Erat lux ilia, lux uera: quae illuminat omnem hominem uenientem in mundum. 10 In mundo erat, & mundus per ipsum factus est, & mundus eum non cognouit. 11 In sua uenit, & sui eum non re ceperunt. 12 Quotquot autem receperunt eum, dedit eis ut liceret filios dei fieri, uidelieet his qui credidissent in nomen ip sius. Taverner {fo., IS49)- 6 Ther was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came as a wytnes to beare wytnes of the light, that all men through him myght be- leue. 8 He was not that lyght, but to beare witnes of the lyght. 9 That was a true lyght, which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde. 10 He was in the worlde. witnes, to beare witnes of the light, that all men through him myght be- leve. 8 He was nott that light, but to beare witnes of the light. 0 That was a true light, which lighteneth all men that come into the worlde. 10 He was in the!worlde, and the worlde by him was made, and the worlde knewe hym not. II He cam into his awne, and his receaved him not. 12 Vnto as meny as re ceaved him, gave he pow er to be the sonnes of God, in that they beleved on his name. Geneva {i2mo., IS57)' 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was lohn. 7 The same came for a wytnes, to beare wytnes of the light, that all men through hym might be- leue. 8 He was not that light, hyAwas sent to beare wyt nes of the light. 9 That was that true ly&ht. which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde. nuss, das er von dem liecht zeugete, auflf das sy alle durch es glaubtind. 8 Er was nitt das liecht, sunder das er zeugete vonn dem liecht. 9 Das was ein waar liecht, welchffi alle men schen erieuchtet durch sein zukunfft in dise welt. 10 Es war in der welt, vnd die welt ist durch das sel- big gemachet, vnd die weltkannt es nit. ix Er kam in seyn eygenthum, vii die seinen namend jn nit an. 12 Wie vii jn aber annamend, denen gab er macht kinder Gottes ze- werdenn: denen die an seinen namen glaubtend. > Geneva {4to., is^o). 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name v/as John, 7 The same came for a witnes, to beare witnes of the light, that all men through him might be- leue. 8 He was not that light, hutwas sent to beare wit nes of the light. 9 That was the true light, which lighteth eu- t^ erie man that cometh into |J, the worlde, ^ and the worlde was made by him : and yet the worlde knew him not. 1 1 He cam amonge his (awne) and his awne re ceaved him not. 12 But as meny as re ceaved him, to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleved on his name. Beza {Amsterdam, 1628) {is6s-i6ji). 6 Exstttit homo missus aDeo.cut nomenloannes: 7 Is venit ad dandum testimonium, id est, ut tes taretur de ilia Luce, ut omnes per eum crederent. 8 Non erat ille Lux ilia, sed missusfuit ut testare tur de ilia Luce. 9 Hie erat Lux ilia vera qu89 illuminat omnem ho minem venientem in mun dum. 10 In mundo erat, & mundus per eum factus est, sed mundus eum noir agnovit. II Ad sua venit, & sui eum non exceperunt. 12 Quotquot autem eum exceperunt, dedit eis hoc jus ut Filii Dei sunt facti. 10 He was in the worlde, and the world was made by hym: and the worlde knewe hym not. II He cam amonge hys awne, and hys awne re- ceaued him not. 12 But as many as re- ceaued hym to them gaue he power to be the sonnes of God: euen them that beleued on hys name. Bishops' ifa., is^8).^ 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of the lyght * that all men through hym myght beleue. 8 He was not that lyght; but was sent t to beare witnesse of the lyght. 9 That pyghtt] was the true lyght, which lyght eth every man that com meth into the worlde. 10 He wasin the worlde, and the worlde was made by hym, and the worlde knewe hym not. _ 1 1 He came among his owne,§ and his owne receaued hym not. and the worlde was made by him, and yet the worlde knewe him not. II He came amonge his (owne) and his owne re- ceiued him not. 12 But as manye as re- ceyued him, to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleued on his name. Cassiodoro {rs^g). 6 Fue vn homibre em- biado de Dios, el qual se llamaua loan. 7 Este vino por testi monio, para que diesse testimonio de la Lut?, para que todos creyessen por el. 8 El no era la Luz: sino para que diesse testimonio de la Luz. 9 Aquella Palabra era la Luz verdadera, que alumbra a todo hombre, que viene en este mundo. 10 En el mundo estaua, y el mundo fue hecho por el, y el mundo no lo cono- ci6. II A lo gtte era suyo vino: y los suyos no lo recibieron. 10 He was in the worlde, and the worlde was made by hym : and the worlde knewe him not. II He came among his owne, and his owne re ceaued him not. 12 But as many as re ceaued hym, to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleue in his name. Tomson {1380). 6 There was a man sent iro God, v^ose name v/as John. 7 The same came for a vritnes, to beare witnes of that light,, that al men through him might beleue. 8 He was not that light, but was sent to beare witnes of that Kght. 9 This was that true light, which lighteth eu- erie man that commeth into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him: and the world knew him n6t. II He came vnto his owne, and bis owne re- ceiued him not. 12 But as many as re- 10 He was in the worlde, and the worlde was made by him*: & the worlde knewe him not. II He came vnto his owne, and his owne re- ceiued him not. 12 But as many as re- ceiued him, to them he gaue power to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleue in his Name. * Or, are borne. Vmlera{i86s) {1602). 6 Fu6 un hombre envi- ado de Dios, el cual se llamabajuan. 7 Este vino por testi monio, para que diese tes timonio de la Luz. 8 El no era la Luz; mas fueenviado para que diese testimonio de la Luz. 9 Aguella Palabra era la Luz verdadera, que alumbra A. todo hombre, que viene en este mundo. 10 En el mundo estaba, y el mundo fu6 hecho por 61, y el mundo no le cono- ci6. II A la suyo vino; y los suyos no le recibieron. 12 Mas a todos los que Ie recibieron, di61es poder de ser hechos hijos de Dios, X >r nempe ub qui credunt m 12 But as many as le- 12 Mas el todos los que celued him, to them he cstoes.i. los que creen en nomen ejus. ceaued hym, to them gaue Io recibieron. dioles potes- gaue prerogatiue to be the su nombre. he power to be the sonnes tad de ser hechos hijos Sonnes of God, euen to of God, euen them 11 that de Dios, a los que creen them that beleue in his beleuedlf on his name. en su Nombre. Name. 1 Changes in Bishops' {tS74} '• * that he should beare witnesse of the. t {tvas sent), t {fyg/it). § in to his owne. II {etfen io). % beleeued. Diod. {Fir., i868){i6o7). Auth. Ver. {1611). Auth.Fer. {Blayney. 1769). Revision {1881). 6 Vi fu un uomo manda- to da Dio, il cui nomo era Giovanni. 7 Cestui venne per tes- timonianza, afin di testi- moniar della Luce, accio- ch6 tutti credesser per lui. 8 Egli non era la Luce, anzi era tnandaio per tes- timoniar della Luce. 9 Colui, che k la Luce vera, la quale allunilna ogni uomo che viene ncl mondo, era. 10 Era nel mondo, e il mondo 6 stato fatto per esso; ma il mondo non I'haconosciuto. II Egli h venuto in casa sua, e i suoi non I'han ri- cevuto. 12 Ma a tutti coloro che Than ricevuto, i quali credono nel suo norae, egli ha data questa ragi- one, d'esser fatti figliuoli di Dio. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was lohn. 7 The same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of the light, that all men through him might be leeue. 8 He was not that light, but was sent to beare wit nesse of that light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth eu ery man that commeth into the world. 10 Hee was in the world, and the world was made by hira, and the world knew him not. II He came vnto his owne, and his owne re- ceiued him not. 12 But as many as re- ceiued him, to them gaue hee power to become the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue on his Name. 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might be lieve. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear wit ness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth ev ery man that cometh into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. II He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 12 But as many as re ceived him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 0 There was the true light, even ihe light which lighteth every man, com ing into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. II He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be come children of Ood, even to them that believe on his name. > THE ENGLISH VERSIONS. CHAPTER I. ANGLO-SAXON VERSIONS. The statement, very frequently repeated, that the Anglo- Saxons were provided with a complete vernacular translation of the Bible, if not purely fictitious, is certainly unhistorical, for thus fer no such volume, although eagerly sought for, has been discovered, and it is very doubtful whether any will be discovered, because the existence of an entire Anglo-Saxon version is highly improbable. This applies only to an entire version — i. e., a translation of the whole Bible into Anglo- Saxon; it does not apply to portions of the Word of God which have been translated at different times and by different men. The Bible among the Anglo-Saxons was for all prac tical purposes a Latin book; it was quoted in Latin, and then, by way of explanation, turned into the native idiom. This is unquestionably the origin of those portions of the Scriptures in Anglo-Saxon which have come down to us. While there is abundant testimony that the Anglo-Saxon clergy were really anxious to spread a knowledge of the Bible, we have testimony equally clear showing that they were averse to its indiscriminate publication — e. g., in this extract from yElfric to j^thelwold, alderman {Prcefatio Gen esis Anglice, Ed. Thwaites, p. i): "Now it thinketh me, love, that that work (the translation of Genesis) is very dan gerous for me or any men to undertake; because I dread lest 2 The English Versions. some foolish man read this book, or hear it read, who should ween that he may live now under the new law, even as the old fathers lived then in that time, ere that the old law was established, or even as men lived under Moyses' law. " He then goes on to narrate how an illiterate instructor of his own dwelt upon Jacob's matrimonial connections with two sisters and their two maids. The absence of an Anglo-Saxon version of the whole Bible being thus partly accounted for, an explanatory word as to the term ' ' Anglo-Saxon " appears to be in place prior to ex amining the venerable monuments in our possession. Raske, in the preface to his grammar, commenting upon the state ment of the Venerable Bede, that from "Germany came the old Saxons, the Angles, and the Jutes," reaches the conclu sion that the Anglo-Saxon language was gradually formed by the intermingling of their dialects running parallel with the union of the tribes into one nation. The stages of its devel opment are: Anglo-Saxon proper, from the arrival of the Saxons to the irruption of the Danes; Dano-Saxon, from the Danish to the Norman invasion; and Norman-Saxon (en croaching upon the English), down to the time of Henry II. The printed documents do not exhibit a marked variation of dialect, although they show the development of the language. One of the oldest and most interesting monuments of Anglo-Saxon Christianity is a runic inscription on a cross at Ruthwell in Dumfriesshire, which was for the first time de ciphered in 1838 by Mr. John Kemble as part of a poem on the Crucifixion. The discovery, at Vercelli, of a MS. volume of Anglo-Saxon homilies containing a more complete copy of the same poem, has triumphantly confirmed Mr. Kemble's interpretation. The Ruthwell Cross (about a. d. 680), with the inscription, "Cadmon moe FAU.STH0," Contains some thirty lines of runes, which read as follows: — Anglo-Saxon Versions. Anglo-Saxon Original.* Geredje hinae God almeyotti|; tha he walde on galgu gi-stiga modig fore (ale) men (ahof) ic riicnse cuningo heafunses hlaford hjelda ic(«)i darstee bismsersedu ungcetmen ta 3etgad(r}e ic (waes) mith blodaebistemid Krist waes on rodi hwethrae ther fisae fearran kwomu seththilae ti lanum ic thset al bi(;4)eal(i^) s(eoc) ic waes xm.(th) sorgu(w2) gi((/)rac(/i?)d mith strelum giwundaed alegdun hiae hinae limwse rignae gisloddun him (set) h(2j/)i cass(^) eaf (du)m. Verbatim Version. Ghded him God Almighty ¦when he would on gallows mount proud for all men I beared the rich King heaven's lord heel (over) I not durst mocked us men both together I was with blood besmeared Christ was on rood whither there confusedly afar they came the Prince to aid I that all beheld sick I was with sorrow grieved with arrows wounded laid down they him limb weary they stood (near) him (at) his corpse's head. Among the few remaining specimens of Anglo-Saxon of the earliest period is that subjoined "On the Origin of Things,'' given in two versions, by Caedmon, a monk of Whitby, who died in a. d. 680. The narrative of Bede {Hist. iv. 24) specifies that his origfin was very humble, that he did not even know poetry by heart, and that when, at the customary hall- gatherings, the harp came to his turn, he had to leave the table to hide his shame. On one occasion, after such a hu miliating scene, it was his duty to keep watch in the stable. * In tlie examples given the Anglo-Saxon letters are represented by their English equivalents, on the principle that th has the power of th in Min and Ming, dh that of M in Mine and smooM. G, gk, gg are used to give the power of ^ in ^ive, grt:A, and bi^: where the power of that letter comes nearest to y in j'car or day it is ex pressed^ or yy; sometimes they are used interchangeably. 4 The English Versions. but he fell asleep. In his slumber he heard a stranger call him by his name, saying, "Caedmon, sing me something." He pleaded inability, but the stranger continued, "Nay, but thou hast something to sing." "What must I sing? " asked Caedmon. ' ' Sing the Creation, " ran the reply, and then he began to sing verses ' ' he had never heard before, " and they are said to have been those which follow. When he awoke he not only was able to repeat them, but to continue in a similar strain. He was taken to the Abbess Hilda, who, as well as the learned men with her, listened to his story, and held that he had received the gift by inspiration. They ex pounded to him a portion of Holy Scripture, bidding him repeat it in verse; the next day he came with a poetic version of great beauty. This induced Hilda to invite him to enter her house as a monk; and it is said that, at her instance, he composed many Bible histories in verse. They were, of course, not properly translations, but poetical paraphrases. Poems of this description under the name of Caedmon were published by Junius at Amsterdam in 1655. Bede says that " He sang of the creation of the world, of the origin of man, of the whole history of Genesis, fi-om the exodus of Israel to the possession of the promised land, and of most of the his tories of the Holy Scriptures. " C^DMON. " On the Origin of Things." Reserved in Alfred! s Translation of Bede's Eccl. History, -written about A. D., 6yo. MS. by King Alfred, a. d. 885, at Literal English. Oxford.* " Nu we sceolan herian, " Now ought we to praise heofon-rices weard. heaven-kingdom's Warden (guard ian) metodes mihte. the Creator's might, * King Alfred probably composed these verses himself. Anglo-Saxon -Versions. and his mod-gethonc. and his mind's thought, wera wuldor-faeder. glory-Father of men ! swa he wundra gehwaes. how he of every wonder, ece dryhten. eternal Lord, oord onstealde, the begmning formed. he aerest gesceop. He first framed eordhan beamum. for earth's bairns (children) heofon to hrofe. heaven as a roof; halig scyppend. holy Creator ! tha middangeard. Then mid-earth, mon-cynnes weard. mankind's guardian, ece dryhten. Eternal Lord, aefter teode. afterward did (produced) firum foldan. for men the earth frea aelmihtig." Lord almighty ! " To the beginning of the eighth century belongs the Psalter of Aldhelm and Guthlac, which contains the Latin with an exceedingly minute interlinear Anglo-Saxon version. The text is the Roman psalter in use at Canterbury, whereas the Gallican text was used in other parts of England. It is said to be the identical copy sent by Pope Gregory to Augustine, A. D. 596. The translation is of much later date. It is among the Cotton MSS., marked Vespasian, A i. Next in order of time (a. d. 735) comes the Venerable Bede, who undertook the translation of the Gospel of St John "for the advantage ofthe Church" (see page 4). King Alfred's name is also mentioned in lists of scholars who at an early period translated the Bible into the vernacu lar. His labors seem to have been confined to the transla tion of isolated portions of Scripture. In his laws he trans lated many passages from Exodus xx. , xxi. , xxii. , and he is said to have been employed upon a regular translation of the Book of Psalms when he died (a. d. 901). His version ofthe Decalogue is here presented: The English Versions. EXTRACT FROM KrNG ALFRED'S ANGLO-SAXON CODE IN WILKINS'S Leges Anglo -Saxonicce, Anglo-Saxon, " Drihten waes sprecende thaes word to Moyse, and thus cwaeth: " Ic eam Drihten thin God. Ic the ut gelaedde of Aegypta londe and of heora theowdome. Ne lufa thu othre fremde godas ofer me. "Ne minne naman ne cig thu on idelnesse; forthon the thu ne bist unscyldig with me; gif thu on idelnesse cigst minne naman. *' Gemine that thu gehalgie thone feste (reste) daeg. Wyrceath eow syx dagas, and on tham seofothan restath eow, thu and thin sunu and thine dohter); and thine theore, and thin wylne, and thin weorcny ten ; and se cuma the bith binnan thinan durum. Fortham on syx dagum Christ geworhte heofenas and eorthan, saes, and ealle gesceafta the on him synd, and hine gereste on thone seofo than daege; and forthon Drihten hine gehalgode. ' Ara thinum faeder and thinre me- der; tha the Drihten sealde the, that thu sy thy leng libbende on eorthan. ' Ne slea thu. Ne stala thu. ' Ne lige thu deamunga. English. Lord was speaking these words to Moses, and said thus: I am the Lord thy God; I led thee out of the land of Egypt and its thraldom. Not love thou other strange gods over me. Not my name utter thou in vain; because Ihou art not guiltless with me, if thou in vain utterest my narae. Mind that thou hallow the festal (sabbath) day. Work ye six days, and on the seventh rest ye, thou and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy man-servant, and thy maid-servant, and thy cattle, and those who come with in thy doors; because in six days Christ created heaven and earth, seas, and all creatures that in them are, and rested on the sev- enth day, and therefore the Lord hallowed that day. Honor thy father and thy mother, whom the Lord gave thee, that thou be long living on earth. Not slay thou. Not steal thou. Not commit thou adultery. Ne ssge thu lease gewitnesse with Not say thou false witness against thinum nehstan. thy neighbor. " Ne wilna thu thines nehstan yrfes Not desire thou thy neighbor's in- mid unrihte. heritance with unright (wrong fully). " Ne wyrc thu the gyldene godas, Not work thou thee golden gods, oththe seolfrene." or silvern Anglo-Saxon Versions. 7 Examination of the subjoined versions of the Lord's Prayer in Anglo-Saxon, will show the changes in the lan guage. Respecting some literal differences, it is difficult without the manuscripts at hand to verify them. This ap plies especially to the letters R and S, which are very similar in Anglo-Saxon, and on that account frequently confounded by transcribers. The interlinear translation added to No. 3 will suffice to explain the rest. THE lord's PRAYER. I. Anglo-Saxon version, by Eadfride, eighth bishop of Lindisfarne, about a. d. 700. " Fader uren thu in Heofnas, Sie gehalgud Nama thin, To Cymeth ric thin; Sie iillo thin suae is in Heofne and in Eortha. Hlaf useme oferwirtlic sel us to daeg ; And forgef us scyltha uma suae we forgefon scylgum urum. And ne inlead writh in Cosnunge. Al gefrigurich from evil." II. Anglo-Saxon version, firom the Gospels of Mareschall and Junius, about a. d. 890. " Faeder ure thu the eart on heofennm. Si thin nama gehalgod; To becume thin rice. Gewurthe thin willa on eorthan swa swa on heofenum. Ume daeghwamlican hlaf syle us to daeg; And forgyf us ure gyltas, swa swa we forgifadh urum gyltendum ; And ne galsed thu us on costnunge. Ac alys us of yfele. Sothlice." III. Anglo-Saxon Lord's Prayer, by Alfred, bishop of Durham, a. d. 900. "Uren fader dhic ardh in heofiias, sic gehalged dhin noma, to cymedh Our father which art in heavens, be hallowed thine name, come 8 The English Versions. dhin ric, sic dhin uuilla sue is in heofnas and in eordho. Vren hlaf thy kingdom, be thy will so as in heavens and in earth. Our loaf ofer uuirthe sel vs to daeg, and forgef vs scylda uma, sue uue supersubstantial give us to day, and forgive us debts our, so we forgefan sculdgun vrum, and no inlead vridh in costnung, al forgive debts ours, and do not lead us into temptation, but gefrig vrich from ifle." deliver everyone from evil. IV. Semi-Saxon Lord's Prayer, from a MS. of the early part ofthe thirteenth century, ReliquicB Antiques, i. 235. "Fader oure that art in heve, i-halgeed bee thi nome, i-cume thi kine- reiche, y-worthe thi wylle also is in hevene so be on erthe, oure ich- dayes-bred gif us to-day, and forgif us our gultes, also we forgifet oure gultare, and ne led ows nowth into fondingge, auth ales ows of harme. So be hit." V. Semi-Saxon metrical Lord's Prayer, from a MS. of the thirteenth century, Reliquim AntiqucB, i. 57. " Ure fader in hevene riche,' Thi name be haliid ever i-liche, Thu bringe us to thi michil blisce, Thi wille to wirche thu us wisse, Als hit is in hevene i do Ever in eorthe ben it al so, That holi bred that lesteth ay Thu send hit ous this ilke day. Forgive ous alle that ue havith don, Als ue forgivet uch othir man, Ne lete us falle in no fondinge, Ak scilde us fro the foule thinge." Guthlac, the Saxon anchoret of Croyland, who died in A. D. 714, is the reputed author of a version of the Psalms, which (or one very similar to it) is preserved between the lines of a very old Roman psalter, considered to be one of the identical books sent by Gregory to Augustine, archbishop of Canterbury. Anglo-Saxon Versions. 9 Aldhelm, first abbot of Malmesbury, and afterwards bishop of Sherborne, made another version of the Psalms about a. d.^ 706, which has been identified with one discovered in the Royal Library at Paris. The first fifty psalms are in prose, the rest in metre. (It has been published under the title. Liber Psalmorum, versio Latina antiqua cum paraphrasi Anglo- Saxonica, etc., by Benjamin Thorpe, Oxon. 1835.) The following is a specimen: PSALM cm. 1-12. I. Bletsa, mine sawle, blidhe drihten; and call min inneran his thaene ecean naman ! 2. Bletsige, mine sawle, bealde dryhten ! ne wylt thu ofergeottul aefre weordhan. 3. He thinum mandaedum miltsade eallum; and thine adle ealle gehaelde. 4. He alysde thin lif leof of forwyrde ; fylde thinne willan faegere raid gode. 5. He the gesigefaeste sodhre miltse and the mildheorte mode getrymede; eart thu eadnowe eame gelicast on geogudhe nu gleawe geworden. 6. Hafast thu milde mod, mihta strange drihten, doraas eallum the deope her and ful treaflice teonan tholian. 7. He his wegas dyde wise and cudhe Moyse tham maeran on maenige tid; Swylce his willan eac werum Israhela. 8. Mildheort thu eart and mihtig, mode gethyldig, ece dryhten, swa thu a w«re, is thin milde mod mannum cydhed. g. Nelle thu odh ende yrre habban, ne on ecnesse the awa belgan. 10. Na thu be gewyrhtum, wealdend, urum wommum wyrhtum woldest us don, ne aefter urum unryhte awhaer gyldan. 1 1 . Forthon thu aefter heahweorce heofenes thines mildheortnysse mihtig drihten, lustum cydhdest tham the lufedon the. 10 The English Versions. 12. Swa thas foldan faedme bewindedh, thes eastrodor and aefter west. He betweonau tham teonan and unriht us fram afyrde aeghwasr symble, etc. There are still extant two copies of the Gospels in Latin, written in Roman uncials, which Gregory the Great sent to Augustine, the one in the library of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, and the other in the Bodleian, Oxford. The latter is the original from which numerous copies have been made. It is the old Latin version, the Vetus Italica, not the Vulgate, and the Anglo-Saxon version was made from it. This is clear from a few examples: MATT. XXVII. 32. Vetus Ital. Invenerunt hominem. Cyrcnieum, venientem obviam illis. Vulgate. Invenermit hominem Cyrenceum. Anglo-Saxon. Dh4 gemStton hig aenne Cyreniscne man, cumende heom togdnes. MATT. xxiv. 41. Vetus Ital. Duo in lecto, unus assumetur, et unus relinquetur. Vulgate. Wanting. Anglo-Saxon. Twegen beoth on bedde, dn byth genumen, and odher byth laefed. LUKE xv. 8. Vetus Ital. Et evertit domum, Vulgate. Et everrit domum. Anglo-Saxon. And iwent hyre hris. The same applies to Matt xxii. 14, where the whole verse ofthe Vulgate: Multi enim sunt vocati, paucivero electi, is want ing in the Vetus Italica and the Anglo-Saxon. It is not improbable that the copy of the Vetus Italica in the Bodleian is that from which the Anglo-Saxon version was made, but it is not possible to indicate with a degree of certainty the date when, and by whom, it was made. It is known on the authority of Cuthbert, that the Venerable Anglo-Saxon Versions. ii Bede was translating St John's Gospel when he died (May 27» 735) but evidence is wanting to show that the first trans lation of the Gospels, and Bede's, have come down, to us. Cuthbert's description of the last day of Bede's life is very touching. "When the morning dawned he told us to write diligently what we had begun. This being done, one of us said, 'There is yet, beloved master, one chapter wanting; will it be unpleasant to be asked any more questions ? ' He answered, 'Not at all. Take your pen and write with speed. ' He did so. At the ninth hour he said to me, ' I have some valuables in my little chest; fetch them that I may distribute my small presents.' He addressed each and exhorted to prayer. We wept In the evening his pupil said, 'Dear master, one sentence is still wanting.' 'Write it quickly,' exclaimed Bede. When it was finished, he said, 'Support me while I go to the holy place, where I can pray to my Father. ' When he was placed there, he repeated the Gloria Patri, and expired in the eff'ort " ANGLO-SAXON MANUSCRIPTS OF THE GOSPELS. I. B.,* or MS. No. CXL. in Corpus Christi College, Cam bridge, assigned to a. d. 990-1030. At the end of St Matthew occurs this note, written in the same style of let ter as the MS., though of later date: Ego Ael/ricus scripsi hunc librum in Monasterio Badhonio, et dedi Briht-woldo Pre- posito. Many vowels are accented. 2. C, or MS. Ii. 2. II, in the University of Cambridge, is in small folio, assigned to the time of the Conquest, or to a still earlier period, very valuable on account of its grammati cal accuracy and excellent west Saxon orthography, and of its being the only copy with the rubrics complete. Many vowels are accented. One of the blank leaves, in 1865, at * For much of this information 1 am indebted to Bosworth, Gothic and Anglo- Saxon Gospels, etc., London, 1865, 12 The English Versions. the end of the volume, contained the note: Hunc textum Euangeliorum dedit Leofricus episcopus ecclesice Sancti Petri Apostoli in Exonia ad utilitatem successorum suorum; followed by this entry in a similar Anglo-Saxon hand of somewhat later date: Das boc Leof ric biscop gef Sancto Petro and eallum his aftergengum into Exancestre Gode mid to dhenienne. It was presented to Archbishop Parker in 1566, who wrote in it "Matthaeus Cantuar: 1574," and "Continet pag. 401." The Gospels run from p. i to p. 343; Pseudo-Evangelium Nichodemi, pp. 344-383, and Nathanis fudcei Legatio Fabu- losa ad Tiberium Casarem, pp. 383-401. Wanley, Catalogue of Anglo-Saxon MSS., etc., 1705, gives the following ac count: Cod. membr. in fol. min. circa tempus Conquisitionis AnglicR scriptus, in quo habentur. I. Evangelia quatuor Anglo- Saxonicl ... II. pag. 344, Gesta Salvatoris nostri, sive Pseu do-Evangelium Nichodemi . . . III. Nathanis fudcei Legatio Fabulosa ad Tiberium CcBsarem. . . . Fronte Cod, habentur hm qucB sequuntur Inscr iptiones. Hunc textum Euangeliorum, etc. (as above). Thas Boc Leofric, etc. (as above). Manu autem neoterica, Hunc Codicem Evangeliorum Gregorius Dodde, De- canus Ecclesice Exoniens. Cum assensu fratrum suorum Canon- icorum dono dedit MatthcEO Cantuariensi Archiepiscopo, qui ilium in hanc novam formam redigi and ornari curavit. 1 566. 3. C, Cotton Library, British Museum, Otho C. i. was (in 1704) in a perfect state from Matt xxvii. 6, but so much injured by the fire of Oct 23, 1731, that it looked like a charred mass; thanks to the judicious directions of Sir Fred eric Madden the saved portions have been so mounted that the MS., bound in two large folio volumes, can be easily consulted. The first folio now is number 26, twenty-five folios have been lost. 4. H., or the Hatton MS. No. 38 in the Bodleian, Ox ford, a large 8°, on vellum, in a beautiful upright hand, about the time of Henry II. The Gospels are arranged in the Anglo-Saxon Versions. 13 order: Mark, Luke, Matthew, John. The archbishop's son, Rev. John Parker, wrote the missing leaf, Luke xvi. It has only few accents and there is only one rubric in Anglo-Saxon at the beginning of St John: "Her onginth dhaet god spell dhe Johannes se godspellere gewrat on Pathmos dham eiglande." 5., or MS. RL, Royal Library, British Museum, I. A. XIV., 8", of somewhat earlier date than the Hatton MS., has only few accents, and presents the Gospels in the order: Mark, Matthew, Luke, John. St Mark begins: Initium Sci. Euangelii secundum Marcum, Her ys Godspelles angin, Halendes Cristes Godes sune, swa awriten is on thas witegan bee Isaiam. St. Matthew: Her ongindh Matheus boc thas halga Godspelleres. — Begins, Sodhlice wel is to understanden that aefter Matheus gerecednysse her his oncneornysse boc Haelendes Cristes Dauides suna. St Luke: Nu we willadh her eow areccen Lucas boc dhaes halgan Godspelleres. — Begins, Fordham dhe wytodlice ma- nega thohte thare thinge wace ge endebyrden dhe on us gefylde sint, swa us betah ten tha the hit of frimdhe gesawon, and dhare spraece the nas waeron. The rubric to St John IS exactly like that in the Hatton MS. as given above. This MS. belonged to St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, and at one time to archbishop Cranmer, whose name appears on the upper margin of the first leaf 6. The Oxford MS. 441, in the Bodleian, is nearly related to Nos. I, 2, 3, above, in small folio, with some vowels accented, written before the Conquest, in a fine, bold Saxon character; the rubrics and a number of leaves upon new parchment are of later date. The first edition of the Anglo- Saxon Gospels, by John Foxe, 1571, was printed fi-om this MS., and it is likewise the basis of that by Junius and Marshall in 1665 (see below). 7. The Durham Book (Nero, D., IV., Cotton MSS., British Museum), so called because it belonged to the 14 The English Versions. dean and chapter of Durham, is also known as the St. Cuthbert Gospels, on the supposition that St Cuthbert used it; it is in Latin and Anglo-Saxon, the Latin was written by Eadfrith, bishop of Lindisfarne, about a. d. 687, and the interlinear, verbal, Anglo-Saxon gloss was added by Aldred, a priest of Holy Isle between 946 and 968. This book contains the four Gospels, and the Gospel of St Mat thew in Anglo-Saxon of this version, and in Gothic from the Co dex Argenteus, was published by Rev. Samuel Henshall, 1807. 8. The Rush-worth Gloss, so called from the name of a former owner, in the Bodleian Library, is of about the same age as the former. Like the Durham Book, it is interlined, the Anglo-Saxon word appearing directly over the corresponding Latin. It was made by Farmen and Owen. Farmen executed St Matthew, as is clear from the subscription, which runs, "Farmen presbyter thas boc thus gleosode," i. e., Farmen, presbyter, thus glossed (in terpreted) this book. The remainder is the work of Owen, according to his subscription: "The min bruch gebidde fore Owen the thas boc gloesede Faermen, thaem preoste aet Harawada;" "He that of mine profiteth bede [pray] he for Owen that this book glossed [and] Faermen the priest at Harewood." To this the transcriber added his own subscription in these words, written in Saxon char acters: Macregol depincxit hoc Evangelium, quicumque legerit et intellegerit islam narrationem orat pro Macreguil scriptori. It has been justly inferred from these subscriptions that vernacular versions were not prohibited at the time, and that the transcriber thought it a good work, deserving the prayers of the reader. This version is peculiarly in teresting fi-om the fact that its text agrees with that of the Codex Bezae where it differs from the Textus Re- ceptus. The statement of Plumptre, that this version was edited by Foxe, the martyrologist, is a mistake. St Mat- Anglo-Saxon Versions. 15 thew in the Rushworth Gloss may be regarded as an in dependent version; the other three Gospels are in the main transcripts of the Durham Book. The Surtees So ciety has published St Matthew, edited by Rev. Jos. Stev enson, M.A., 1854; St Mark, 1861; St Luke, 1863; and St John, 1865, edited by G. Waring, M.A. Four Anglo- Saxon versions of St. Matthew in parallel columns, begun by Mr. Kemble, and completed by Mr. Hardwicke in 1858, exhibit the text of B., C.C.C, Cambridge, of MS. 38, in the Bodleian (the Hatton MS. ), the interlinear Lindisfarne, and the Rushworth vvfithout the Latin. One of the Cotton MSS., marked Vespasian, D. VI. , belonging to the tenth century, contains a partial gloss of the Book of Proverbs, the version being inserted be tween the lines of a Latin copy through a considerable portion of the book. Toward the close of the tenth century JElfric — whose writings place him in the front rank of his age, and whose history is shrouded in an obscurity for which he is un questionably indebted to the odium theologicum of the Ro mish fi-atemity — executed in popular form paraphrases of the Pentateuch, Joshua, and Judges; part of the history of the Kings, as found in the six historical books (Sam uel, Kings, and Chronicles); Esther, Job (perhaps), Ju dith, and the two books of Maccabees. Of these, the Pen tateuch, Joshua, Judges, Job, and part of Judith were printed in 1698-9. It goes by the name of Heptateuch, i, e. , the five books of Moses and the Books of Joshua and Judges. Horne says fhat the version was made by yElfric, archbishop of Canterbury, a mistake, for the .iElfric in question was abbot of Peterborough, in 1004, and archbishop of York in 1023. The Book of Job was printed from a transcript of a MS. in the Cotton Library, and the apocryphal gospel of Nico- i6 The English Versions. demus from Junius's copy of the original MS. in the Li brary of C.C.C, Cambridge; the version of the fragment of the Book of Judith is Dano-Saxon. The title of this rare book is Heptateuchus, Liber fob, et Evangelium Nicodemi, Anglo- Saxonice, Histories fudith Fragmentum, Dano-Saxonice. Edidit nunc primum ex MSS. Codicibus Edwardus Thwaites. Oxoniae, 1698, 8vo. It has been reprinted by B. Thorpe, in Analecta Anglo- Saxonica (London, 1834), arranged as verse. He says, "The entire poem, of which it probably formed an inconsiderable portion, must have been a noble produc tion " (Pref viii.). Subjoined is a specimen of .iElfric's translation, trans cribed by Professor F. J. Child, Harvard College, from a copy of the Heptateuch in the College Library, for Mr. Condit's History of the English Bible (New York, 1882), with the Anglo-Saxon characters changed into their Eng lish equivalents. EXODUS XX. I . God spraec thus: 2. Ic eom Drihten thin God 4. Ne wire thu the agrafene godas. 5. Ne ne wurtha. Ic wrece faedera unriht wisnysse on beamum. 6. And ic do mildheortnysse thara the me lufiath, and mine bebodu healdath. 7. Ne nem thu Drihtnes naman on ydel; ne byth unscyldig se the his naman on ydel nemth. 8. Gehalga thone restedaeg. 9. Wire six dagas ealle thine weorc. 10. Se seofotha ys Drihtnes restedaeg thines Godes; ne vpirc thu nan weorc on tham da,ge, ne nan thara the mid the beo. II. On six dagon God geworhte heofenan and eorthan and sse and ealle tha thing the on him synd, and reste thy seofothan daege, and gehalgode hyne. 12. Arwurtha faeder and raodor. 13. Ne sleh thu. 14. Ne synga thu. Anglo-Saxon Versions. 17 15. Ne stel thu. 16. Ne beo thu on liesre gewitnysse ongen thinne nehstan. 17. Ne wUna thu thines nehstan buses, ne thu his wifes, ue his wyeles, ne his wylne, ne his oxan, ne his assan, ne nan thara thinga the his synd.* The Heptateuch was translated from the Latin, and IE\- fric says in the preface to Genesis: "Nothing should be written in the English but what is found in the Latin, nor should the order of the words be changed, except when the Latin and English modes of expression differ. For he who interprets, or translates from the Latin into English, should carefully preserve the English idiom, or else those who are unacquainted with the idiom of the Latin may be led into many errors." And as to the object contemplated in the translation, he says, in the homily On Reading the Scriptures, "Whoever would be one with God, must often pray, and often read the Holy Scriptures. For when we pray, we speak to God; and when we read the Bible, God speaks to us. The read ing of the Scriptures produces a twofold advantage to the reader. It renders him wiser, by informing his mind; and also leads him from the vanities of the world to the love of God. The reading of the Scriptures is truly an honorable employment, and greatly conduces to the purity of the soul. For as the bocjy is nourished by natural food, so the sub- limer man, that is, the soul, is nourished by the divine sayings, according to the words of the Psalmist: 'How sweet are thy words unto my taste ! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth.' Happy is he, then, who reads the Script ures, if he convert the words into actions. The whole of the Scriptures are written for our salvation, and by them we obtain the knowledge of the truth. The blind man * Sec on the origin of the mutilated form ofthe Decalogue, p. iQ. B i8 The English Versions. stumbles oftener than he who sees; so he who is igno rant of the precepts of Scripture oflfends more frequently than he who knows them," each of them being without guide. * The following extracts from ^Elfric's Homilies (about a. d. 1040) illustrate how loosely the Old Testament was quoted in Anglo-Saxon: GENESIS III. "Tha cwaedh God, 'Nis na geda- fenlic thaet thes man ana beo and naebbe naenne fiiltum; ac utori ge- wyrcan liim gemacan, him to ful- tume and to frofre.' And God tlia geswefode thone Adam, and thatha he slep, dha genam he an rib of his sidan and geworhte of dham ribbe Knne wifman, and axode Adara hu heo hatan sceolde. Tha cwaedh Adam, 'Heo is ban of minum banam, and flaesc of minum fiaesce; beo hire name Uirago, thaet is fasm- ne; fordhan dhe heo is of hire were genumen.' Dha sette Adam eft hire odheme naman JEua., that is lif: fordhan dhe heo is calra lybbendra modor." Then said God, "It is not fitting that this man be alone, and have no help; now let us make him a, mate for help and comfort." And God then caused Adam to sleep, and as he slept, he took a rib from his side, and of that rib wrought a woman, and asked Adam how she should be called. Then said Adara, "She is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; be her name Virago, that" is, female; because she is taken from her husband." Then Adam afterwards bestowed on her another name, Eva, that is, life; because she is the mother of all living. In the Pentateuch, likewise ascribed to .iElfric, the text of the Ten Commandments reads: I. Ic eom Drihtin thin God. 2. Ne wire thu the agrafene Godas. Ne ne wurtha; ic wrece faedera unrihhtwisnysse on beamura, and ic do mildheortnysse tham the me lufath, and mine bebodu healdath. * Usserii, Hist. Dogm., pp. 378, 379, quoted by Townley, Bibl. Liter., i. p. 272, 373. Am. ed. Anglo-Saxon Versions. 19 3. Ne nem thu Drihtnes naman on ydel, ne byth unscyldig se the his naman on ydel nemth. 4. Gehalga thone restedaeg. Wire six dagas ealle thine weorc. Se seofotha ys Drihtnes restedaeg thines Godes; ne wire thu nan weorc on thara daege, ne nan thara the mid the beo. On six dagon God geworhte heofenan and eorthan and sae and ealle tha thing the on him synd, and reste thy seofothan dsege, and gehalgode hyne. 5. Arwurtha faeder and modor. 6. Ne sleh thu. 7. Ne synga thu. 8. Ne stel thu. 9. Ne beo thu on liesre gewitijysse ongen thinne nehstan. 10. Ne wilna thu thines nehstan buses, ne thu his wifes, ne his wyeles, ne his wylne, ne his oxan, ne his assan, ne than thara thinga the his synd." — Heptateuchus, etc., E. Thwaites, 1699. The mutilation of the Decalogue by the entire omission of the second commandment and the division of the tenth into two, is very old, to wit: " Primum praeceptum in Lege de colendo uno Deo: Non erunt, inquit, libi dei alii prceter me. Secundum praeceptum, Non accipies nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum. Tertium praeceptum, Memento diem Sabbati sanctificare eum. Quartum praeceptum est, Hoiwra patrem tuum et matrem tuam. Quintum praeceptum est, Non mcechaberis. Sextum praeceptum, Non occides. Sequitur, Non furaberis, praeceptum sep- timura. Octavura praeceptum, Falsum testimonium non dices, Nonura praeceptum, Non concupisces uxorem proximi tui. Decimura praeceptura, Non concupisces ullam rem proximi tui, non pecus, non possessionem, non subjugium, non aliquid omnino proximi tui concupisces." — S. Aug. Serm. viii., De decem Plagis et Prceceptis. MS. 441, in the Bodleian (No. 6 above) is the basis of the version, from an ante-hieronymian Latin text, which, at the suggestion and expense of Archbishop Parker, was printed under the care of John Foxe the martyrologist, under the title: The Gospels of the fower Euangelistes translated in the old Saxons tyme out of Latin into the vulgare toung of the Saxons, newly collected 20 The English Versions. out ofAuncient Monumentes of the sayd Saxons, and now published fof testimonie ofthe same at London. Printed by John Daye dwelling ouer Aldersgate, 1571. Cum Priuilegio Regice Maiestatis per Decennium. The Preface says: "We haue published especially to this end, that the said boke imprinted thus in the Saxons letters, raay remaine in the Church as a profitable example, and president of olde antiquitie, to the more confirmation of your gratious procedinges now in the Church agre- able to the same. Wherin as we haue to see how much we are beholden to the reuerend and learned father in God, Matthew, archbishop of Cant., a cheefe and famous trauailler in thys Church of England, by whose industrious diligence and learned labours, tliis booke, with others moe, hath bene collected and searched out ofthe Saxons Monumetes: so like wise haue we to vnderstand and conceaue, by the edition hereof, how the religion presently taught and professed in the Church at thys present, is no new reformation of thinges lately begonne, which were not before, but rather a. reduction of the Church to the Pristine state of old confor- mitie, which once it had." This edition was the first Anglo-Saxon book printed in England. The Anglo-Saxon version is accompanied by the Bishops', occasionally adapted to the earlier version. It was reprinted by Junius the younger and Marshall, London, 1638; and by the same editors in a more correct form, with the Gothic in parallel columns, at Dordrecht in 1665, and Amsterdam in 1684. The edition of Benjamin Thorpe: The Anglo-Saxon 'Ver sion of the Holy Gospels, London, 1835 (reprinted New York, 1846), rests for its text on the two Cambridge MSS., with occasional references to a MS. in the Bodleian, and another MS. in the British Museum. A very accurate and complete edition is that by Bos worth: The Gothic and Afiglo- Saxon Gospels in Parallel Columns, -with the Versions of Wyclif and Tyndale, with Pref ace and Notes, London, 1865; 2d ed., by Bosworth and Waring, London, 1874. Great pains have been bestowed on a collation of the best MSS. ''The Gospel according to St. Matthew (i 858, by Charles Hard- Anglo-Saxon Versions. 21 wick), and The Gospel according to St. Mark (1871, by Rev. W. W. Skeat, M.A.), according to St. Luke (1874, by the same), and according to St. fohn (1878, by the same), in Anglo-Saxon and Northumbrian Versions, synoptically ar ranged," etc., Cambridge, 4to. A very valuable and beau tiful edition with collations of the best manuscripts. The following is a specimen: MS.CCC.No.CXL. Wanley, Cat.,p. lib. 29 Gyf thin swydhre cage the aeswicie, ahola hit ut, and awurp hyt frara the: sodhlice the ys betere thaet 4n thinra liraa for- wurthe, thonne eal thin lichama si on helle asend. 30 And gyf thin swi dhre hand the as- wice, aceorf hi of, and awurp hi fram the: witodlice the ys betere thaet in thinra lima for- wurdhe, thonne ST. MATTHEW V. 2g, 30. MS. Hatton. Lindisfarne Gospels. Uffer line {Nero D. IK) Wan- Wanley, Caf.,p. 76. ley, p. 2SO. Lower line {Rush- -worth) gloss only. Gyf thin swidhre That gif dha sie + ego dhin 29 eage the aswikie, Quod si oculus tuus aholeke hit ut, & suidhre ondspymas dhe awerp hit fram the : dexter scandalizat te, sodlice the is betere gener-l-genim hine & thaet an tliinre lime erue eum et forwurdhe, thonne worp frora dhe behoflic is call thin licharae projice abs te: expedit syo on helle gesent. fordhon dhe thaette enim. tibi ut dead sie enne liomana pereat unum membrorum dhinra dhon all lich- tuorum, quam totum cor- oma dhin gesendad bidh pus tuum- mittatur in tintergo + in cursung. in gehenna. And gyf thin swi- & gif suidhra bond dhin 3c dhre hand the as- Et si dextera manus tua wike, acerf hyo of, ondspurnas dhe cearf & awerp hyo fram scandalizat te, abscide the: witodlice the hea & woip frora dhe is betere thaet an eam et projice abs te: thinre lima forwur- behofes fordhon dhe dhe, thanne all thin expedit enim tibi The English Versions. eal thin lichan.a fare to helle. lichama fare to helle. th^tte deadege enne ut pereat unum liomana dhinra dhon membrorum tuorum,quam. all lichoma dhin totum corpus tuum gaedh + fsredh in tintergo. eat in gehenna. Various Readings. 29, 6. A. aeswicige. II. B. awyrp. 22. A. limena. 23. A. forweordhe. 25. A. eall. 28. A. sig. 30. 12. A. aweorp. 24. A. forweordhe. 26. A. eall. 30. A. on. Various Readings. 29, aswicie; ahole; awyrp; thinra liraa for- wyrdhe; eal;- lich- araa; asend. 30, send; aswice; ace orf heo ; awyrp ; thonne eall; lich ama. 29. Gif thanne thin ege thaet swithre aswicadh the -ff^lle thee ahloca hit & awerp from dhe forthon the the betherfedh thast to lore weordhe an thine lioma thon ne all thin lichoraa siae sended in helle. 30. cS: gif seo swith re bond thin faelle+asswi- cadh dhec aceorf hiae & aweorp from the forthon the the bedhaerfeth thaet to lose wear the+lore beon au thine leoraan thonne eall thin lich oma gaeth in helle. There has also been published: H. C Leonard, A Trans lation of the Anglo-Saxon Version of St. Mark's Gospel, with Preface and Notes, London, 1881; this work I have not yet seen. The subjoined extracts, from Bosworth and Waring, may serve the purpose of presenting to the reader the extraordinary changes in the language of England from the close of the tenth century to that of the fourteenth, while the brief table exhibits the relation of Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, German, and English. The text of the Anglo-Saxon is based on manu script B., A. D. 995, collated with the rest, and that of Wiclif is the revised edition of a. d. 1389. Anglo-Saxon Versions. 23 ST. MATTHEW Anglo-Saxon, ggs- 31 He rehte him dhi gyt 6dher bigspel, dhus cwedhende, Heo- fena rice is geworden gelic sene- pes come, dhaet seow se man on hys aecre. 32 Dhaet is ealra saeda laest, s6th- lice dhonne hit wyxth, hit is ealra wyrta maest, and hit wyrth treow; sw4 dhaet heofnan fuhlas cumath, and eardiath on his bogum. XIII. 31, 32. Wiclif, 138 c). An other parable Jhesus putte 31 forth to hem, seiynge. The kyngdam of heuenes is like to a com of seneuey, the whiche a man takynge sewe in his feeld. The whiche trewly is leest of 32 alle seedis, but when it hath wexen, it is raost of alle wortis, and is maad a tree; so that brid- dis of the eyre cummen, and dwellen in bowis * therof. 13 Dha sendon hi to him sume of Phariseum and Herodianum, dhaet hi befengon hine on his worde. 14 Dha comon hi and dhus raidh ficne cw4edon, Lareow, we witon dhaet dhii eart s6thfaest, and dh(i ne r6cst be aenegum men; ne besceawast dhii manna ansyne, ac dhu Godes weg laerst on s6thfasstnysse. Alyfth gaful to syllanne dham Casere? . . . 15 Hwaedher dhe we ne syllath? Dha cwaeth he, and heora lot- wrenceas wiste, Hwi fandige ge min? bringath rae dhone pen- ing, dheet ic hine geseo. 16 Dha brohton hi hira. Dh4saede he him, Hwaes is dheos anlicnys, and dhis gewrit ? Hi cwaedon, Dhaes Caseres. 17 Dha cwaeth se Haelend to him, Agyfath dham Casere dha thing dhe dhaes Caseres synd, and ST. MARK XII. 13-17. And thei senden to him summe 13 ofthe Farisees and Erodians, for to take hym in word. The whiche comynge seyn to 14 hym, Maistir, we witen for thou ert sothfast, and reckist not of ony man; sothly neither thou seest in to face of man, but thou techistthe wey of God m treuthe. Is it leefiiil for to ghyue tribute to Cesar? . . . Or we schulen not ghyue ? The 15 which witinge her priuey fals- nesse, seith to hem. What tempt- en yhe me ? brynge yhe to me a peny, that I se. And they offriden to him. And 16 he seith to hem, Whos is this yraage, and the in wrytinge ? Thei seien to him, Cesaris. Forsothe Jhesus answeringe 17 seith to hem, Therfore yhelde yhe to Cesar that ben of Cesar, * Or braunchis. 24 The English Versions. Gode dha dhe Godes synd. Dha wundrodon hi be dham. ST. LUKE 34 Eala Hierusalem, Hierusalem, dhii dhe dha witegan ofslyhst, and haenst dha dhe to dhfi dsende synd, hli oft ic wolde dhine beam gegaderian, swd se fugel deth his nest under his fidherum, and dhu noldest. 35 Nil ! bith eower bus eow for- Iseten. S6thlice ic eow secge, dhaet ge me ne geseoth, aerdhara dhe cume se, dhonne ge cwe- dhath, Gebletsod sy, se dhe com on Drihtnes naraan. and to God tho thingis that ben of God. And alle wondriden on him. XIII. 34, 35. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that sleest 34 prophetis, and stoonest hem that ben sent to thee, hou ofte wolde I gedere to gidere thy sones, as a brid his nest vnder pennes, and thou noldist. Loo ! yhoure hous schal be left 35 to you desert. Sothli I seie to you, for ye schulen not se me, til it come, whanne ye schulen seye, Blessid is he, that coraeth in the narae ofthe Lord. ST. JOHN 5 Ic eom win-eard, and ge synd twigu. Se dhe wunath on rae, and ic on him, se byrth raycle blasda, fordham ge ne magon nan thing d6n bljtan me. 6 Gif hwa ne wunath on me, he byth aworthen ut swa twig, and fordniwath; and hig gaderiath dha, and d6lh on fyr, and hig forbymath. 7 Ctyf ge wuniath on me, and mine word wuniath on eow, biddath, swi hwaet sw4 ge wyl- lon, and hyt byth eower. 8 On dham ys min faeder geswfitel- od, dhaet ge beron mycele blaeda, and beon mine leoming-cnihtas. * 9 And ic lufode eow, swi faeder lufode me ; wuniath on rainre lufe . XV. 5-9. I am a vyne, ye ben the braun- 5 chis. He that dwellith in me, and I in him, this berith moche fruit, for with outen rae ye mown no thing do. If ony man schal not dwelle in 6 me, he schal be sent out as a braunche, and schal wexe drye ; and thei schulen gadere hira, and thei schulen sende him in to the fier, and he brenneth. If ye schulen dwelle in me and 7 ray wordis schulen dwelle in you, what euere thing ye schul en wilne, ye schulen axe, and it schall be do to you. In this thing my fadir is clari- 8 fied, that ye brynge moost fruyt, and ye be maad ray disciplis. As my fadir louede me, and I 9 louyde you ; dwelle ye in my loue. Learning youth^^disciples. COMPARISON OF GOTHIC, ANGLO-SAXON, GERMAN, AND ENGLISH.* Gothic. Wheitos swe snaiws. Hardu-hairtei.Galeiks ist mann. Wha is: namo thein ? Yuka auhsne. I.angai wheilai. Whis brothar. Sibun brothryus. In bokom Psalrao. Hardu ist thata waurd. Ik im thata daur. Kaumo whaiteis. Nauh leitila wheila. Anglo-Saxon. SwS hwite swa sn4w. Heortan heardness. He ys gelic men. Hwast is thin nama ? An getyrae oxena. (A team of oxen). Langre tide. Hwaes br6thor. Seofon gebr6thru. On thara Sealrae. Heard is theos spraec. (Hard is this speech). Ic eora geat. Hwaetene corn. Gyt surae while. (Yet some while). German. Weiss wie Sclinee. Hartherzigkeit. Er ist gleich einem Menschen. Was ist dein Name ? Joch Ochsen. Lange Weile. Wessen Biiider. Sieben BrUder. Im Psalrabuch. Hart ist das Wort. Ich bin die ThUr. Weizenkorn. Noch eine kleine Weile. English. White as snow. Hardness of heart. He is like a man. What is thy name ? Yokes of oxen. For a long while. Whose brother. Seven brothers. In the book of Psalras. Hard is that word. I am the door. A corn of wheat. Now a little while. (Now=yet). Mark ix. 3. " X. 5. Luke vi. 48. " viii. 30. " xiv. 19. " xviii. 4. " XX. 28. " XX. 2g. " XX. 42. John vi. 60. ' X. 9. " xu. 24. " vii. 33. > o o I in>o < wOw ¦ar ¦ *.J^'% '*,'''^' *'"=«P' the column in German, which I have added, has been prepared from that given by Bosworth and Warmg, T/te Gothic and Anglo-Saxon Gospels, p. iii. to 26 The English Versions. A brief account of helps for the study of Anglo-Saxon may be found useful: Hickes, Linguarum Veil. Septentrionalium Thesaurus, 3 vols., folio, Oxon, 1 705. A standard work of reference. The Dictionaries are: Somner's, folio, Oxon, 1659; ^'y^> Dictionarium Saxonico et Gothico-Latinum, edited by Manning, 2 vols., fol., London, 1772, with Benson, Vocabulary, chiefly abridged from Somner, 8°, Oxon, 1701. An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary based on the Manuscript Collection of the late foseph Bosworth, D. D. , edited and enlarged, by T. Northcote Toller, M.A., Oxford, 1882. Grammars: Hickes, 4°, O-xf, 1689, reprinted with addi tions in the Thesaurus, and abridged by Thwaites 8°, Oxf , 1 711; Elstob's Grammar, 4°, Lond., 171 5: Orator Henley's, Lond., 1726; Manning's prefixed to Lye's Dictionarium, fol., 1772; Ingram's Short Grammar prefixed to the Saxon Chron icle, 4°, Lond., 1823; Bosworth 's ,£'/if»2e«/j, accompanied by a Grammatical Praxis, 8°, London, 1823, followed by a Com pendious Grammar, 8°, Lond., 1826; Gwilt, Rudiments, 8°, Lond., 1829; Raske, Grammar of the Anglo-Saxon Tongue, translated from the Danish by Benjamin Thorpe, 2d. ed. , 8°, Copenhagen, 1830; B. Thorpe, Analecta Anglo- Saxonica, a se lection in prose and verse, from Anglo-Saxon authors of various ages, with a Glossary; designed chiefly as a first-book to stu dents; 8°, Lond., 1834. Bosworth, Origin of English, Lond., 1847; G. P. Marsh, The English Language, etc.. New York, 1863; Helfenstein, Comparative Grammar of the Teutonic Lan guages, Cambridge, 1870; Loth, Etymologische Angelscechsisch- Englische Grammatik, Elberfeld, 1870; March, Comparative Grammar of the Anglo-Saxon Language, etc., New York 1 871; Stratmann, Dictionary of Old English, Krefeld, 1867; Corson, Handbook of Anglo-Saxon and Early English, 1 2°, New York, 187 1. The Earliest English Versions. 27 CHAPTER II. the earliest ENGLISH VERSIONS. Sir Thomas More, commenting on the constitution adopted by a convention presided over by Archbishop Arundel in a. d. 1408, states: "Ye shal understande that the great arch heretike Wickliffe whereas j^ hole byble zvas long before his dayes by vertuous and wel lerned men translated into y Englysch long & by good and godly people wi^ deuotion & sobreness wel and reuerently red, toke vpon hym of a ma licious purpose to translate it of new. In which translacion he purposely corrupted y= holye text, maliciously planting therin such wordes as might in y= reders eres serue to y= profe of such heresies as he went about to sowe, which he not only set furth with his own translacion of the Bible, but also wt certain prologes and glosis whiche he made therupon." . . . ' ' It neither forbiddeth translacions to be read that -wer already ¦wel done of old before Wicliffe' s dayes, nor damneth his because- it was new, but because it was nought, nor prohibited new to be made, but prouideth that they shall not be read if they be miss made til they be by good examinacion amended excepte they bee such translacions as Wicliffe made and Tyndall, that the malicious minde of the translator had in such wise hand led it as it were labor lost to go about to mende them." . . . And once more in another place: "Myself haue seen and can sheweyou Bybles fayr and old -written in Englisch -which haue been knowen &f sene by the byshop of the dyoces, and left in leymens handes & womens to such as he knew for good and catholike folk that used it with deuocion and sobreness. " It is proper to say here that the drift of Sir Thomas More's speech was to set forth Bishop Tonstall as having performed 28 The English Versions. not only a defensible, but a praiseworthy act in burning Tyn dale's New Testament. With that, however, and his curious reasoning we have nothing to do here, but his positive and strong assertion that the whole Bible was translated into Eng lish long before Wiclif, and that he himself had seen such copies, does concern us, for if that assertion were not only made, hut proven, it would follow that, contrary to the sense of histoiy and the monuments that have come down to us, or have been referred to by writers during the last four hun dred years, Wiclif's is not the first published translation of the Bible in English. Without entering at length upon the discussion of the assertion, it may suflBce here to say Sir Thomas More seems to have made a speech which his parti sans thought, doubdess, very eloquent and telling, but which gives painful evidence that he did not understand much of the subject, that he confounded what he called catholic and heret ical versions, and actually praised one of Wiclif's own versions as catholic, while he condemned another of Wiclif's as heret ical from sheer ignorance that the one he praised was Wiclif's. Of course he had seen "Bybles fayr and old written in Eng lische," but that they were complete versions of the whole Bible, executed long before Wiclif's days, he did not say, and what others told him on the subject were just such assertions as those he made, and possibly believed them to be true, just as there have been, and perhaps still are, persons who repeat Sir Thomas More's assertion as historical verity. As a matter of known fact, it may be affirmed and proved that there exists no printed or published copy of the whole Bible in English prior to Wiclif; but there are translations of certain portions of the Bible, and of these we have now to speak. I. Tlie Ormulum, a metrical paraphrase on the Gospels and Acts, made by one Orm, or Ormin, an English monk of the order of St. Augustine, of uncertain date, though ascribed to the twelfth century. It is not written in allitera- The Earliest English Versions. 29 tive English verse (as Plumptre states), nor has it rhyme, but seems to be an imitation of a certain species of Latin poems of the middle ages, and is chiefly remarkable for smooth, fluent, and regular versification. A MS. of the Ormulum is in the Bodleian Library, marked Junius I. ; it was published at the Oxford University Press in 1852, and edited by Dr. White; the original manuscript is a volume in folio, contain ing ninety parchment leaves, and twenty-nine others inserted on which the poetry is written in double columns, and not divided into verses (Craik, English Literature and Language, i. p. 211, New York, 1863); a new edition, with White's Notes and Glossary, by Rev. R. Holt, M.A., appeared in 1878, 2 vols. 8°. The name comes direct from the author, who states: " Thiss boc is neramedd Orrraulum, Forrthi thatt Orrra itt wrohhte." At the end ofthe dedication he says: Ice thatt tiss Ennglissh hafe sett I that have composed this English Ennglisshe menn to lare, for to teach Englishmen, Ice wass thaer thaer I crisstnedd I was, there where I was christened, wass Orrmin bi name nemmedd. named Ormin by name. And ice Orrmin full inwarrdliy And I Ormin very sinderely Withth rauth and ec withth herrte With mouth and also with heart Her bidde tha Crisstene menn Here ask the Christian men Thatt herenn otherr redenn Who hear others read Thiss boc, hemm bidde ice her This book, them I ask here that thatt teyy they Forr me thiss bede biddenn, for rae offer this prayer, Thatt brotherr thatt tiss Enng- That brother that this English writ- lissh writt ing AUraeresst wrat and wrohhte. First of all writ and made, Thatt brotherr forr hiss swinnc to That brother in reward for his labor laen Soth blisse mote findenn. True bliss may find. Am[aen]. Amen. 30 The English Versions. The following extract, with the translation, is taken from G. P. Marsh, Origin and History of ihe English Language, p. 1 8 1, 182, read by the original: And siththen 0 thatt yer thatt Crist and afterwards in the year that Christ Wass off twellf winnterr elde was of twelve winters age Theyy commen inntill Yerrsalcem they come into Jerusalem Alt teyyre Passkemesse, at their Passover, d^' heldenn thcer thatt hallyhe tid and held there that holy time O thatt Judisskenn wise. in the Jewish wise. 6^ Jesu Crist wass thcer withth hemm, and Jesus Christ was there with them, Swa summ the Goddspell kithethth. so as the Gospel saith. &" affterr thatt te tid wass gan and after that the time was gone Theyy wenndennfra the temmple, they wended from the temple, &• ferrdenn towarrd Nazamth and fared towards Naz.areth An dayyess gang till efenn, a day's journey till evening, 6^ wenndenn that the Laferrd Crist and weened that the Lord Christ Withth hemm thatt gate come; with them that way came; (5n he wass tha behindenn hemm and he was then behind them Bilefedd att te temmple; remaining at the temple; dr" tatt ne wisste nohht hiss kinn and that not wist not his kin Ace wennde thatt he come, but weened that he came, The Earliest English Versions. 31 &' ghedenn heore weyye forrth and went their way forth Till thatt itt comm till efenn, till that it came to evening, <&= ta theyy misstenn theyyre child, and then they missed their cliild, dr" itt hemm offerthuhhte, and it thera grieved, (&* ghedenn till, &= sohhtenn himm and (they) went, and sought him Bitwenenn sibbe &• cuthe among relations and acquaintances, dr» teyy nefundenn nohht off himm, and they not found nought of him, Forr he wass att te temmple, for he was at the temple. dr" theyy tha wenndenn efft onnghcen and they then tumed back again thatt dere child to sekenn, that dear child to seek, Gf comenn efft till 'Yerrsalcem, and came again to Jerasalem, To sekenn himm thar binnenn. to seek hira there within. dr" teyy himm o the thridde dayy and they him on the third day thcer fundenn i ihe temmple there found in the teraple Bitwenenn thatt Judisskenn flocc araong the Jewish fiock Thatt laredd wass o boke; that learned was in book ; dr" tcere he salt to frayynenn hemm and there he sat to ask them Off theyyre bokess lare, of their book's lore, <&» alle thatt himm herrdenn thcer, and all that him heard there, Hemm- thuhhte mikell wunderr them thought rauch wonder 32 The English Versions. Off thatt he wass full ycep dr» ¦wis of that he was full shrewd and wise To swarenn &' to frayynenn. To answer and to ask. 3. The Sowlehele, a very large volume among the MSS. of the Bodleian Library, 779, bearing the title: "Here begyn- nen the tytles of the Book that is cald in Latyn tonge SALUS ANIM/E, and in Englysh tonge SOWLEHELE." It con tains a very miscellaneous collection of religious poetry, and a metrical paraphrase of the Old and New Testaments. The authorship is unknown and the date uncertain, but it has been assigned to the thirteenth century. The subjoined extract is from Warton, History of Engliih Poetry, i. 19, London, 1774: Our ladi and hire suster stoden under the roode. And saint John and Marie Magdaleyn with wel sori moode ; Vr ladi bi heold hire swete son i brought in gret pyne, Ffor monnes gultes nouthen her and nothing for myne. Marie weop wel sore and bitter teres leet, The teres fullen uppon the ston doun at hire feet. Alas, ray son, for serwe wel off" seide heo Nabbe iche bote the one that hongust on the treo; So ful icham of serwe, as any woraraon may beo, That ischal my deore childe in all this pyne iseo; How schal I sone deore, how hast I yougt liven withouten the, Nusti nevere of serwe nougt sone, what seyst you me ? Then spake Jhesus wordus gode to his modur dere. There he heng uppon the roode here I the take a fere. That trewliche schal serve ye, thin own cosin Jon, The while that you aly ve beo among all thi fon ; Ich the bote John, he seide, you wite hire both day and niht That the Gywes hire fon ne don hire none unriht. 3. A paraphrase of the Books of Genesis and Exodus, written in the northern dialect, of uncertain date (probably before A. d. 1300) and unknown authorship, in Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. The Earliest English Versions. 33 4. A metrical version of the Book of Psalms, of about the same age as No. 3, in the same college. Other MSS. of a similar version are in the Bodleian and in the British Mu seum. They contain emendations and revisions, their or thography is more modern, and they are remarkable for be ing the first attempts of translation into English; they follow the Gallican version of the Latin Psalter, which is Jerome's correction according to the Greek text of Origen's Hexapla. That version was adopted toward the close of the sixth cen tury in Gaul, and somewhat later in Britain. Subjoined is presented Psalm C in the two forms of the English metrical versions: C. C. C. Cantab. MS. 278. Mirth to god al erthe that es Serves to louerd in faines. In go yhe ai in his siht. In gladnes that is so briht Whites that louerd god is he thus. He us maide and our self noht us, His folke and shep of his fode: In gos his yhates that are gode: In schrift his worches belive. In ympnes to hira yhe schrive. Heryhes his name for louerde is hende. In all his merci do in strende and strende. Cotton MS. Vespasian D. vii. Mirthes to lauerd al erthe that es, Serues to lauerd in fainenes. Ingas of hira in the sight In gladeschip bi dai and night. Wite ye that lauerd he god is thus. And he us made and ourself noght us; His folk and schepe of his fode; In gas his yhates that er gode: In schrift his porches that be. In yrapnes to him schriue yhe. Heryes oft him name swa fire, For that lauerd soft es he. In euerraore his raerci esse And in strende and strende his soth- nesse. 5. William de Schorham, vicar of Chart Sutton, near Leeds, in Kent, during the first half of the fourteenth century trans lated the Psalms into English. His version of Psalm xxiii. (Latin xxii. ) may be compared with that of Hampole given below, who was his contemporary: c 34 The English Versions. Our Lord gouemeth me, and nothynge shal defailen to me; in the stede of pasture, he sett me ther. He norissed me vp water of fyllynge; he tumed my soule fram the fende. He lad me vp the bistiges of rightfiilness; for his name. For yif that ich haue gon amiddes of the shadowe of deth; Y shall nougt douten iuels, for thou art wyth me. Thy discipline and thyn amendyng ; comforted rae. Thou madest radi grace in my sight; ogayns hem that trublen me. Thou makest fatt myn heued wyth raercy; and my drynke makand drunken ys ful clere. And thy raerci shal folwen me ; alle daies of mi lif. And that ich wonne in the hous of our Lord; in lengthe of dales.* 6. Schorham's Translation and The Prose Version of the Psalter, by Richard Rolle, hermit of Hampole, near Don- caster, executed before the middle ofthe fourteenth century, are the first prose translations into English of which we have authentic information. It is certain that Rolle, or, as he is generally called, Hampole, translated the psalms and hymns of the Church into English prose, with a comment subjoined to each verse; he likewise prepared a metrical version of the seven penitential psalms, and a paraphrase in verse on por tions of Job, as well as a profuse paraphrase on the Lord's Prayer. In the prologue of the prose version of the Psalter Hampole says: "In this worke y seke no straunge Englishe bot esiest and communeste and sich that is moost lyche to the Latyne: so that thei that knoweth not the Latyne by the En glishe may com to many Latyne wordis. In the translacione y folewe the letter as much as I may and thore y fynde no proper Englice I folewe the wit of the wordis so that thei that shal reede it thar not drede erryng. In expownyng I folewe hooly Doctors, and resoun: reproving synne. . . . Ffor this boke may comen into summe envyous manns honde . . . and such wolle seye that I wiste not what I seyde, and so do ?'Forshall and Madden. '^Tycli^te Versions, Preface I,, iv. The Earliest English Versions. 35 harme to hymsilf and to othur." After the prologue, follows: ' ' Here bigynneth the Sauter. Psalmus primus. Beatus ¦vir. — In this psalme he spekith of Crist and his folewris blaundish- yng to us, bihotyng blisfiilhede to rightwise men. Sithen he speketh of veniaunce of wikkede men that thei drede peyne, sith thei wolle not loue ioye. He begynneth at the goode man and seith. Blessed is that man the whuche ghede not in the counsel of the wikede, and the wey of synfule stood not, and in ihe chayer of pestilence satte not." Subjoined is Psalm xxiii. (Latin Psalm xxii.) from Ham- pole's version ofthe Gallican Psalter: Our lord gouemeth me and nothyng to me shal wante: stede of pas, ture that he me sette. In the water of hetyng forth he me brougte: my soul he tumyde. He ladde me on in the streetis of rygtwisnesse: for his name. For win gif I hadde goo in myddil of the shadewe of deeth: I shal not dreede yueles, for thou art with me. Thi geerde and thi staf: thei haue coumfortid me. Thou hast greythid in my sygt a bord: agen hem that angryn me. Thou fattide myn heued in oyle: and my chalys drankenyng what is cleer. And thi mercy shal folewe me: in alle the dayes of my lyf. And that I wone in the hous of oure lord in the lengthe of dayes. 7. There are two other prose versions of the Psalter; the first in the Harleian Library (No. 93, D. 2); Psalm ii. i, with the gloss, is of this version; "Quare fremuerunt gentes. — Why gnastes the gens, and the peple thoughte ydil thingis ? — ^The prophete snybband hem that tourmentid crist sales, whit the gens thoo were the knyttes of rome that crucified crist, gnasted as bestes with oute resoun: and the peple thoo were the iewes, thoughte vaynte thoughtes: that was to holde crist ded in sep- ulcre that thei might not doo, forthi in veyne thei traueilde." The second MS. is an imperfect copy of a translation of the Psalter from Psalm Ixxxix. to cxviii. (King's Library, No. 1 517). "Psalmus 89 (Latin Vulgate). Domine refugium. — 36 The English Versions. Lord thou art made refute to us fro generacioun to genera- cioun.— Here the profete, aftir sharp reprouynge of vicious men, was mould of the hooly goost to ymagin and to knowe that malicious enmytee and feers pursuyng wole sue sone aftir." 8. Lewis {History of the Translations ofthe Bible) mentions a MS. in the Library of Benet College, Cambridge, contain ing a gloss on the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke, the Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians (the apocryphal Epistle to the Laodi ceans), Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and He brews, of which the subjoined specimens were communicated to him by Dr. Waterland: St. Mark i. i. And he prechyde sayande, a stalworther thane I schal come efter me of whom I am not worthi downfallande, or knelande, to louse the thwonge of his chawcers; vi. 22, When the doughtyr of that Herodias was in comyn and had torabylde and pleside to Harowde, and also to the sittande at mete, the king says to the wench; xii. I, A man made a vynere and he made aboute a hegge and grofe a lake and byggede a tower; xii. 38, Be se ware of the scrybes whylke wille go in stolis and be haylsede in the market and for to sit in synagogis in the fyrste chayers; St. Luke ii. 7, . . . and layde hym in a cratche: for to hym was no place in the dyversory. Lewis says the comment accompanying this version greatly resembles that of Hampole on the Psalter; but the question whether Hampole be the author or not cannot be decided. The authorship thus far is purely conjectural, though the work itself is the most important in the field of English trans lation down to that period. 9. A MS. in the British Museum, written in the northern dialect, contains the Gospels for the Sundays throughout the Church year, with an exposition; date and authorship are un known. The following is a specimen: ST. JOHN I. 19-28. And this is the testimoninge of Ion when the lues of ieralm sent pvestes & dekenes vnto Ion baptist forto aske him what ertow: And he The Earliest English Versions. 37 graunted what he was & ayensaide noyt. And he graunted & said: for y nam nonyt crist. And hii asked hira, what ertow than, ertow ely? And he answered, I am nouyt ely. And hii saiden, Ertow a pphete ? And he answered and said, nai. And hii said to hira, what ertow, that we raay yif answer to hem that sent us, what sais tow of the seluen ? I ara a uoice of the criand in desert that dresceth our lordes wai as Isaie saith. And hii that were sent thei were of phariseus. And hii asked him and said to hira wharto baptizes too, yif thou ne be noyt crist, ne heli ne prophete ? Ion answered to hem and saide, I yow baptize in water ffbrsothe he stode in middes of you that ye ne wot nouyt, he seal com efter me that is made tofore me of whom inam nouyt worthi to undo the thwonge of his schoes. Thes thinges ben don in bethaine beyond iordan ther Ion baptized. The purport of these different translations may only be divined; in many instances they appear to have been made for the instruction of the clergy, many of whom, being ignor ant of Latin and Greek, needed just such helps; they may also have been made for occasional use by those of the high est culture among the nobility, as intimated in the speech of Sir Thomas More, and in a funeral sermon preached by Arch bishop Arundel on Anne of Bohemia, wife of Richard II., to the effect that she was in the habit of reading the Gospels in the vulgar tongue with divers expositions. In all probability both Sir Thomas and the archbishop refer to these versions; but for all practical purposes they might not have existed at all, for they were never published, nor put in general circu lation. Those who used them were either priests or unex- ceptionally good Catholics, for whose benefit the glosses and comments were likewise added. At the period in question, the earlier part of the first half of the fourteenth century, to which these versions have been referred, the people did not crave a version of the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, and therefore there was no occasion whatever on the part of the Church to forbid it. But matters stood very different in tha time of Arundel and More, as we shall point out in a subse quent paragraph. 38 The English Versions. There still remains to be considered the positive assertion * that John de Trevisa, Vicar of Berkeley, in the county of Gloucester, who was a native of Cornwall, translated the Old and New Testaments into English at the desire of Lord Berke ley, his patron. Horne supposes that as no part of this trans lation has ever been printed, the alleged translation of the whole Bible seems to have been confined to a few isolated passages scattered through his works, or which were painted on the walls of the chapel at Berkeley Castle. Trevisa lived about the period of Wiclif, and whatever he did in the way of translation must have been done at that time or very soon after, for he had completed the Polychronicon of Ranulph of Chester in a. d. 1387. Dr. Waterland, who examined his writings, extracted for Mr. Lewis's use in his history the fol lowing passages: St. Matt, xviii. 32, I forgave the al thy det bycause thou praydest me, wicked servant; xxv. 18, The slowe servant hidde his lorde's talent in the erthe; xxvii. 19, Moche have I suffred by syghte bycause of him; St. Luke xi. 45, My lord taryeth to corae. . . . If a servant begynneth to drink, and is dronken, and smiteth and beateth the raeyny his lord shall corae. . . .; xix, 13, 16, The nobleman called his servauntes and bytoke hem ten mnas, and he saide to these servauntes marchaundise with it tyll I corae . Lo, lord, thy rana hath raade ten mnas, and his lorde sayde to hira, and be thou hauynge power over ten cities. These are all the known attempts of translations of the Holy Scriptures into English down to the time of Wiclif of which I have been able to get information from Lewis's His tory ofthe Translations of the Bible; Johnson's Historical Ac- * The assertion rests on very slender foundation. Caxton, in the Prohemye to his edition of the Polychronicon, says: " At the request of Lord Berkeley, Trevisa trans lated the said book, the Bible, and Bartholomseus de proprietate rerum.*^ Bale (Script. Illustr.. p. 518. Basel, 1557) repeats Caxton, Ussher (Hist. Dogmat., p. 346) repeats Bale, Wharton (Auctar., p 348) repeati Ussher, and Fuller {Church Hist., and vol. i. p. 468) calls the revised Wiclifite version Trevisa's masterpiece. King James' translators actually say in their preface of early English versions, that in "King Rich'j-d's dayes, John Trevisa tra.-.slated them into English." The Earliest English Versions. 39 count, etc. , reprinted in vol. iii. of Bishop Watson's Collection of Theological Tracts; Newcome's View of the English Biblical Translations, Dublin, 1792; Baber's Historical Account, etc., prefixed to his edition of Wiclif's New Testament, 18 10; Forshall and Madden, Preface to Wiclif's Bible; and the ex haustive statements in the preface to Bagster's English Hexapla, from which some of the samples have been transcribed. If there are others, their existence has not been made known to the world. It has also been alleged (by Stow) that Reginald Pecocke, bishop of Chichester, a. d. 1450, made an English version of the Bible. 'But Lewis says that in his (MS. ) .account of that prelate's life he has shown the error of the statement, and that the biblical labors of Pecocke were confined to the trans lation of passages ofthe Bible quoted in his writings, of which the following are specimens: S. Matth. xxviii. 19, 20, Go ye therefore and teche ye alle folkis, bap tizing hem in the name of the fadir and of the sone and of the holi goost; teching hem to keep alle thingis whatever thingis y haue comaundid to you; S. Mark xvi. 15, 20, Go ye into al the world, and preche ye the gospel to every creature. . . . Thei forsothe goyng forth prechiden everywhere; St. John xxi. 25, Mo myraclis Crist dide, than ben written in this book, which if they weren written, al the worlde though it were tumed into bokis, schulde not take and comprehende; Efies. iv. 5, Oon is the Lord, oon feith, amd oon baptism; Ebraes vii. 7, The lesse worthi is blessid of the more worthi. These are certainly very remarkable renderings for the times, and what the times were in the way of learning may be gathered from two or three significant facts. When Fitz-Ralph, archbishop of Armagh, sent (a. d. 1357) several of his secular priests to Oxford to study divinity, they were compelled to return for the almost incredible reason that they could not buy a copy of the Bible there. Wiclif charged the clergy of his day that they "left the Holy Scriptures to study heathen men's laws, and worldly covetous priests' traditions or the civil 40 The English Versions. and canon law."* ^neas Sylvius, afterward Pope Pius II., said of the Italian priests that they had not even read the New Testament, t Robert Stephens states that some Sorbonists being asked where a certain passage occurred in the New Tes tament, replied that they had seen it in Jerome on the De crees, but they did not know what the New Testament was. Indeed the ignorance of the clergy ofthe period almost beggars belief, for we have it on the testimony of Wiclif, Clemangis, Beleth, and others, that the majority were unable to read Latin or con their psalter. CHAPTER III. WICLIFITE VERSIONS. Whether this, the simplest mode of spelling Wiclif, is more authentic than Wyclif, Wycliffe, and Wicliffe, I can not determine; I adopt that given in the title on account of its simplicity: the pronunciation of the name is the same throughout. John Wiclif was born in 1324, it is thought, in the parish of that name, near Richmond in Yorkshire. It seems an established fact that he studied at Oxford, although reliable data concerning his early career there and the greater portion of his life have not come to light. Similar obscurity hangs over his earliest writings, and there is nothing certain as to his public life except the prominent part he bore in resisting the Mendicants, denouncing their blasphemy in likening their institutes to the Gospels, their founder to the Saviour, and branding the higher members of the orders as hypocrites, and the lower as common, able-bodied beggars, who ought not * Great sentence 0/ curse expounded, MS. t Hody, De Bibl. textibus p. 464. Wiclifite Versions. 41 to be permitted to infest the land. From 1361 to 1365 he was warden of Baliol Hall, rector of Fylingham, and warden of Canterbury Hall. His reputation for learning and judg ment must have been very considerable, for he was appointed a royal chaplain, and in 1374 sent, probably through John of Gaunt's influence, to Bruges as second in a commission to treat with the papal legate to effect an understanding on the differences between the king of England and the pope. On his return to England the crown presented him with the prebend of Aust in Worcestershire, and the rectory of Lutter worth in Leicestershire, which he held until his death. The details relating to his ecclesiastical and theological status do not belong here, apart from their connection with the trans lation of the Bible, which probably would never have been executed but for his nearer acquaintance with Rome at Bruges, which led him to champion the cause of freedom and truth against the spiritual despotism and lying pretensions of the papacy. There was not in all England at the time, and for t^vo hundred and fifty years later, an abler and bolder man than Wiclif; and it is a great mistake to represent him either as deficient in learning and scholarship or in judgment. But a man who did not hesitate to call the pope "Anti christ," "the proud, worldly priest, the most cursed of clip pers and purse-kervers, " who told the people in plain, bold, terse Saxon, and the theologians at Oxford in terms of the most consummately skilful language of the schools, that, ac cording to the true teaching of Holy Scripture, the papacy, with its sacerdotalism, pardons, indulgences, excommunica tions, absolutions, pilgrimages, images, and transubstantia- tion, was a gigantic fraud — such a man could not escape the hatred of the Roman hierarchy, and being consigned, as far as they were able to consign him, to the never-dying flames invented for the peculiar benefit of heretics like Wiclif It is generally stated that it was only during the last ten 42 The English Versions. years of his life that Wiclif was engaged upon the transla tion of the Scriptures. The statement lacks proof, and in the absence of proof, with the undoubted evidence of his splendid scholarship and theological and metaphj^ical skill, it seems safer to agree with Baber, that "from an early period of his life he had devoted his various learning and all the powerful energies of his mind to effect this, and at length, by intense application on his own part, and with some assistance from a few of the most learned of his followers, he had the glory to complete a book which alone would have been sufficient (or at least ought) to have procured him the veneration of his own age and the commendations of posterity. " In 1379 Wiclif was struck with partial paralysis at Oxford. The friars, believing that the attack would end fatally, de spatched four picked men to the supposed moribund to make him, if possible, recant. When they had poured their ab surdities into his ears until his patience could stand it no longer, the imagined dying man looked at them sternly, and, in a voice anything but dying, exclaimed, "I shall not die, but live, to declare the evil deeds of the friars. " He recov ered, and was permitted in the following year to finish the translation of the whole Bible. In 1382 he was condemned by the convocation at Oxford, and two years later, on Inno cent's Day, 1384, during the celebration of the mass in the parish church at Lutterworth, he was struck again with pa ralysis, and died on the last day of the year. * Wiclif's translation of the Bible is the first Emrlish transla * All that is thus far known of Wiclif may be gleaned from the works on his Life by Lewis, London, 1720; Gilpin, lb., 1766: Vaughan, lb., 1828, 1831; and in a mono graph, 1853; Le Bas, 1832; Baber, Preface to Wiclif s New Testament, 1810; Lechler, yohannes von Wiclif, Leipzig, 1873; Forshall and Madden's edition of Wiclirs Bible, Oxford, 1850; and Montagu Barrows' Wiclif's Place in History, London, 1882; this volume contains three lectures dehvered at Oxford, which from original sources of information, supply much valuable matter on the subject of the theological views of Wiclif. Wiclifite Versions. 43 tion that was published. What we understand by the term ' ' published " is altogether different from the sense it bore be fore the introduction of printing. Publication before that period meant one or all of several things. An author would either employ copyists to multiply transcripts of his work, which were offered for sale, or he would deposit his work in some convent or college library, where it might be consulted or copied by learned men; or he might do both; or he might in some way make publicly known the contents of his work, and enable those desirous of securing copies of it to have their wishes gratified. In illustration of the last method may be mentioned the case of Giraldus Cambrensis, who lived in the reign of Henry II. , and accompanied Baldwin, Arch bishop of Canterbury, on his journey through Wales to preach the crusades. Giraldus, wishing to publish some of his works, had a pulpit erected in an open thoroughfare at Brecon, from which he read them aloud to all passers-by, who, if any desired to obtain copies, might have opportunity to get them transcribed. Applying this to Wiclifs version, his diligence in the direc tion of publication must have been very great, for, in spite of the prohibition of 1408, numerous copies* of it have come down to us, and the testimony of his enemies is decisive on this point. Knyghton says: "The Gospel which Christ delivered to the clergy and doctors ofthe Church, that they might themselves sweetly administer to the laity and to weaker persons with the hunger of their mind according to the exigency of the times, and the need of persons, did this Master John Wiclif trans late out of Latin into Englishe, . . . whence through hira it becarae vulgar and more open to the laity and women who could read than it used to be to the most learned of the clergy, even to those of them who had the best understanding. . . . And in this way the Gospel pearl is cast abroad, aud trodden under foot of swine, and that which used to * At least one hundred and seventy copies, all written before A. u. 1430. 44 The English Versions. be precious to both clergy and laity is rendered, as it were, the common jest of both. The jewel of the clergy is turned into the sport of the laity, and what was hitherto the principal talent of the clergy and doctors of the Church is made forever common to the laity." What is known as Wiclif's version was made from the Latin of the Vulgate — i. e., from Jerome's version, or from such copies as passed for it. On the authority of Forshall and Madden, the text of that version, from Genesis to Baruch iii. 20, where it abruptly ends with the second word of that verse, is the work of Nicholas de Hereford,* an English ec- * He was Vice Chancellor of Oxford, recanted; was made Chancellor (1394) and Treasurer (1397) ofthe Cathedral of Hereford, but retired to the Carthusian Monas tery at Coventry, where he died. He was a fine scholar. The place where he left off is marked by the entry; Explicit translacionein Nicholay de Herford. Two MSS. of his translation are preserved in the Bodleian Library: one the original, the other a contemporaneous copy by another hand. Hereford's renderings are very lit eral, t. g., et viso eo, "and him seen," he still employs Anglo-Saxon idioms, hc omits the J as the sign of the possessive, uses be in a future sense, and the feminine termina tion in ster, but instead ofthe earlier ending enne he has inge, with to prefixed. Wiclif likewise is extremely literal, e. g., St. John i. 5, "derknesses"; 13, "bloodis"; iii. 18, "believeth in to him"; 29, "joyeth in joy"; iv. 47, "bigan to die"; 52, "had him better"; v. 28, "all men that ben in buriels." (See Eadie, The English Bible, i. 65. 66.) It may not be unimportant to note here the order of the books observed in the Wic lifite versions: OLD TESTAMENT. Genesis, Ill Esdras, Daniel, Exodus, Tobias, Hosea, Leviticus. Judith, Joel, Numbers, Esther, Amos, Deuteronomy, Job, Obadiah, Joshua, Psalms, Jonah, Judges, Proverbs, Micah, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Nahum, I Kings (I Samuel), Song of Solomon. Habalckulc. II Kings (II Samuel), Wisdom, Zephaniah, III Kings (I Kings), Ecclesiasticus, Haggai, IV Kings (II Kings), Isaiah, Zechariah, I Chronicle, Jeremiah, Malachi, II Chronicle, Lamentations, I Maccabees, I Esdras, Baruch, II Maccabees. II Esdras, Ezekiel. Wiclifite Versions. 45 clesiastic; the balance of the Old Testament and the Apocry pha, as well as the whole of the New Testament, are ascribed to Wiclif. The first or original text of the version was com pleted about 1380; a revision of it was made by Richard Purvey, and completed about 1388. The prologue to this revision, which is exceedingly valuable and interesting, but very lengthy (it covers sixty quarto pages in Forshall and Madden's edition), is supposed to be from the pen of Purvey, and illustrates very fully the difficulties of translation. One or two extracts will furnish the reader with much useful infor mation, and acquaint him with the style, purpose, and meth od ofthe writer: For these resons, and othere, with comiine charite to saue alle men in oure rewme, whiche God wole haue sauid, a symple creature hath translatid the bible out of Latyn into English. First, this symple crea ture hadde myche trauaile, with diuerse felawis and helperis, to gedere manie elde biblis, and othere doctouris, and comune glosis, and to make 00 Lalyn bible sumdel trewe, and thanne to studie it of the newe, the NEW TESTAMENT. Matthew. II John, Colossians, Mark, III John. I Thessalonians, Luke, Jude, II Thescalonians. John, Romans, I Timothy, Acts, I Corinthians, II Timothy. James, II Corinthians, Titus, I Peter. Galatians, Philemon. II Peter. Ephesians, Hebrews, I John, Philippians, Revelation. In MS. Caius and Emmanuel Coll., Cambridge: Matthew, Philippians, Acts, Mark, Colossians (Laodiceans), James. Luke, I Thessalonians, I Peter, John, II Thessalonians, II Peter, Romans, I Timothy, I John, I Corinthians, II Timothy, II John, II Corinthians, Titus, III John, Galatians, Philemon, Jude, Ephesians, Hebrews, Revelation. 4.6 The English Versions. text with the glose, and othere doctouris, as he mighte gete, and special! Lire on the elde testament, that helpide ful myche in this werk; the thridde tyme to counseile with elde gramariens, and elde dyuynis, of harde wordis, and harde sentencis, hou tho mighten best be vnderstonden and translatid; the iiij. tyme to translate as cleerli as he coude to the sen tence, and to haue manie gode felawis and kunnynge at the correcting of the translacioun. First it is to knowe, that the best translating is out of Latyn into English, to translate aftir the sentence, and not oneli after the wordis, so that the sentence be as opin, either openere, in English as in Latyn, and go not fer fro the lettre; and if the lettre mai not be suid in the translating, let the sentence euere be hool and open, for the wordis owen to serue to the entent and sentence, and ellis the wordis ben super- flu either false. In translating into English, manie resolucions moun make the sentence open, as an ablatif case absolute may be resoluid into these thre wordis with couenable verbe, the while, for, if, as gramariens seyn; as thus, the maistir redinge, I stonde, mai be resoluid thus, while the maistir redith, I stonde, either, if the maistir redith, etc. either for the maistir, etc. ; and sumtyme it wolde acorde wel with the sentence to 6e resoluid into whanne, either into aftirward, thus, whanne the maistif red, I stood, either aftir the maistir red, I stood; and sumtyme it mav wel be resoluid into a verbe of the same tens, as othere ben in the same resoun, and into this word et, that is and in English, as thus, arescentibus hominib2is prce timore, that is, and men shulen wexe drie for drede. Also a participle of a present tens, either preterit, of actif vois, either passif, may be resoluid into a verb of the same tens, and a coniunccioun copula- tif, as thus, dicens, that is, seiynge, mai be resoluid thus, and seith eithir that seith; and this wole, in manie placis, make the sentence open, where to Englisshe it aftir the word, wolde be derk and douteful. Also a rela- tif, which mai be resoluid into his antecedent with a coniunccioun copu- latif, as thus, which renneth, and he renneth. Also whanne oo word is oonis set in a reesoun, it mai be set forth as ofte as it is vndurstonden, either as ofte as reesoun and nede axen: and this word autem, either vero, mai stonde iot forsothe, either for but, and thus I vse comounli; and sum tyme it mai stonde for and, as elde gramariens seyn. Also whanne right ful construccioun is lettid bi relacion, I resolue it openli, thus, where this reesoun, Dominum formidabunt adversary ejus, shulde be Englisshid thus bi the lettre, the Lord hise aduersaries shulen drede, 1 Englishe thus bi resolucioun, the aduersaries of the Lord shulen drede him ; and so of othere resons that ben like. . . . . . . Also Frenshe men, Beemers and Britons han the bible, and othere bokis of deuocioun, and of exposicioun, translatid in here modir Ian- Wiclifite Versions. 47 gage; whi shulden not English men haue the same in here modir langage, I can not wite, no but for falsnesse and necgligence of clerkis, either for oure puple is not worthi to haue so greet grace and ghifte of God, in peyne of here old synnes. God for his merci amende these euele causis, and make oure puple to haue and kunne, and kepe truli holi writ, to lijf and deth ! But in translating of wordis equiuok, that is, that hath many sig- nificacions vndur oo lettre, mai lightli be pereil, for Austyn seith in the ij. book of Cristene Teching, that if equiuok wordis be not translatid into the sense, either vndurstonding, of the autour, it is errour; as in that place of the Salme, the feet of hem ben swifte to shede out blood, the Greek word is equiuok to sharp and swifte and he that translatide sharpe feet, erride, and a book that hath sharpe feet is fals, and mut be amendid; ' as that sentence vnkynde yhonge trees shulen not gheue deep rootis, owith to be thus, plauntingis of anout-rie shulen not gheu^ depe rootis. Austyn seith this there. Therefore a translatour hath greet nede to studie wel the sentence, both bifore and aftir, and loke that such equiuok wordis acorde with the sentence, and he hath nede to lyue a clene lif, and be ful deuout in preiers, and haue not his wit ocupied about worldli thingis, that the Holi Spiryt, autour of wisdom, and kunnyng, and truthe, dresse him in his werk, and suffre him not for to erre. Also this word ex signifieth sumtyme of, and sumtyme it signifieth bi, as Jerom seith; and this word enim signifieth comynli forsothe, and, as Jerom seith, it signifieth cause thus,forwhi; and this word secundum is taken for aftir, as manie men seyn, and comynli, but it signifieth wel bi, eithir vp, thus bi yhoure word, eithir vp yhoure word. Manie such aduerbis, coniuncciouns, and preposiciouns ben set ofte oon for a nother, and at fre chois of autouris sumtyme; and now tho shulen be taken as it accordith best to the sentence. Bi this maner, with good lyuyng and greet trauel, men moun come to trewe and cleer translating; and trewe vndurstonding of holi writ, seme it neuere so hard at the bigynning. God graunte to us alle grace to kunne wel, and kepe wel holi writ, and suffre ioiefuUi sum peyne for it at the laste ! Amen. From the same source (Forshall and Madden) is taken this passage contained in the prologue to St. Luke, in a commentary upon the Gospels believed to be of Wiclifs composition: Herfore [a pore] caityf,* lettid fro prechyng for a tyme for causes knowun of God, writith the Gospel of Luk in Englysh, with a short ex- * A favorite phrase of Wiclifs to designate himselC 48 The English Versions. posicioun of olde and holy doctouris, to the pore men of his nacioun which kunnen litil Latyn ether noon, and ben pore of wit and of worldli catel, and netheles riche of good will to please God. Firste this pore caitif settith a ful sentence of the text togidre, that it may well be knowun fro the exposicioun; aftirward he settith a sentence of a doctour declarynge the text; and in the ende of the sentence he settith the doctouris name, that men mowen know verili hou fer his sentence goith. Oneli the text of holi writ, and sentence of old doctouris and appreuyd, ben set in this exposicioun. From The Apology for the Lollards, likewise ascribed to Wiclif, and published by the Camden Society, as reprinted in Wz.x^% English Language, etc., p. 367, I present a short section, just enough, in connection with the former extract, to illustrate Wiclifs style, argument, and language, and to place the intelligent reader with a fair modicum of grammati cal knowledge in a position to form an independent judgment ofthe versions about to be brought under his notice: An other is this that is put and askid, that ilk prest may vse the kej m to ilk man. To this, me thinkith, I may well sey thus, syn al powei is of God, and, as the gospel seith, ther is no power but of God, ne man may do no thing, but if he giue him the might; as Crist seith, ye may with out me do no thing, that onely a man vse his power in to ilk thing, as God werkith by him, and lefith him to vse it vnblamfiilly, and no forther, and fro that may no manne lette him. And this is that we sey, that we may of right so, if ther be ani vsing of power, or callid power, that is not bi Crist, that is no power, but fals pride, and presumid, and onli in name, and as to yhend and effect is nowght. Neuertheles, a man is seid to haue power, and leue to vse power, in many wyse, aa sum bi lawe and ordre of kynd, sum bi lawe and ordre of grace, and some bi lawe and ordre made and writun. And so it is seid by lawe that is mad of the kirk, that ilk prest hath the same power to vse the key in to ani man in tho poynt of deth, as the pope; but not ellis, not but autori'.e ir special be geuun to him of the kirk ther to. But if it be askid, if ilk presi. mai vse the key in to ilk man, that is to say, to assoile him, or ellis to bind him fro grace, it semith opunly that ilk prest may not asoile ilk to bring him to heuyn; for the gospel seith, that Crist in a coost of the Jewis might not do ani vertu ther, for the vntrouth, not but helid a few .seek, the handus leyd vpon, and he maruelid for ther vntrowth; than, wan Crist, that is God Almighty, and of his absolut power may al thing, and Wiclifite Versions. 49 no thing is vnpossible to him, nor no thing may agen stond him, and yhet may not of his ordinat power yhele the folk for ther vntrowth, and vndisposicioun, and vnabilite to reseyue, mich more ani other beneth may not help, but after the disposicioun of him that receyuith. Al so it semith bi this, that the pope may not bring in to grace, ne bles, him that lastith in vntrowth, and in ther synnis; os it semith bi Jewes and Sara- cenis and other swilk, os is witnessid, and of feithfiil witness. Also God gaue him no farrer power, not but asoyl hem that wil leue ther synne, or to bynd hem and curse that wil dure ther inne. And bi so the same re soun none other prest may not excede. And if it be axid wether ilk prest hath as mykil power as the pope, as a nenist God, it semith to me that is foly to a ferme in this case oither yhie or nay, be for that it mai be schewid out of Holi Writte. And so it semith al so to me it is foly ani prest to presume him to haue euyn power with ilk other, be for that he may ground him in the feith; and foli it were to deme to ani man any power that God hath geuun to him, or the vsyng ther of; for certeyn I am, how euer ani man tak power to him, or vse power, it profith not, but in as myche as God geuith it, and wirkithwith it, and confermith it; and certayn I am, that the power that God gaue Petre, he gaue it not to him alone, ne for him alone, but he gaue it to the kirk, and for tho kirk, and to edifying of al the kirk; os he geuith the sigght of the ee, or the act of ani membre of the body, for help and edifying of al the body. For the purpose of examination four specimens of the Wiclifite versions, two from the Old and two from the New Testament, are subjoined. In the first. Psalm ciii. , the Latin text from the Surtees Psalter, which may have been that from which Hereford translated, is placed above the text of Here ford, and immediately under it the text of the Authorized Version, so that the reader may see at a glance the agree ments and differences. In the subsequent passages the Wic lifite text only will be given. PSALM CII. (cm). I. Benedic, anima mea, Dominum; et omnia interiora Bless thou, my soul, to the Lord; and all thingus that withinne Bless the Lard, O my soul; and all that is within mea nomen sanctum ejus ! me ben to his holi name ! me, bless his holy name ! D 50 The English Versions. 2. Benedic, anima mea, Dominum! et noli oblivisci Bless thou, my soule, to the Lord I and wile thou not forgete Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not omnes retributiones ejus. alle the gheldingus of him. all his benefits. 3. Qui propitius fit omnibus iniquitatibus tuis; qui sanat omnes That hath mercy to alle thi wickidnessis; that helith alle Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all languores tuos. thin infirmytees. thy diseases. 4. Qui redemit de interitu vitam tuam; qui coronat te in That agheen bieth fro deth thy life; that crouneth thee in Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with miseratione et misericordia. mercy and mercy doingis. lovingkindness and tender mercies. 5. Qui satiat in bonis desiderium tuum; That fulfilleth in goode thingus thi diseyr; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; renovabitur sic ut aquilse juventus tua. schal be renewid as of an egle thiyh outhe. so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. 6. Faciens misericordias Dominus, Doende mercies the Lord, The Lord executeth righteousness, et judicium omnibus injuriam patientibus. and dom to alle men suffrende wrong. , and judgment for all that are oppressed. 7. Notas fecit vias suas Moysi; Knowen he made his weies to Moises; He made known his ways unto Moses, fillis Israhel voluntates suas. and to the sones of Irael his willis. his acts unto the children of Israel. 8. Misericors et miserator Dominus, Reewere and merciful the Lord, The Lord is merciful and gracious, patiens et multum misericors. long abidende and myche merciful. slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. Wiclifite Versions. 51 9. Non in finem irascitur. In to euermore he shal not wrathen, He will not always chide, neque in setemum indignabitur. ne in to withoute ende he shal threte. neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10. Non secundum peccata nostra fecit nobis, Aftir oure synnes he dide not to vs. He hath not dealt with us after our sins; neque secundum iniquitates nostras retribuit nobis. ne aftir oure wickidnessis he ghelde to us. nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 1 1 . Quia secundum altitudinem coeli a terra, For aftir the heighte of heuene fro erthe. For as the heaven is high above the earth, confirmavit Dominus misericordiam suam super timentes eum. he strengthide his merci vpon men dredende hym. so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12. Quantum distat oriens ab occasu. How myche the rising stant fro the going doun As far as the east is from the west, elongavit a nobis iniquitates nostras. aferr he made fro vs oure wickidnessis. so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13. Sic ut miseretur pater fillis. What maner wise the fader hath mercy of the sonus. Like as a father pitieth his children, ita misertus est Dominus timentibus se: the Lord dide mercy to men dredende hym: so the Lord pitieth them that fear him^ 14. Quia ipse scit figmentum nostrum. For he knew oure britil making. For he knoweth our frame. Memento Domine quod pulvis sumus. He recordide for pouder wee be. he remembereth that we are dust. IJ. Homo sic ut fsenum dies ejus, A man as hey his daghes. As for man his days are as grass, et sic ut flos agri, ita floriet. as the flour of the feld, so he shal floure out. as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 52 The English Versions. , l6. Quia spiritus pertransiit ab eo, et non erit, For the spirit shal thurghh passen in hym, and he shal not stonde For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; [stille; et non cognoscit amplius locum suum. and he shal no more knowen his place. and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17. Misericordia autem Domini a sseculo est, The mercy forsothe of the Lord fro withoute ende. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting, et usque in sasculum sseculi super timentes eum, and vnto withoute ende, vpon men dredende hym, to everlasting upon them that fear him, et justitia ejus super filios filiorum, and the rightwisnesse of hym in to the sones of sones, and his righteousness unto children's children. 18. custodientibus testamentum ejus; et memoria To hem that kepen his testament; and myndeful To such as keep his covenant, and to those that retinentibus mandala ejus ut faciant ea. thei ben of his maundemens to do them. remember his commandments to do them. 19. Dominus in coelo paravit sedem suam, The Lord in heuene made redi his sete. The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens, et regnum ejus omnium dominabitur. and his reume to alle shal lordshipen. and his kingdom ruleth over all. 20. Benedicite Dominum omnes angeli ejus; Blisse yhee to the Lord, alle his aungelis. Bless the Lord, ye his angels, potentes virtute, qui facitis verbum ejus, mighti bi vertue doende the woord of hym, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, ad audiendum vocem sermonum ejus. to ben herd the vois of his sermounes. hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21. Benedicite Dominum, omnes virtutes ejus, Blessith to the Lord all yhee his vertues. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ministri ejus qui facitis voluntatem ejus. yhee his seruauns that don his wil. ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. WicLiFiTl; Versions. 53 22. Benedicite Dominum omnia opera ejus, in omni loco Blessith to the Lord, all yhee his werkis, in alle place Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places dominationis ejus. Benedic, anima mea, Dominum ! yhee his domynaciouns. Bless thou, my soule to the Lord ! of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul ! Comparison of these three versions will show that Here ford's cannot have been made from the Latin alone: he must have used another version, not Saxon, to account for the new idiom he uses. That version was in all probability the French translation of the twelfth century, published by F. Michel in i860, and given in Marsh, from which a few verses, arranged immediately above the metrical version of the psalms, published by the Surtees Society, are subjoined to illustrate the source of this idiom: I. Beneis, la meie aneme 4 nostre Segnor e tres-tutes les coses qui dedenz mei sunt, al saint num de lui. Blisse, my saule, to Laverd ai isse And alle that with in me ere to hali name hisse. 4. Chi racated de mort la tue vie; chi coruned tei en misericorde e miseraciuns. That biesfra sterving thi life derli; That crounes the with rewthes and with merci. 5. Chi raemplist en bones coses le tuen desiderie; sera renovfe sicume d'aigle la tue juvente. Thatfilles in godes thi yherninges al; Als erne thi yhouthe be newed sal. 13. Cum faitement at merci li pere des filz Merci ad li Sire des cremanz sei, 14. Kar il conut la nostre faiture. Recorda qui nus sumes puldre. Als rewed esfadre of sones, Rewed es Laverd, thare he wanes. Of tha that him dredand be; Fore our schaft wele knawes Jie. Mined es he wele in ihoght That dust ere we and worth noght. 54 The English Versions. 21. Beneisseiz al Segnor, tutes les vertuz de lui, li suen ministre, chi faites la voluntad de lui. Blisses to Laverd, alle mightes his. His hine that does that his wille is. In Hereford's version this new idiom is almost literally reproduced. From the manuscript with the signature I. C. , viii. (among the MSS. in the British Museum), confessedly one of the best, is taken the subjoined extract, giving the Song of Moses, Ex odus XV. I. Thanne Moises song, and the sones of Israel, this song to the Lord, and thei seiden, Synge ue to the Lord, for he is magnyfied gloriousli; he castide doun the horse and the stiere into the see. 2. My strengthe and my preisyng is the Lord, and he is maad to me into heelthe, this is my God: y schal glorifie hym the God of my fadir: and y schal enhaunce hym. 3. The Lord is a man figten: his name is almigti. 4. He castide doun into the see the charis of P'arao and his oost, his chosun princes weren drenchid in the reed see; 5. The deepe watris hiliden them; they geden doun into the depthe as a stoon; 6. Lord thy rigt hond is magnyfied in strengthe: Lord thy rigt bond smoot the enemye: 7. And in the mythilnesse of thi glorie thou hast put doun all myn adversaryes; thou sentist thine ire that devouride hem as stobil. 8. And watris waren gaderid in the spirit of thi woodnesse, flowing watir stood: depe watris waren gaderid in the middis of the see. 9. The enemy seide, Y schal pursue and y schal take, y shal departe spuylis: my soul schal be fillid: y schal drawe out my swerde- myn hond schal sie hem. 10. Thi spirit blew; and the see hilide hem, thei weren drenchid as leede, in grete watris. II. Lord who is lyk thee in strong men: who is lyk thee, thou art greet doere in hoolynesse; ferdful and p'isable, and doyng miracles. T2. Thou heldist forth thin hond, and the erthe devouride hem: Wiclifite Versions. 55 13. Thou were ledere, in thi merci, to thi puple, which thou agen bougtest, and thou hast bore hym in thi strengthe, to thin holi dwellyng place: 14. Puplis stieden and weren wroothe: sorewis helden the dwelleris of Fillistiym. 15. Thane the pryncis of Edom weren disturbid: trembling helde the strong mon of Moab: all the dwelleris of Canaan weren Starke. 16. Inward drede falld on hem: and outward drede in the greetnesse of thin arm. Be thei maad immoovable as a stoon, til thi puple passe lord, til this thi puple passe, 17. Whom thou weldidist, thou schalt brynge hem in, and thou schalt plaunte in the hii of thin eritage: in the moost stidefast dwell- yng-place whish thou hast wrougt Lord, Lord thy seyntuarie which thin hondis made stidefast. 18. The Lord schal regne in to the world, and ferth'e. ig. Forsothe Farao a ridere entride with his charis and knygtis in to the see ; and the Lord brougte the watris of the see on him: sotheli the sones of Israel geden bi the drie place, in the myddis of the see. 20. Therefore Marie profetesse, the sister of Aaron, tooke a tympan in her hond, and all the wymmen geden out aftir hyr with tym. pans cumpanyes: 21. To which sche song before and seide, Synge we to the Lord: for he is magnyfied * gloriously, he castide doun into the see the hors and the stiere of hym. The second extract gives Purvey's revision (from Marsh's English Language and its Early Literature, p. 376) of Psalm cii. (ciii. A. V.): I. Mi soule, blesse thou the Lord; and alle thingis that ben with ynne me, blesse his hooli name. 2. Mi soule, blesse thou the Lord; and nyle thou forghete alle the gheldyngis of him. 3. Which doith merci to alle thi wickidnessis; which heeleth all thi sijknessis. * The spelling in this and other extracts furnished conforms exactly to that found in the original documents. Its retention shows how unsettled and fluctuating it was during the formative periods of the language. 56 The English Versions. 4. Which aghenbieth thi lijf firo deth; which corowneth thee in merci and merciful doyngis. 5. Which fiUith thi desijr in goodis; thi yhongthe schal be renulid as thi yhongthe of an egle. 6. The Lord doynge mercies; and doom to alle men suffringe wrong. 7. He made his weies knowun to Moises; his willis to the sones of Israel. 8. The Lord is a merciful doer, and merciful in wille; longe abidinge, and myche merciful. 9. He schal not be wrooth with outen ende; and he schal not thretne with outen ende. 10. He dide not to vs aftir oure synnes; neither he gheldide to vs aftir oure wickidnessis. II. For bi the highnesse of heuene fro erth; he made strong his merci on men dredynge hym. 12. As myche as the eest is fer fro the west; he made fer oure wickid nessis fro vs. 13. As a fadir hath merci on sones, the Lord hadde merci on men dredynge him; 14. For he knewe oure makyng. He bithoughte that we ben dust. 15. A man is as hey; his dai schal flowre out so as a flour of the feeld. 16. For the spirit schal passe in hym, and schal not abide; and schal no more knowe his place. 17. But the merci of the Lord is fro with out bigynnyng, and til in to with outen ende; on men dredinge hym. And his rightful - nesse is in to the sones of sones. 18. To hem that kepen his testament. And ben myndeful of hise comaundementis; to do tho. 19. The Lord hath maad redi his seete in heuene; and his rewme schal be lord of alle. 20. Aungels of the Lord, blesse yhe the Lord; yhe myghti in vertu, doynge his word, to here the vois of his wordis. 21. Alle vertues of the Lord, bless yhe the Lord; yhe mynystris of hym that doen his wille. 22. Alle werkis of the Lord, blesse yhe the Lord, in ech place of liis lordschipe; my soule, blesse thou the Lord. The third extract places in juxtaposition part of Psalm xiv. (xlvi.) in Hereford's version and Purvey's revision. Wiclifite Versions. 57 Hereford. 2 Oure God refut, and vertue; hel- pere in tribulaciouns, that found- en vs fill myche. 3 Therfore wee shul not drede, whil the erthe shal be disturbid; and hUlis shul be bom ouer in to the herte of the se. 4 Ther souneden, and ben dis turbid the watris of hem; the hillis ben disturbid in the strengthe of it. 5 The bure of the flod gladith the cite of God, the alther heghist halewide his tabemacle. 6 God in the myddel of it shal not be stirid; God shal helpen it erli fro the morutid. 7 Jentilis ben disturbid, and reumes be inbowid; he ghaf his vois, moued is the erthe. 8 The Lord of vertues with vs; oure vndertakere God of Jacob. Purvey, Oure God, thou art refuyt, and 2 vertu: helpere in tribulacions, that han founde vs greetly. Therfor we schulen not drede, 3 while the erthe schal be troblid, and the hillis schulen be borun ouer in to the herte of the see. The watris of hem sowneden, and 4 weren troblid; hillis weren trob lid togidere in the strengthe of hym. The feersnesse of flood makith 5 glad the citee of God; the high- este God hath halewid his taber nacle. God in the myddis therof schal 6 not be moued; God schal helpe it eerli in the great morewtid. Hethene men weren disturbid to- 7 gidere, and rewmes weren bowid doun. God ghaf his vois, the erthe was moued. The Lord of vertues is with; God 8 of Jacob is oure vpt.akere. And the following is a specimen of Purvey's annotations: ECCLESIASTES XII. Text. I Haue thou mynde on thi creatour in the daies of thi yhongthe, bi fore that the time of thy torment come, and the yheris of thi deth neighe, of whiche thou schalt seie, Tho plesen not me. 2 Haue thou mynde on thi creatour bifore that the sunne be derk, and the light, and sterrys and the mone; and cloude tume aghen after reyn. Margin. I . thi creatour; that is, God, that made thee of nought to his ymage and licnesse. 2. after reyn; that is, aftir the tribulacioun of eelde. 3. the keperis; that is, iyen, kep- eris of the body, bigynnen to failc, and to be duelid ; and strongest e men; that is, hipis and leggis; and grynderis; that is, teeth; and secris; that is, iyen, set behvixe the holis ofthe heed. 4. the doris 58 The English Versions. in the street; that is, lippis, set in the pleyn place of the face; voise of a brid; that is, the cok; doughtris of song; that is, the eeris, that deliten in melody. 5 . be aferd in the weie; that is, in the highere part of soule, and the lowere part that hath com- passioun on the bodi; for alle men dreden kyndly the deth neighinge, and to go out of the weye of present liyf; an ale- maunde tre schal floure; that is, the heed schal wexe hoor; locust e; that is, the wombe; capparis; that is, coueitise of flesh; go; bi deth; euerlastyngnesse; for he schal neuere tume aghen to pres ent liyf; capparis is an herbe [caper] . 3 Whanne the keperis of the hous schulen be mouyd, and strong- este men schulen tremble; and grynderis schulen be idel, whanne the noumbre schal be maad lesse, and seeris bi the hoolis schulen wexe derk; 4 and schulen close the doris in the street, in the lownesse of vois of u gryndere; and thei schulen rise at the vois of a brid, and alle the doughtris of song schulen wexe deef. 5 And high thingis schulen drede, and schulen be aferd in the weie ; an alemaunde tre schal floure, a locuste schal be maad fat, and capparis schal be distried; for a man schal go in to the hous of his euerlastyngnesse, and weileris schulen go aboute in the street. The New Testament, printed, will now engage our atten tion. In order to form an intelligent conception and esti mate of that great work, it is necessary to reproduce, as far as we may be able, the material from which the version was made. As there is no positive evidence that Wiclif, Purvey, and their coadjutors possessed such knowledge of Greek and Gothic as would enable them to make independent use of the few manuscripts to which they possibly had access, while there is evidence that they depended in that respect on the light derived from commentators, the Greek text and the version of Ulfilas may be set aside in the comparison of the sources and the products which is now presented. I select for the purpose the first thirteen verses of St. Matthew viii., and furnish, i, the Anglo-Saxon version from the edition of the University Press at Cambridge, 1858, with Marsh's word- for-word English translation subjoined in italics. 2. The text Wiclifite Versions. 59 of the Clementine version of the Latin Vulgate from the edition of Leander van Ess, Tubingen, 1824, which, though better than any found in England in Wiclif's time, sufficiently resembles that actually used to justify its reproduction for the purpose in hand. 3. The origi nal version of Wiclif. 4. The revision of that text by Purvey, and 5. The Authorized Version. The advantage of such an arrangement is self-evident; the reader may at a glance form his own judgment of the degree of merit attaching to each version. ST. MATTHEW VIII. Verse i. I. Sodhlice tha se Haalend of tham munte nydher-astah, tha {For') sooth when the Saviour from the mount came-down, there fyligdon him mycle masnio. followed him great multitudes. 2. Cum autem descendisset de monte, secutse sunt eum turbije multae. 3. Forsothe when Jhesus hadde comen doun fro the hii, many cum panyes folewiden hym. 4. But whanne Jhesus was come doun fro the hii, mych puple suede hym. 5. When he was come down frora the mountain, great multitudes fol lowed him. Verse 2. I . Dha genealashte an hreofla to him and hine to him ge-eadhmedde. Then nighed a leper to himandhim(self)to him humbled, and thus cwsedh; Drihten, gyf thu wylt, thu miht me geclsensian. and thus spake; Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst me cleanse. 2. Et ecce, leprosus veniens adorabat eum, dicens: Domine, si vis, potes me mundare. 3. And loo ! a leprouse man cummynge worshipide hym, sayinge: Lord, yhif thou wolt, thou maist make me clene. 4. And loo ! -a. leprouse man cam and worschipide him, and seide: Lord, if thou wolt, thou maist make me clene. 5. And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying. Lord. if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 6o The English Versions. Verse j. r. Dha astrehte se Haelend hys hand and hrepode hyne and thus Then outstretched the Saviour his hand and touched him and thus cwsedh, Ic wille; beo gecloensod. And hys hreofla wses hrsedlice spake, I will; be cleansed. And his leprosy was immediately geclsensod. cleansed. .!.. Et extendens Jesus manum, tetigif eum, dicens: Volo, mundare ! Et confestim mundata est lepra ejus. 3. And Jhesus holdynge forthe the hond, touchide hym sayinge, I wole; be thou maad clene. And anoon the lepre of hym was clensid. 4. And Jhesus helde forth the hoond, and touchide hym, and seide, Y wole ; be thou maad cleene. And anoon the lepre of him was clensid. 5. And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Verse 4. I. Dha cwaedh se H^lend to him, Wama the thaet thu hyt. naenegum Then said the Saviour to him. See that thou it [to) no men ne secge; ac gang, aeteowde the tham sacerde, and bring hym tha man tell; but go, show thee {to) the priest, and bring him the lac the Moyses behead, on hyra gecydhnesse. gift that Moses bad, for their information. 2. Et ait illi Jesus: Vide, nemini dixeris; sed vade, ostende te sacerdoti et offer munus, quod prsecipit Moyses, in testimonium illis. 3. And Jhesus saith to hym; See, say thou to no man; but go, shewe thee to prestis, and offre that ghifte, that Moyses comaundide, into wit nessing to hem. 4. And Jhesus seide to hym; Se, seie thou to no man; but go, shewe thee to the prestis, and offre the ghift that Moyses comaundide, in wit- nessyng to hem. 5. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. Verse J. I. Sodhlice tha se Haelend ineode on Caphamaum, tha ge- {For-) sooth when the Saviour went in to Capernaum, then nealaehte hym an hundredes ealdor, hyne biddende. nighed (to) him a hundred's captain, him praying. Wiclifite Versions. 6i 2. Cum autem introisset Caphamaum, accessit ad eum centurio, ro- gans eum. 3. Sothely when he hadde entride in to Caphamaum, centurio neighide to hym preyinge him, ^ 4. And whanne he hadde entrid in to Cafamaum, the centurien neighede to him and preiede him, £. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, Verse 6. I . And thus cwedhende, Drihten, min cnapa lidh on minum huse lama, Attd thus saying. Lord, my knave lieth in my house lame, and mid yfle gethread. and with evil afflicted. 2. Et dicens: Domine! puer meus jacet in domo paralyticus et male torquetur. 3. And said. Lord, my child lyeth in the hous sike on the padsie, and is yuel tourmentid. 4. And seide. Lord, my child lijthin the hous sijk on the palesie, and is yuel turmentid. 5. And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, griev ously tormented. Verse 7. I. Dha cwasdh se Haelend to him, Ic cume and hine gehaele. Then said the Saviour to him, I come and him heal. 2. Et ait illi Jesus: Ego veniam et curabo eum. 3. And Jhesus saith to hym, I shal cume, and shale hele hym. 4. And Jhesus seide to him, Y schal corae, and schal heele him. 5. And Jesus saith unto hira, I will come and heal him. Verse 8. I. Dha answarode se hundredes ealdor and thus cwaedh, Drihten, ne Then answered the hundred's captain and thus said. Lord, not eom ic wyrdhe thaet thu ingange under mine thecene*; ac cwaedh thin an am I worthy that thou in-go under my roof; but speak thy one word, and min cnapa bidh gehseled. -word, and my knave will-be healed. 2. Et respondens centurio ait: Domine, non sum dignus ut intres sub tectum meum, sed tantum die verbo, et sanabitur puer meus. * c hard like k; compare German Dccke — cover, roof; Latin, iectuiit. 62 The English Versions. 3. And centurio answerynge saith to hym, Ixjrd, I am not worthi, that thou entre vndir my roof; but oonly say bi word, and my child shal be helid. 4. And the centurien answeride, and saide to hym. Lord, Y am not worthi, that thou entre vndur my roof; but oonli seie thou bi word, and my childe schal be heelid. 5. The centurion answered and said. Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only and my servant shall be healed. Verse g, I. Sodhlice ic eom man under atnwealde gesett, and ic haebbe (For-) sooth I am (a) man under authority set, and I have thegnas under me: and ic cwasdhe to thysum. Gang, and he gaidh; and soldiers under me: and I say io this. Go, and he goeth; and ic cwaedhe to othram, Cum, and he cymdh ; to minum theowe, Wyrc t say to (an-) other. Come, and he cometh, to my servant. Do this, and he wyrcdh. this, and he doeth [or. Work, and he worketh'\ . 2. Nam et ego homo sum sub potestate constitutus, habens sub me milites, et dico huic: Vade! et vadit; et alii: Veni! et venit; et servo meo: Fac hoc ! et facit. 3. For whi and I am a man ordeynd vnder power, hauynge vndir me knightis, and I say to this. Go, and he goth; and to an other. Come thou, and he cometh; and lo my seruaunt. Do thov this thing, and he doth. 4. For whi Y am a man ordeyned vndur power, and have knyghtis vndir me; and Y seie to this. Go, ond he goith; and to another. Come, and he cometh; and to my seruaunt. Do this, and he doith it. 5. For 1 am a man under authority, having soldiers under me; and I say to this man. Go, and he goeth; and to another. Come, and he com eth; and to my servant. Do this, and he doeth it. Verse jo. I. Witodlice tha se Haelend this gehyrde, tha wundrode he, and Now when the Saviour this heard, then wondered he, and cwaedhto tham the hym fyligdon: Sodh ic secge eow ne gemette ic said to them that him followed: Sooth I say (to-) you not met I swa mycelne geleafan on Israhel. so much belief in Israel. 2. Audiens autem Jesus miratus est, et sequentibus se dbcit: Amen dico vobis, non iiiveni tantam fidem in Israel ! Wiclifite Versions. 63 3. Sothely Jhesus, heerynge these thingis, wondride, and saide to men suyinge liym: Trewly I saye to yhou I fond nat so grete feith in Yrael. 4. And Jhesus herde these thingis, and wondride, and seide to men that sueden him: Treuli I seie to yhou Y foond not so greete feith in Israel. 5. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that fol lowed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel, Verse ii. I. To sodhum ic secge eow, Dhaet manige cumadh fram In sooth I say (to-) you, that many (shalt) come from (the) east-daele and west-daele, amd wuniadh mid Abrahame and Isaace east-deal and [fhe) west-deal and dwell with Abraham attd Isaac and Jacobe, on heofena rice; and Jacob in heaven's realm; 2. Dico autera vobis, quod raulti ab Oriente et Occidente venient, et recumbent cum Abraham, et Isaac, et Jacob in regno coeloram. 3. Sothely Y say to yhou, that manye shulen come fro the est and west, and shulen rest with Abraham and Ysaac and Jacob in the kyng dam of heuenes; 4. And Y seie to yhou, that many schulen come fro the eest and the west, and schulen reste with Abraham, and Ysaac, and Jacob in the kyngdom of heuenes; 5. And I say unto you. That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdoin of heaven. Verse 12. I. Witodlice thises rices beam beodh aworpene on tha yte- verily this realm's children (shall) be out-cast in (to) the out- mestan thystro: thaer bidh wop, and totha gristbitung. crmost darkness: there (shall) be weeping, and (of) teeth grinding. 2. Filii autem regni ejicientur in tenebras exteriores, ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium ! 3. Forsothe the sonys of the rewme shulen be cast out into vttremest derknessis; there shal be weepynge, and beetynge togidre of teeth. 4. But the sones of the rewme schulen be cast out in to vtmer mest derknessis; there schal be wepyng, and grynting of teeth. 5. But the children of the kingdom shall be cist out into outer dark ness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 64 The English Versions. Verse ij. I. And se Haelend cwaedh to tham hundrydes ealdre, Ga; and gewurdhe And the Saviour said to the hundred's elder. Go; and ie (it) the swa swa thu gelyfdest. And se cnapa waes gahasled on thaere (to) thee so as thou believedst. And the knave was healed in that tide. hour. 2. Et dixit Jesus Centurioni, Vade ! et sicut credidisti fiat tibi. Et sanatus est puer in ilia hora. 3. And Jhesus saide to centurio. Go; and as thou haist bileeued be it don to thee. And the child was helid fro that houre. 4. And Jhesus seide to the centurioun, Go; and as thou hast bileuyd be it doon to thee. And the chUd was heelid fro that hour. 5. And Jesus said unto the centurion. Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour. The next three specimens are intended to illustrate the ex treme literalness of Wiclifs rendering. I. GENESIS XXXVII. 3I-36. Vulgate. Wiclif. 31 Tulerunt autem tunicam ejus, et Forsothe thei token the coote of 31 in sanguine hoedi, quem occide- hym, and in the blood of a kyde rant, tinxerunt; that thei hadden slayn, steyne- den; 32 Mittentes, quiferrent ad patrem the which sendynge shulden bere 32 et dicerent: Hanc invenimus: to fader, and seyn. This we han vide utrum tunica filii tui sit, foundun, loke whether the coot an non. of thi sone it be or noon. 33 Quam cum agnovisset pater, ait: The which whanne the fadir 33 Tunica filii mei est, fera pessi- knovvith, seith. The coote of my ma comedit eum, bestia devo- sone it is, the moost yuel wiylde ravit Joseph. beest hath etun hyra, a beest hath deuowrid Joseph. 34 Scissisque vestibus indutus est And the clothis to - rent, was 34 cilicio, lugens filium suum multo clothed with an heyr, weilynge tempore. his sone myche tyme. Wiclifite Versions. 65 35 Congregatis aute?n cunctis liber- is ejus, ut lenirent dolorem pa tris, noluit consolationem acci- pere, sed ait: Descendam ad filium meum lugens in infer- num. Et illo perseverante in fletu, 36 MadianitcB vendiderunt Joseph in iEgypto Putiphari eunucho Pharaonis, magistro militum. And alle his free children gedered 35 togideres, that they myghten swage the sorrow of the fader, he nolde coumfortyng take, but seith, Y shal descende to my sone weilynge into helle. And hym stedfastli dwellynge in wepyng, Madenytis solden Joseph in 36 Egepte, to Putiphar, the geld- yng of Pharao, the mayster of chyualrye. IL ST. MATTHEW VIII. 23-27. Vulgate. 23 Et ascendente eo in naviculam, secuti sunt eum discipuli ejus. 24 Et ecce ! motus magnus factus est in mari, ita ut navicula operiretur fiuftibus; ipse vero dormiebat. 25 Et accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus, et suscitaverunt eum dicen tes, Domine, salva nos: perimus. 26 Et dicit eis Jesus, Quid timidi estis, modicis fidei ? Tunc sur- gens imperavit ventis et mari, et facta est tranquillitas magna. 27 Porro homines mirati sunt, di centes: Qualis est hie, quia venti et mare obediunt ei ? Wiclif. And Jhesu steyinge vp in to a litel 23 ship, his disciplis sueden hira. And loo ! a grete steryng was 24 raade in the see, so that the litil ship was hilid with wawis; but he slepte. And his disciplis camen nigh to 25 hym, and raysiden hym, say inge. Lord, saue vs: we perishen. And Jhesus seith to liera. What 26 ben yhee of litil feith agast? Thanne he rysynge coraaundide to the wyndis and the see, and a grete pesiblenesse is maad. Forsothe men wondreden, say- 27 inge: What manere man is he this, for the wyndis and the see obeishen to hym. IIL ROMANS VIII. 5-8. Vulgate. Wiclif. 5 Qui enim secundum camem For thei that ben aftir the fleisch 5 sunt, quce carnis sunt, sapiunt; saueren tho thingis that ben of E (fo The English Versions. qui vero secundum spiritum the fleisch, but thei that ben aftir sunt, qua sunt spiritus, senti- the spirit felen tho thingis that unt. ben of the spirit, 6 Namprudentia carnis mors est; For the prudence of fleisch: is 6 prudentia autem spiritus vita deeth, but the prudence of spirit: etpax. is liif and pees, 7 Quoniam sapientia carnis in- For the wisdom of fleische is ene- 7 imica est Deo; legi enim Dei non mye to God, for it is not suget to est subjecta nee enim potest. the lawe of God: fornetheritmay, 8 Qui autem in came sunt Deo And thei that ben in fleisch: 8 placere non possunt. moun not please to God. In connection with these Wiclifite versions, and as an indis pensable datum to an intelligent appreciation of their great value, I have still to refer to several important manuscripts. One of these (MSS. Trin. Coll., Dubl. 237.97), ascribed to Purnay, A. D. i395,*exhibits remarkable agreements with another MS., once the property of Bishop Burier; and both, again, very strik ing agreements and differences as compared with Wiclif's text. To illustrate this, the reader will please compare a few pas sages, given in parallel columns, and take note ofthe captions: ST. MATTHEW I. 1. Wiclif, A. D. 1380. MS, 237.97, T, C. D., A.D.i3<)5. The book of the generacioun of The book of generacioun of jesus ihesus crist: the sone of dauith, the crist the sone of davith, the sone of sone of Abraham. Abraham bigat abraham. 3.h{3.ha.ra generide 01 'bi- Isaac, Isaac bigat Iacob, Iacob bi- gaat ysaace, ysaace forsothe bigat gat ludas and hise brethren. Jacob, Jacob forsothe bigat judas and his brethren. This MS. 237 agrees verbatim with Bishop Butler's MS. There now follow specimens of agreements and differences in said MSS. as compared with Wiclif: Agreements. ST. LUKE I. ;. Wiclif. Bishop Butler's MS. In the daies of eroude king of iu- There was sum preest zacharie by dec, there was a preest zacarie bi name in the daies of heroude King Wiclifite Versions. 6/ name of the sorte of abia, and his of Judee of the sort of abia and his wiif was of the doughtris of aaron: wyf of the doughtris of aaron : & hir and hir name was elizabeth. name Elizabeth Differences. ST. LUKE x. 30. and jhesus bi-helde and seide, A Sothely iesu biholdynge seyde, man cam down from lerusalem in sum man cam doun fro ierlm in to to ierico, and filde among theues, iericho, & felde among theeuves and they robbeden hym, and wound- which also robbiden him and iden hym, and wen ten aweie: and woundes putte inn wenten awaye leften the man half alyue. the man lefte halfe quyke. MS. Bibl. Reg. I. B. VI. , in the British Museum, agrees with Bishop Butler's MS. in the Gospels, but differs from it in the Epistles. As compared with Wiclifs version, the dif- •erences are notable. I CORINTH. VIII. I, 2. Wiclif. Bibl. Reg. /. B. VL But of the thingis that ben sacri- Forsothe of thes thingis that ben fied to idolis we witen for alle we offrid to ydolis that ben symulacris hau kunninge, but kunnynge blow- maid to manns lykenesses. Wewit- ith, charite edifieth, but if ony man en for alle we hau kunnyng ; sothe- gessith that he kan ony thing, he li science or kunnyng in bloweth hath not ghit knowe houe it bi- with pride, charite edifyeth forsothe houeth hym to kunne. if ony man gesse or deme him forto wite ony thing he hath not yhit knowun hou it behoueth liim for to kunne. Among the MSS. in the Bodleian, one, marked Fairfax 2, has the subscription, ' ' y= eer of y= lord mccc viii yis book wa endid." The fourth c is erased to make the book appear older: its true date is a. d. 1408, the year of the enactment ofarphbishop Arundel's Oxford Constitutions. The altera tion, of course intentional and fraudulent, was very clumsily made, and survives as a specimen of pious fraud to deprive Wiclif of the honor and merit of his translation; for if Fairfax 2 were so much earlier than Wiclifs Fairfax would simply be 68 The English Versions. a copyist; but, unfortunately for Arundel's scholarship and knowledge, this version, which he lauds to the skies as su perior to Wiclif, turns out to be a veritable Wiclif and noth ing else. Lewis has somehow fallen into the erroneous state ment that Fairfax 2 is the manuscript of which Bishop Bonner said in A. d. 1555 that he had a IMS. in his possession which liad been written about eight score years earlier. Fairfax 2 has Wiclifs version, and the juxtaposition of the subjoined passage in Wiclif's version and the version of the MS. cited by Bonner and printed in Lewis proves that it is a different version, the MS. of which has not yet been identified. DEUT. V. 7, 9. Wiclif. Bonner MS. Thou shalt not haue alien goddis Thou schalte not haue alyen god- in my sight. Thou schalt not make dys in my syght, thou schalt not to thee a grauen ymage neyer a make to thee graven thinge, ne licnesse of all thingis that ben in lyckenesse of alle thinges that in he v- heuene aboue & that ben in erthe ene ben above and in erthe benethe, biuethe & that ben in watris under and that dwellen in waters under erthe, thou schalt not herie tho & erthe, thou schalt not honoure hem thou schalt not worshippe tho. ne herye hem. By way of summary, then, it is proven and certain that about the close of the thirteenth century there existed, first, Wiclifs translation from the Latin, not independent of the Anglo-Saxon and the French, but, nevertheless, rather literal; and, secondly, Purvey's revision, which, as well as the other versions placed before the reader, seek to give the sense of the original (or of the Latin, as the case may be) rather than the words. The light derived from collateral scholarship is dis tinctly described in the passage on translation from Purvey: his authorities were Augustine, Jerome, the Glossa Ordinaria,* and Lire (Lyra), the same of whom it has been said. * This work was compiled by Walafrid Strabo; the Gloss Interlineary by Anselm. deacon of the Church of Laon. Wiclifite Versions. 69 Si Lyra non lyrasset Luther non cantasset, and whose commentaries are as completely forgotten as his name appears to be, for there are very few encyclopaedias which perpetuate the memory of Nicolas de Lyra. As to style, Wiclifs version is robust, terse, popular, and homely; Purvey's, and those noticed, less so, and somewhat more polished, though decidedly quaint; but, for all that, Wiclifs version is the original stock of the Authorized Ver sion, whose peculiar strength is directly derived from his. Among the peculiar renderings of Wiclif may be noted the following: "The provost of the house stood bifore it (the ark) in those days," Judges XX. 28; "And Menahem settled the tallage of silver on Israel," 2 Kings xv. 20; "Thanne knyghtis of the iustise token ihesus in the moote halle, " St. Math, xxvii. 27; "They ledden hym bounden: bitook to pilat of pounce iustice," v. 2; "No man holdinge knyght- hood to God: wlappith hym silf with worldli nedis," 3 Tim. ii. 4; "Manaen that was the soukynge fere (foster-brother) of eroude tetrark, " Acts xiii. 2. The feminine gender is marked in both endings ster and ess; e. g., spousess, purpuress (of Lydia), discipless, cous- yness; daunster or daunceress, syngster and syngeress, devour- css, servauntess, lecheresse, synneresse, thralesse, weileresse, chesister, cheseresse, leperesse; ster, however, sometimes de notes the masculine. The adjective ending en, surviving in golden, brazen, wool en, etc., occurs in many forms now obsolete, e. g., silvern, reeden, treen, stonen, hairen, bricken, hornen, etc. His prefixes in compound words are very remarkable; they are above, after, again ("bi waischyng of agen bigetyng and agen newying of the Hooli Goost," Tit. iii. 6), at, alto, be fore, bi, dis, en, even, ever, for, fore, ful, in, mei, mis, o, if, on, over, out, through, to, un, under, up, and with. Dr. Eadie, where more illustrations may be seen, men- ¦JO The English Versions. tions quite a number of words still surviving in Scotch, and many Wiclifite words which by a slight change in spelling may be identified with their modern representatives; e, g., abaished, aish, abregge, abite (habit), axe, brid (bird), brisse, brest (burst), bigge (buy), bocherie, boyschel (bushel), bott ler, brenne, caitiff, coryour, coz (kiss), drede, fait, gree (de gree), hole, carkeis, hoxe, ligge (liegen, to lie), parfyt, pistil, raied, rede, scrowis (scrolls), suget (subject), snybbe, sorwe, spitele (hospital), treede, weilen (wail), wilden, wlaten (loathe), yuel, wrethen, minutis (mites). A statement in the Christian Annotator (iii. p. 58), said to rest on the authority of Dr. Tregelles, is to the effect that not many years ago Wiclif's ver sion was read aloud in Yorkshire with the surprising result that there was hardly a word or expression at all out of the wa}', (See Eadie, /. c, i. 78). The following characteristics of the Wiclifite versions de serve to be marked: I. The curious attempt to render quasi-technical words by English equivalents, e. g., St. Matthew v. 22, raca is trans lated "fy'' or "fogh"; iii. 6, baptized 'is rendered "washed"; St. Luke xvi. 9, 11, 13, mammon becomes "richesse," and the term high-priest is Englished into "bishop." 2. The curious glosses explanatory of passages, and more frequently of single words, found in some of the MSS. , ex amples of which occur in the extracts, to which the following are added as exhibiting occasionally the singular circumstance that the explanatory term is now more obscure than the word to be explained — e. g. , incorruptible, that may not dye ne benpeyred; creatour, maker of noughte; yvel fame, schendeschepe; maales, men; accorden not, by semen not; bakbyters, soweres of discorde; detractours, open bakbyters; proude, high ouer measure; affeccion, loue; benignite, good wil; accepcion of persons, that is put oon bifore an other that is withouten deserte; sacrilegie, that is theft of holy thenges; \\is^\?ieA, founden trew; Wiclifite Versions. 7/. preuarication, trespassing; allegorie, or gospels vndir standing ; a libel, that is a little book; a byliber of wheat, a weighte of tweye pound; with wonder and extasi, that is, lesyng of mynde and resoun and letfyng of tongue; and, oolde bottelis, or wyne vessels. 3. Many words in these versions are strictly obsolete; e. g. , contakes, reproaches; faage, flatter; heriynge, praising; querne, mill; and rewme, kingdom. There are others still in current use, but employed in a different sense; e. g. , cofyns, baskets; departe, divide; bitake, deliver; tree, wood; and tent, heed. 4. The influence of the Wiclifite versions on the Author ized Version may be illustrated in the following juxtaposition: MATTH. VII. 14. Wiclifite. Authorized Version, I * Streit is the gate and narewe Strait is the gate, and narrow is the the weye. way. MATTH. XVI. 22. 2 Fer be it fro thee. Lord. Be it far from thee, Lord. JOHN III. 3. I No but a raan schal be bom Except a man be bom again. agen. ROM. XII. I. 2 A lyuynge sacrifice. A living sacrifice. I COR. II. 10. I, 2 The depe thingis of God. The deep things of God. I COR. x. 16. I, 2 The cuppe of blessynge the The cup of blessing which we bless. which we blessen. JAMES I. 5. I, 2 And vpbraydith not. And upbraidth not. And in a longer extract may be seen at once the agreement and the difference: * 1 denotes the earlier, 2 the later, vetsion* 72 The English Versions. S. LUKE vi. 20-26. Wiclif (1380). Authorized Version (ibil). 20 And whanne his iyen weren cast And hee lifted vp his eyes on his 20 vp in to his disciplis: he seide, disciplis, and said. Blessed bee Blessid be ye pore men, for the yea poorer for yours is the king- kyngdom of god is youre. dome of God. 21 Blessid be ye that now hungren: Blessed are ye that hunger now: 21 for ye schuln be fulfillid, Blessid be ye that now wepen: for ye schuln leiye, 22 blessid ye schulen be whanne men schuln hate you, departe you aweie, and putte schenschip to you: cast out youre name, as yuel for mannes sone, 23 ioye ye in that dai, auid be ye glad: for lo youre mede is myche in heuene, for aftir these thingis: the fadirs of hem diden to profetis, 24 netheles wo to you riche men : than han youre comfort, 25 wo to you that ben fulfillid; for ye schuln hungre, wo to you that now leiyen ; for ye schuln raoome and wepe, 26 wo to you whanne alle men schulen blesse you, aftir these thingis the fadris of hem diden to profetis. And lastly, St. Paul's speech on Mars' Hill is given in Wic lif's own translation: ACTS xvii. 22-34. Older Version.' Sothely poul stondynge in the mydil of ariopage (or comyn stole) seith, • From The Nevj Testament in English, translated hy John 'tVyclijff-e, circa, 1380. 4to. London, 1848. Printed after the MS. then in the possession of Lea Wilson, now in the hands of tbe Earl of Ashbornham. for yee shall bee filled. Blessid are yee that weepe now, for ye shall laugh. Blessed are yee when men shall 22 hate you, and when they shall separate you from their com pany, and shal reproach you, and cast out your name as euill, for the Sonne of mannes sake. Reioyce ye in that day, and leape 23 for ioy : for beholde, your reward is great in heauen, for in the like maner did their fathers vnto the Prophets.But woe vnto you that are rich: 24 for yee haue receiued your con solation. Woe vnto you that are full: for 25 yee shall hunger. Woe vnto you that laugh now: for yee shall moume and weepe. Wo vnto you when all men shall 26 speake well of you: for so did their fathers to the false prophets. Wiclifite Versions. 73 men of athenes, by alle tliinges I se yhou as veyne worschipers, sothely I passynge & seing yhoure syraulacris: fonde & an auter in whiche it was writen to vnknowen god, therfore whiche thing yhee vnknowynge wor- schipen: this thing I schewe to yhou, god that made the worlde & alle thingis that ben in it: this whanne he is lord of heuene & erthe dwellith not in templis made by handis • nether is worschipide by raannes handis hauynge nede of any thing: whanne he ghyueth lijf to alle men • & in- brethinge & alle thingis, and made of one alle the kynde of men • for to enhabite on al the face of erthe • determynynge tymes ordeynyde . & termes of habitacon (or dwellynge) of hem • for to seek god • ghif par- auenture thei feelen hym other fynden: though he be not fer fro eche of yhou, sothely in hym we lyuen & ben mouede & ben: as & summe of yhoure poetis seyden, sothely we ben & the kynde of hym, therfore sith we ben the kynde of god: we schulen not deme (or gesse) godly thing for to be of golde et siluer or stoon: to grauynge of crafte & thoughte of man, and sothely god dispisynge the times of this vnkunnynge • nowe schewith to men- that alle euery where do penaunce for that he ordeynyde a day • in whiche he is to demynge the worlde in equyte • in a man in whiche he ordeynyde feith ghyuynge to alle : reysynge hym fro deade men, sothely whanne thei hadden herde the aghen rysynge of deade men: sothely summe scomeden • summe forsothe seyden, we schulen heere thee efte of this thing, so poul wente oute of the mydel of hem, forsothe some deu- ynge to him bileueden, in the whiche & dionyse ariopagite (or greet man of comoune stole •) & a womman by name damaris; and other with hem. In Baber's edition of Wiclifs N. T. are given two versions of the Epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans, which, on account of their rarity are here reproduced. The prefatory note in Pepys, MS. 40, reads: Laodicensis ben also Colocensis: as tweie townes and o peple in maners. These ben of Asie: and among hem hadde ben false Apostlis and dis- seyued manye. Therfore the Apostil bringith hem to mynde of his con- versacioun and trewe prechinge of the Gospel and excitith hem to be stide fast in the trewe witt and loue of Crist, and to be of o will. But this epistil is not in comyn latyn bookis and therfore it was but late trans latid into Englische iunge. Jerom in his prolog seith this. [Et si quid wihi naris est, eiusdem est opificis, qui nseniis suis omnium ueterum theologorura omnia scripta contaminauit, conspurcauit, perdidit, ac prsecipue eius, qui prsc caeteris indignus erat ea contumelia, nempe diui Hieronyrai.] 7\ The English Versions. From the Der ing MS. Poul apostle not of men ne bi man, but by Jesu Crist, to the britheren that ben of Laodice, grace to ghou and peec of god the fadir and of the lord iesu crist. gracis I do to crist bi al myn ori- soun, that ghe be dwellinge in him and lastinge bi the biheeste abid inge in the dai of doom, ne he un- ordeynede us of sum veyn speche feynynge, that us overtume fro the sothfastnesse of the Gospel that of rae is prechid. also now schal god do hem levynge, and doynge of blessidnesse of werkis, which heelthe of lyf is. and now openli ben my boondis which I suffre in crist iesu: in whiche I glade and ioie and that is to me heelthe euerlastynge: that that I dide with oure preieris & mynystringe the holy spirit bi lyf or bi deeth, it is forsothe to me lyf into crist and to die ioie withouten eende: In us he schal do his merci that ghe have the same lovynge, and that ghe be of o wil. therfore, der- lyngis, as ghe hau herd in pres ence of me, hold ghe and do ghe in drede of god, and it schal be to you lyf withouten eende. It is for sothe god that worchith in us: and do ghe withouten ony withdrawinge whatsoevere ghe doon. And that it is, derlyngis, joie ghe in crist, and flee ghe maad foul in clay. Alle ghoure axingis ben open anentis god, & be ghe fastncd in the witt of crist, and whiche been hool. and sooth and chast and rightwys, and From MS. in Jesus Col., Camb. Paul apostil not of men ne bi man, but bi Jesu Crist to the brithe ren that ben at Laodice: grace to ghou and pees of god the fadir and of the lord Jesu crist: I do thank- yngis to mi god bi al my preier, that ghe ben dwellynge and last- ynge in him abidinge the biheeste in the dai of doom. For neithir the vein spekynge of summe unwise men hath lettid ghou the whiche wolden tume ghou fro the treuthe of the gospel that is prechid of me and now ben that ben of me to the profight of treueth of the gospel. god schal make deservynge and doynge benygnyte of werkis and of heelthe of everlastynge liif. And now mi boondis ben open whiche I suffre in Crist Jesu ; in which I glade & joie, and that is to me euerlast ynge heelthe : that this same thing be doon by ghoure preiers and mynystringe of the holy goost ei ther bi lyf eithir bi deeth. For sothe to me it is lyf to lyve m Crist, and to die joie. And his mercj schal do in ghou that same thing, that ghe 'moun have the sarae love, and that ghe may be of o wil. Therfore ghe weel beloved brithe ren, holde ghe and do ghe in the drede of god as ghe han herd the presence of me, & lyf schal be to ghou withouten eende. Sotheli it is god that worchith in ghou. And, my weel beloued britheren: do ghe withouten ony withdrawynge what evere that ghe doon. joie ghe m Wiclifite Versions. 75 lovable do ghe: and whiche herden crist and eschewe ghe man defoulid and take in herte hold ghe; and it with lucre, eithir foul wynnynge. schal be to ghou pees. Holi men Be alle ghoure axingis open anentis greeten ghou weel in the grace of god: and be ghe stidefast in the oure lord Jesu Crist with the hooli witt of cnst, and do ghe tho thingis goost: and do ghe that pistil of col- that ben hool and trewe and iust osensis to be red to ghou amen, and able to be loved, and kepe Here eendith the pistil to Laodi- ghe in herte the thingis that ghe sensis and bigynneth a prolog on have herd and take; and pees schal the firste pistil to tessalonicensis. be to ghou. alle holi men greeten ghou. The grace of oure lord Jesu Crist be with ghoure spirit, and do ghe that pistil of ColosensL* to be red to ghou: Heere eendith the pistil to Laodisensis, and bigynneth the prolog on the firste pistil to Tessalonisensis. * EDITIONS OF WICLIF. I. Rev. John Lewis, M.A., printed the first edition of the New Testament of Wiclif, folio, London, 1731, with a glossary of old and obsolete words. The text was taken from two MSS., one of which in 1850 was in the Bodleian Library (Gough, Eccl., Top 5), and the other in the possession ofthe very Rev. Wm. Conybeare, dean of Llandaff. 2. Rev. Henry Baber reprinted it in 4to., London, 18 10, with ' ' a short memoir of the Life, Opinions, and Writings of Dr. Wycliffe: an historical account ofthe Saxon and English versions of the Scriptures which have been made previously to the fifteenth century. " The Glossary at the end of the vol ume is corrected and considerably enlarged. 3. The New Testament, in the same version, was published in the first column of Bagster's English Hexapla, 4to., Lon don, 1 84 1 ; it is claimed to be much more accurate and com- * This version is later than the former, and both belong to a later period than Wiclif's time. "je The English Versions. plete than the editions of Lewis and Baber, having been mi nutely collated with it, and every variation compared with the readings of twenty-one MSS. The introductory verses to St. Luke's Gospel are supplied from a MS. in the library of Queen's College, Oxford. 4. The earlier version of the New Testament from a MS. (in 1850 in the Eari of Ashburnham's collection) was printed by Mr. Lea Wilson in 1848 under the title: The New Testa ment in English, translated by fohn Wycliffe, nWa MCCCLXXX. , etc., 4to, London, 1848. 5. The New Testament was likewise published, very care fully, by Bosworth and Waring, London, 1865. 6. Of the Old Testament the only portion published, was the Song of Solomon by Dr. Adam Clarke, in the third vol ume of his Commentary, 8 vols., 4to., London, 1810-1825; from a MS. now in the British Museum, Eg. 618, 619. 7. The Holy Bible containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal Books, in the Earliest English Versions, made from the Latin Vulgate by fohn Wycliffe and his Followers, edited by the Rev. Josiah Forshall, F. R. S. , etc. , late Fellow of Exeter College, and Sir Frederic Madden, K.H., F.R.S., etc. , Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum, 4 vols. , 4to. , Oxford, 1850. This is a work on which the editors bestowed twenty-two years of labor; they have examined and described one hundred and seventy MSS. and printed two of the best in parallel columns, the first written before 1390, and the second before 1400. A full glossary is added to vol. iv. They say that with the exception of the Song of Solomon, given by Dr. Adam Clarke, no part of the earlier of the two versions before 1390 had ever been printed before 1850. Tyndale's Version fj CHAPTER IV. tyndale's version. The printing of the Hebrew Bible (Brescia, a. d. 1488) and ofthe Greek Testament (Basel, a. d. 15 16) in successive editions, eagerly bought up, and the impulse it gave to the study of the Word of God, alarmed the ignorant and illiterate monks, who tried to arrest the movement by violent utter ances from the pulpit that "there was now a new language discovered called Greek, of which people should beware, since it was that which produced all the heresies; that in this lan guage was come forth a book called the New Testament, which was now in everybody's hands, and was full of thorns and briers; that, there was also another language now started up which they called Hebrew, and that they who learned it were tumed Hebrews'' (Hody, de textib. bibl, p. 465). On the re ception his Testament met with in England, Erasmus (Epist. Lib. xxxi.. No. 42, ed. 1642) says: "These" (especially one college in the University of Cambridge) ' ' object to us the feigned authority of synods, and magnify the great peril of the Christian faith, and the danger of the Church, which they pretend to support with their shoulders, that are much fitter to prop a wagon. And these clamours they disperse among the^ ignorant and superstitious populace, upon whom, having the reputation of being great divines, they are very loth to have their opinions called in question, and are afraid that when they quote the Scripture wrong, as they often do, the authority of the Greek and Hebrew verity should be cast in their teeth, and that by and by appear to be a dream, which was by them given out for an oracle. " The vicar of Croydon said in a sermon, preached at St. Paul's Cross: "We must 78 The English Versions. root out printing, or printing will root out us " (Foxe, Acts aTid Monuments, I., p. 927). It was while such sentiments prevailed in England that William Tyndale conceived the idea of translating the Scrip tures from the original tongues into English. ' ' I defy the pope and all his laws," he said in 1520, in the heat of a con versation with a Roman Catholic divine, who held it better to be without God's laws than the pope's, "and if God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture than you do ! " (Foxe in A.-!\dtKOYvs Annals of the English Bible, Am. ed., p. 43.) William Tyndale was born in Gloucestershire, a. d. 1471. Of his early life authentic data are wanting, except the state ment of Foxe (II., p. 301) that he went early to Oxford (about A. D. 1500) and "grew up and increased as well in the knowledge of tongues and other liberal arts, as especially in the knowledge of the Scriptures, whereunto his mind was singularly addicted. " He is said to have taken his degrees in Pvlagdalen Hall, and to have privately read lectures in divinity to the students and fellows of that hall and the adjoining col lege. His picture is preserved in the former, with this in scription: Refert hcec Tabella, quod solum potuit ars, Gulielmi Tindal effigiem, hujus olim AulcB Alumni simul &• Ornamenti, qui post felices purioris Theologies primitias hie depositas Ant- werpicE in Novo Testamento nee non Pentateucho in vernaculum transfer endo operam navavit Anglis suis ea usque salutiferam, ut inde non immerito AnglicB Apostolus audierat. WilfordicB prope Bruxellas Martyrio coronatus anno 1 536. Vir, si vel adver saria {procuratori nempe Imperatoris gener aW) credamus, per- dactus, plus et bonus {Hist. &f Antiq. Oxon., lib. II. , p. 379, col. 2).* From Oxford he went to Cambridge, and as the * The picture is a wretched affair, so wretched indeed that the engraver whom Lewis wanted to copy it told him " that it was not worth while to copy it." The statement in the inscription, that Tyndale translated the New Testament and the Pen tateuch at Antwerp, is not true. Tyndale's Version. 79 state of learning in the latter university at that time was not suificiently advanced to attract scholars, and as it would seem that during the wide gap in the history of Tyndale, the period A. D. 1509 to 1 5 14 marks the residence of Erasmus on the banks of the Cam, it is very probable that he was the centre of attraction. Whether he had any thing to do with the col lection of MSS. and material for the preparation of the Com- plutensian Bible by Cardinal Ximenes, as Plumptre seems to intimate, can not be ascertained; but it is certain that he turned his opportunities to good account, for having, as early as 1502, translated portions of the New Testament, and vis ited London in 1522, for the purpose of securing Tonstal's sanction of his scheme of translating the whole New Testa ment into English, it may fairly he surmised that he filled up the interval with studies qualifying him for that work. In the same year he seems to have accepted a tutorship in the family of Sir John Walsh at Little Sodbury, a short distance from Bristol, where he met many ecclesiastical dignitaries of the neighborhood, who did not at all relish his arguments drawn from the Scriptures, and "bore him a secret grudge," which they did not hesitate to express to the knight and his lady. The lady repeated to Tyndale the drift of their unen viable criticism, and sought to cut short his vindication with the following irresistible argument: "Well, there was such a doctor, which may dispend a hundred pounds, and another two hundred pounds, and another three hundred pounds, and whac were it reason, think you, that we should believe you before them ? " Unable to ' ' dispend " his hundreds of pounds, the poor tutor could not argue with her ladyship on that basis, but succeeded, nevertheless, to establish himself in her heart and that of her husband by his presentation to them of his transla tion of Erasmus's Enchiridion Militis (Manual of a Christian Soldier), which seems to have wrought a very deep conviction in their minds. That conviction, and the consequent aliena- So The English Versions. tion from the ecclesiastics with plethoric purses, did not cure these of their hatred of Tyndale, who says in this connection, ' ' For when I was so turmoiled in the country where I was that I could no longer dwell there (the process whereof were too long here to rehearse), I this wise thought in myself: this I suffer because the priests of the country be unlearned, as God knoweth these are a full ignorant sort, which have seen no more Latin than that they learn in their portesses and mis sals, which yet many of them can scarcely read; and therefore (because they are thus unlearned, thought I), when they come together to the ale-house, which is their preaching place, they affirm that my sayings are heresy. And besides that, they add of their own heads what I never spake, as the manner is, to prolong the tale, to short the time withal, and accused me secretly to the chancellor and other the bishop's officers. And indeed, when I came before the chancellor, he threatened me grievously, and reviled me, and rated me as though I had been a dog, and laid to my charge whereof there could be none accuser brought forth (as their manner is not to bring forth the accuser), and yet all the priests in the country were the same day there" (Tyndale and Frith, Works, I., 3, 1831). From the uncomfortable surroundings in Gloucestershire, where, after all, the worst that befell him had been abuse, and where he had preached as well as taught, he went to London, and for some time preached at St. Dunstan's in the West, his main object, however, being the accomplishment of his set purpose to translate the Holy Scriptures into English. With that end in view, he thought ofthe bishop of London, "whom Erasmus (whose tongue maketh of little gnats great elephants, and lifteth up above the stars whosoever giveth him a little exhibition) praiseth exceedingly, among other, in his An- natations on the New Testament, for his great learning"; but although he tried to secure the patronage of Tonstal by in ducing Sir Harry Guildford, the king's comptroller, to whom Tyndale's Version. 8i he presented his translation of an oration of Isocrates, to use his good offices in his behalf with the bishop, the latter gave him no encouragement whatever, convincing him, to use his own words, that "not only there was no room in my Lord of London's palace to translate the New Testament, but also that there was no place to do it in all England, as experience doth now openly declare." According to Foxe {Life of Frith, prefixed to his works), his acquaintance with Frith, whose spiritual life was quickened by Tyndale, began at that time. Frith fell a martyr to his convictions at the early age of twenty- six, and was at that time not more than seventeen. With him he conferred upon the subject of an English version as the only means of bringing the truth to the people. In Lon don he had been kindly entertained by Mr. Humphry Mon mouth, a wealthy citizen, who favored the Reformation, and enabled him, by the promise of an exhibition of ten pounds a year (which Parker, Constit., 1571, says was then a sufficient maintenance for a single man), to set out for the continent in the spring of 1524, not improbably accompanied by Frith, who is supposed to be the "faithful companion" to whom he refers in his preface to the Parable of the Wicked Mammon, as having left him before he became acquainted with Roye. Tyndale's manner of life in London may be gathered from the testimony of Mr. Humphry Monmouth in answer to the charge of having rendered pecuniary aid to him while abroad, he said (in his memorial to the Privy Council, May, 1528): ' ' I took him into my house half a year; and there he lived as a good priest, as me thought He studied most part of the day and of the night at his book; and he would eat but sod den meat, by his good will; and drink but single small beer. I never saw him wear linen about him, in the time he was with me. I did promise him ten pounds sterling to pray for my father and mother, their souls, and all Christian souls. I did pay it him when he made his exchange to Hamborough. 82 The English Versions. Aftenvard he got of some other men, ten pounds sterling more, the which he left with me. And within a year after, he sent for his ten pounds to me from Hamborough, and thither I sent it him by one Hans Collenbeke. And since I have never sent him the value of one penny, nor never will. I have given more exhibitions to scholars in my days than to that priest. Mr. Doctor Royston, chaplain to my lord of London, hath cost me more than forty or fifty pounds ster ling. The foresaid sir William left me an English book, called Enchiridion. Also I had a little treatise that the priest sent me, when he sent for his money. When I heard my lord of London preach at St. Paul's Cross, that sir William Tyndale had translated the New Testament in English, and was naughtily translated, that was the first time that ever I suspected or knew any evil of him. " * Tyndale sailed direct for Hamburg, and from there he paid a visit to Luther at Wittenberg. Some say that he went to Luther at once, in order to make out that his translation was merely a translation of Luther's version; others, and es pecially Anderson, maintain the opposite, for the purpose of making out that he was not at all indebted that way to the German reformer. In the absence of positive histori cal data it is impossible to make a reliable positive statement. It is probable that Tyndale did meet Luther; it is clear that he used Luther's version, as I expect to prove; the rest is ut- teriy immaterial, and may be appropriately left in the vast wilderness of historical conjecture, for the benefit of those inclined to explore that region. I may pause here for a moment to show how utterly unre liable even so-called authorities are on such simple matters as these. Lewis (Complete History, etc., p. 59) states that Tyn dale went to Antwerp (which he did not), Anderson {Annals, * App. to Strype, Eccl. Mem., No. 89, vol. ii. p. 363. Tyndale's Version. 83 etc., p. 47) says that Tyndale could not have met Luther at Wittenberg in 1524 (which is absurd and a gratuitous as sumption), and the author of the Introduction to the English Hexapla asserts that Luther had in that year just completed his German Bible (which he did not do until 1534). The preponderance of evidence points unmistakably to Tyn dale's visit to Wittenberg. Foxe states that Tyndale ' ' took his journey into Germany and into Saxony, where he had conference with Luther, and other learned men in those quarters. " * Cochlaeus mentioning the presence of Tyndale and Roye at Cologne, describes them as "duo Angli apos- tatcE qui aliquamdiu fuerant WitlembergcB. " "j" Mr. Humphrey Monmouth, who was charged in 1528 that "with his knowl edge, William Hutchin, otherwise called Tyndale, and friar Roye, or either of them went into Almayne to Luther, there to learn his sect," does not deny the charge or plead ignor ance. Sir Thomas More affirms that at the time of his trans lation of the New Testaraent ' ' Tyndale was with Luther at Wittenberg, and the confederacy between him and Luther was well known. " | Tyndale did not deny the visit, but the confederacy. § (The argument of Anderson on this latter point is twisted). Lee, the king's almoner, wrote from Bor deaux, Dec. 2, 1525: " Please it your Highness to understand that I am certainly informed, as I passed in this country, than an Englishman, your subject, at the solicitation and in stance of Luther, with whom he is, hath translated the New Testament into English, and within few days intendeth to arrive with the same imprinted in England." || Ridley writes: "As concerning this common and vulgare translation ofthe » Acts and Monuments, iv. 119. London, 1838, t De Actis et Scriptis M. Lutheri, p. 132. X Dialogue, iii. 8, p. 221; iv. 17, p. 283. London. 1557. S Answer to More, 147. Works, Parlcer Soc., ed., vol. iii. II Cotton MSS., Vespasian, C. III., fol. 211. 84 The English Versions. New Testament into English, done by Mr. William Hichyns, otherwise called Mr. William Tyndale, and Friar William Roye, manifest Lutheran hereticks and apostates, as doth openly appear by their daily company and familiarity with Luther and his disciples . . . " * Paul Freherus also af firms the visit of Luther, f Add to this the established fact that Tyndale never printed anything at Marburg, and that the printer Hans Luft, if he did print his works, must have printed them at Wittenberg, the only place where he had a printing-press, as will be more fully stated farther on, and it seems to follow that all this concurrent testimony, contem porary, friendly, and inimical, tacitly admitted, and uncon tradicted, renders the visit to Wittenberg highly probable, and may be regarded as proven until these facts are set aside by something more substantial than the absurd reasoning of Mr. Anderson, and the rash assertions of Mr. Green and Mr. Eroude, and their repetition by numerous writers. In Hamburg, where we may suppose him to have tempor arily fixed his abode, which, of course, did not exclude oc casional journeys — or wherever he lived that year — he was busily engaged on his great work of translating the Scripture, employing as amanuensis, first. Frith (see above), and, after he had left him, William Roye, a friar observant of the Fran ciscan order at Greenwich. How much of the work was done there cannot be deter mined; nor have I been able to discover any positive data, be yond bare assertions, as to how he translated — that is, what helps he had in the way of books, and from what text he translated. The case seems to stand thus: He had before him the Greek Testament of Erasmus (Erasmus, folio, 2d ed., 1519, and the 3d ed., 1522), the Vulgate (edition unknown), and Luther's New Testament, 1522. Available helps then extant were » Cotton MSS., Cleopatra, E. V., p. 362. t Theatrum Virorum Eruditione Clarorum, p. 109. j688. Tyndale's Version. 85 Lascaris' Greek Grammar, Milan, 1476; Craston, Greek Dic tionary, 1478; Grammar, 1497; Dictionarium GrcBcum (Aldus), 1497, Suidas, Lexicon, Milan, 1499; Aleander, Lexicon Grceco- Latinum, Paris, 151 2; and Budaeus, Institutiones Grammaticce, 1 5 13 (Aldus). Anderson is positive that he translated and \a.A printed ^X Hamburg the Gospels of' St. Matthew and St. Mark, but al though no copy of these has been preserved, there is little doubt that they had been read and bitterly denounced in the beginning of 1527, "and as a publication, not only separate from the New Testament with its prologue, but as printed previously" {Annals, p. 48). But he appears to have done that first year, wherever he spent it, a great deal more, for in April or May, 1525, we find him at Cologne, accompanied by Roye, engaged in commencing to print his quarto edition of the New Testament, after the whole of it, the prologue in cluded, had been prepared for the press; this is evident, not merely from the language of the prologue, but also from the order of the typographical signs. There was at that time at Cologne one of the most bitter enemies to the translation of the Word of God into any ver nacular tongue that ever lived. That was John Cochlaeus, a violent and virulent opponent of Luther, who, on account of his fanatical sentiments, had been obliged to leave Frank fort, and was at the time living as an exile at Cologne, where, while carrying the work of Rupert* through the press, he * Rupert, i. e., Rupertus Tuitiensis, or Ruprecht of Deutz, opposite to Cologne, a Benedictine, and Abbot of Deutz, who died in 1135, was a mystic and an exegete, noted for two things: ist, He recommended the study of the Scripture; 2d, He re jected the doctrine of transubstantiation without maintaining the merely spiritual par ticipation of the Body and Blood of Christ, teaching that the bread and wine partook in an invisible manner of the truth of the immortal substance of the divine and human nature of Christ. It was a kind of impanation doctrine admitting the Real Presence. His views, though assailed, did not expose him to persecution. One of his tracts. Of the Victory of the Word of God, had been edited by Osiander, and Cochlaeus, de termining to prevent the remainder of his works, supposed to favor the Reformation, S6 The English Versions. had become familiar with the printers, who, when in their cups, had boasted "that whether the king and cardinal of England would or not, all England would in a short time be Lutheran." He heard likewise from them that two English men were working there, learned, skilful in languages, and fluent, whom, however, he never could see or converse with. So, plying the printers with wine, he drew from one the as tounding intelligence that three thousand copies of the Lu theran New Testament, translated into English, were in the press, and advanced, m ordine quateniionum^ as far as K.* This he communicated to an official, called Herrmann Rinke, falling into the hands of the reformers, induced the abbot to give them to him for pub lication. I cannot find a reliable notice of his edition, although the works of Ruprecht were published, edited by Mylius, first at Cologne in 1602, at Mainz in 1631, at Paris in 1633, and at Venice 1748-52. Besides these, which treat of Exegesis, Dogmatics, and Ethics, he also wrote the History of the Monastery qfSt. Laicreniius, at Liege, and the Lives of Si. Heribert and St. Eliphius. * Tlie fragment of a copy of this first impression, discovered by Mr. Rodd, an an tiquarian bookseller in London in 1836, is now in the Grenvllle Library, British Mu seum. It has been photo-lithographed by Mr. Arber. The printer was Peter Quentel, and the fragment has been identified as printed by him by an initial Y, and a woodcut originally used for Tyndale's Testament, which after the stoppage of the printing was adapted to fit Ruperfs Commentary of St. Matthew. This fragment proves, by the by, as will be proved presently by other considerations, that Tyndale knew German, for fifty-one ofthe ninety-two marginal glosses are taken from Luther's New Testa ment. The prologue likewise contains about half.of Luther's preface. In the extract the old spelling is retained, but the contractions are supplied: THE GOSPELL OF S. MATHEW, III, " Then cam Jesus from galile into iordan to Ihon, for to be baptised of him. But Jhon forbade hym sayinge: Y ought to be baptised of the: and commest thou to me ? Jesus answered and sayd to him, let ytt be so nowe. For thus hit becommeth vs, to fulfyll all * rightwesnes. Then he suffred hym. And Jesus as soone as he was bap tised, cam strayght out of the water: And lo heven was open vnto him: and he sawe the spirite of God descende lyke a dove, and lyght vppon him. And lo there cam a voice from heven, saying: thys ys my deare sonne, in whom is my delyte." * "All Rightwesnes, ys fulfilled wlien -we forsake all oure awne rightwesnes, thai God only maye be counted he -which is rightwes, and tnakeih righwes, righiiifes throw feith. This doeth Jhon in that he putteth from^ hytn hys awne rightwesnes, and wold be wesshed of Christ and made rightwes. This also doeth Christe, in that he taketh nott rightwesnes and honour on hym: hut suffreth hymsilfe to be baptised and killed, for baptism is none other thinge tJien deeth** Tyndale's Version. 87 who, upon verifying the information, obtained an injunction against the printer restraining him from continuing the work. The Englishmen thereupon snatched away with them the quarto sheets printed, and fled by ship, up the Rhine, to Worms; while Cochlaeus and Rinke apprized by letter the king, the cardinal, and the bishop of Rochester ofthe discovery (see Annals, pp. 49-51)- At Worms, the printing of the quarto edition begun at Co logne, was completed, but as the book had been described, and was doubtless doomed to be seized and burned in England, to baffle his enemies Tyndale forthwith arranged for another edition of three thousand copies in octavo, without prologue and glosses, which found their way into England, and were widely circulated there early in 1526. Of the former, only a fragment, containing the prologue and twenty-one chapters of St. Matthew, is in the Grenville Library in the British Mu seum; ofthe latter a perfect copy* is preserved in the Baptist college at Bristol, and a defective one in the cathedral library of St. Paul's. The Prologue, considerably changed, under the title, A Pathway to the Scriptures, appears in Tyndale's works; in its original form, as printed at Cologne, it is here produced entire: Y have here translated, brethren and sisters, most dear and tenderly beloved in Christ, the New Testament, for your spiritual edifying, conso lation, and solace: Exhorting instantly, and beseeching those that are better seen in the tongues than Y, and that have higher gifts of grace to interpret the sense of the Scripture, and meaning of the Spirit than Y, to consider and ponder my labour, and that with the spirit of meekness. And if they perceive in any places that Y have not attained the very sense of the tongue, or meaning of the Scripture, or have not given the right English word, that they put to their hands to amend it, remembering that so is their duty to do. For we have not received the gifts of God for our selves only, or for to hide them : but for to bestow them unto the honour- • The copy is perfect in everything but the title-page, which is wanting. A cor rect and beautiful fac-simile edition of it has been published by Mr. Fry. 88 The English Versions. ing of God and Christ, and edifying of the congregation, which is the body of Christ. The causes that moved me to translate, Y thought better that others should imagine, than that Y should rehearse them. Moreover Y sup posed it superfluous; for who is so blind to ask, why light should be sowed to them that walk in darkness, where they cannot but stumble, and where to stumble is the danger of eternal damnation; either so de spiteful that he would envy any man (Y speak not his brother) so neces sary a thing; or so bedlam mad as to affirm that good is the natural cause of evil, and darkness to proceed out of light, and that lying should be grounded in truth and verity; and not rather clean contrary, that light destroyeth darkness, and verity reproveth all manner (of) lying. After it had pleased God to put in my mind, and also to give me grace to translate this forerehearsed New Testament into our English tongue, howsoever we have done it, I supposed it very necessary to put you in re membrance of certain points. Both the first quarto and octavo editions were published without a name, the reason whereof appears from his Preface to the Wicked Mammon : The cause why I set my name before this little treatise, and have not rather done it in the New Testament, is, that then I followed the counsel of Christ, which exhorteth men to do their deeds secretly, and to be con tent with the conscience of well doing ; and that God seeth us, and pa tiently to abide the reward of the last day, which Christ hath purchased for us; and now would I fain have done likewise, but am compelled other wise to do. The character of Tyndale's version has now to be con sidered, and I propose to show that while he made use of Luther's translation and the Vulgate, it was the legitimate us® of a scholar, and that his translation is independent through out, made direct from the Greek. It was doubtless Cochlae us, who, in order to disparage the work of Tyndale and to in gratiate himself with the influential ecclesiastics in England, maliciously or ignorantly, circulated the slander that it was an English translation of Luther. Le Long actually describes the first edition as "the New Testament translated into Eng- Tyndale's Version. 89 lish from the German version of Luther. '' This statement is not true, and is contradicted by the express declaration of Tyndale that he translated from the Greek, and by the trans lation itself. The matter for wnicn ne lo clearly indebted to Luther re lates: I, to the order of the books, for he places the epistle of James next to that of Jude, and that to Hebrews next to the third epistle of John; he likewise follows Luther in mak ing Heb. iv. 14 the commencement of chapter v.; 2, to the notes, many of which, as already stated, he took from Luther; 3, to the prologues, that to Matthew embodying his views on the comparative value of the books of the New Testament, and those to 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philip pians, I and 2 Thessalonians, 2 Timothy, Titus and the Johannean Epistles resting mainly on those of Luther; but he omits what Luther says of the Epistle of James, many of his remarks in the prologue to i Corinthians, the allegory in that to Philemon, while the prologue to James, Hebrews, and Jude are in direct opposition to those of Luther. In the prologue to Romans he uses both the German and Latin text of Luther's prologue. The prologues to the Gospels, with the exception noted above, are entirely Tyndale's own. Many of the Germanisms charged upon Tyndale's version are good Old English, characteristic of the period, and found even in the writings of Sir Thomas More. One of these, the verb followed by the personal pronoun, has been recognized as so strictly idiomatic English that the inversion is retained in the Authorized Version in the following places, and only abandoned in the Westminster Revision in those given in italics, Matth. xiii. 13; Luke ii. 29; i Cor. vii. 12, 17; ix. 22, 26; xii. 31; 2 Cor. vii ij; xi. 24; r Thess. ii. 13; Heb, V. 8; fames i. 18; i Jno. i. 3. The influence of Luther is unmistakable in Matth. i. i, "this is the boke"; ii. 18, "on the hilles was a voyce herde "; go The English Versions. xviii. 19, "Jesus" omitted; Jno. xix. 17, " the place off deed mennes seniles"; Acts xxviii. 2, "the people off the countre"; 16, " vnder captayne, chefe captayne "; Rom. i. 14, "to the grekes, and to them which are no grekes "; ii. 5, "harde herte that cannot repent"; ix. 13, "Iwill magnify myn office "; i Cor. i. 25, "godly folysshnes"; ii. 14, "the natural man"; 2 Cor. V. II, "we fare fayre with men"; vi. 12, "ye uexe youre selues off a true meanynge"; Eph. iii. 15, "which is father ouer all thatt ys called father in heuen and in erth "; Col. iii. 16, " and spretuall songes which haue fauour with them"; I Tim. i. 7, "doctours in the scripture"; Rev. xi. 2, "the quyre which is within the temple"; xxii. 14, "their power may be in the tree off lyfe. " * Just as unwarranted as the charge that Tyndale's version is the translation of Luther's is the other, that it is not made from the Greek, but from the Vulgate. Although all writers of the English Versions cannot be expected to be good Ger man scholars, and their rash statements have to be credited to their ignorance of that tongue, those that know so little Latin and less Greek as to be unable to determine whether Tyndale translated direct from the Greek or from the Latin, have clearly no business to write on the subject, and their unsupported, bold assertions deserve only contempt. But that scholars like Hallam {Const, Hist, of England, i. 83, note) and Macknight {A New Literal Translation, etc., Lond., 1821) should make such assertions, and that they should be repeated in their worst form in Biblical Notes and Queries (p. 195; Edinb., 1 871) seems almost incredible, and is certainly utterly un justifiable. That his translation is stricdy independent, is clear from the following instances: • Eadie, /. c, p. 146. Tyndale's Version. 91 Vulgate, Tyndale, Matth. vi. I, justitiam. alms. vi. II, supersubstantialem. our daily bread. Luke ii. 14, hominibus bonce voluntatis. and unto men rejoicing. ii. 18, et de his. wondered at those things. XVU. 36, duo in agro: unus assume tur: et alter relinquetur. (omitted). xxiii. 39, , latronibus. malefactours. Eph. V. 32. sacramentum. secrete. I Tim. iii. 16, quod. God. In all these places he follows the Greek, and rejects the Vulgate; on the other hand, the renderings which follow are instances of such as were clearly suggested by the Vulgate: Matth. iv. 5, Mark. xii. 44, Luke xi. 13, John xiv. 2, Heb. xii. I, I Pet. ii. I, Rev. xiv. I, Vulgate. pinnaculum templi. omnes enim ex eo quod abundabat illis, miserunt. quanto magis Pater vester de coelo dahit spiritum bonum. hac node animam tuam repetunt a te. In domo Patris mei man- siones multce sunt. curramus ad propositum nobis certamen. Deponentes igitur omnem malitiam et omnem datum et simulationes et invidias et omnes detractiones . scriptum infrontibus suis. Tyndale. pinnacle of the temple. they all putt in of their super- fluite. howe moche more shall your father celestiall give a good sprett. this night will they fetch awaye thy soul again from thee. In my father's house are many mansions. let us run unto the battayle that is set before us. Wherefore laye asyde all maliciousness and all gyle, and dissimulacion, and en- vie, and all backbytynge. written in their foreheds. The last passage illustrates the independence of Tyndale's version, for though Erasmus in the first, second, and third editions of his Greek Testament gives the reading, jiato/tevov, he preferred the reading, yeypaixnivov, and renders after the Vulgate ¦written, not burning. 92 The English Versions. One ofthe most noticeable defects of his translation is the almost total disregard of the Greek connecting particles Se, yap, xai, and oijv. A random opening of the English Hex apla at John XX. 18-30, shows that ovv is not translated verses 19, 25, Reverse 25, and ^az verse 28. Samples of incorrect rendering are the following: Matth. i. 18. Hys mother Mary was maryed to Joseph. John v. 2. by the slaughterhousse a pole. Col. ii. 23. chosen holynes and humblenes (an unfortunate attempt of rendering Luther's selbsterwdlilete Geistlichkeit). Heb. xi. 3. That by the means of thynges whych apeare, thynges whych are invisyble myghte be knowen (this is the rendering in the first edition, that of 1534 reads, , " that thynges which are sene, were made of thynges which are not sene "). Many of his translations are paraphrastic and interpreta tive, e. g., Matth. xii. 20. flaxe that begynneth to burne. Rom. xii. 11. Let not that busyness which ye have in honde, be tedious to you. Heb. vi. I. the doctryne pertaynynge to the begynnynge of a Chris ten man. Jas. V. 17. Helias was a man in daunger to tribulacion as we are (1st. ed.); mortali even as we are (1534). He often indulges in homely renderings, e. g, : Matth. ijcvii. 62. the next daye that foloweth good frydaye. Acts xiii. 15. after the lecture (1st. ed.); after the lawe and the proph ets were redde (1534); . . . yf ye have eny ser mon to exhorte the people. Per contra, many, it may be said most, of his renderings are felicitous and singularly clear, e. g. : Matth. XV. 27. the whelppes eate of the crommes. Mark v. 40. sat doune here a rowe and there a rowe. Luke xxii. 44. droppes of blood tricklynge doun to the grounde. John ii. 7. fylled them vp to the harde brym. Tyndale's Version. 93 Acts xii. 18. there was not lytell adoo among the soudiers. Rom. xii. 2. be ye chaunged in youre shape by the renuynge of your wittis. I Cor. v. 7. that ye maye be newe dowe as ye are swete breed. 2 Cor. xii. 20. lest there be founde amonge you lawynge. Phil. 1. 8. I longe after you all from the very herte rote in Jesus Christ. Col. ii. I. as many as have not sene my parson in the flesshe. 2 Thess. i. 3. Every one of you swymmeth in love. That Tyndale's English is decidedly superior to the writ ings of his time which have come down to us, cannot be dis puted; it is a noble translation, the basis of every subsequent English version (the Rhemish is not English), and on several accounts better than all subsequent versions; it has an indi viduality as pronounced as Luther's, its Saxon is racy and strong, sometimes majestic, and above all things, it is hearty and true, the reader feels that the translator felt what he wrote, that his heart was in his work, and that he strove in prayer to reproduce in his own mother-tongue to the very best of his ability what he believed to be the true sense of the word of God, as he understood it. The subjoined collation shows at a glance the extent to which Tyndale's version was influenced by the Vulgate, Wiclif, and Lu ther. The italicized words indicate the sources of his text; some of the words italicized in Wiclif, but not reproduced in Tyndale, diflFer only linguistically, not in the meaning. The result fully sustains the views advocated in this chapter. ST. LUKE XV. 1 1-24. Vulgate. Wiclif. Luther. Canstein itimo. Tyndale. Slier and Theile. 13S0. 1S76, compared ¦with XS4S- rS34. II Ait autem: Ho And he seide: Und er sprach: And he sayde: II mo quidam ha a man hadde Ein Mensch a certayne man buit duos filios. tweie sones: hatte zween Snhne. two sonnes, 94 The English Versions. 12 Et dixit ado- lescentior ex illis patri: Pa ter, da mihi portionem sub- stantiae, qus me contingit. Et divisit illis substantiam. 13 Et non post multos dies, congregati- bus omnibus, adolescentiorfilius peregre profectus est in regionem longinquam, et ibi dissipavit substantiamsuam vivendo luxuriose. 14 Et postquam omnia consum- masset, facta est fames va- lida in regione ilia, et ipse coepit egere. 15 et abiit et ad- hcesit uni civi- um regionis illius; et misit ilium in villam suam, ut pas- and the yung- er of hem seide to the fadir, fadir geue me the porscioun of catel that fallith to me, aKi/fedepartidto hem the catel, and tiot aftir many daies, whanne alle thingis were gaderid to gid- re: the yong er sone wente forth in pil- grymage in to u- fer cuntre, and there he ¦wastid his goodis; in lyu ynge lecher- ousli,and aftir that he hadde endid alle thingis: a strong hungir was made in that cuntre and he biganne to haue nede. and he -wente and drouge him to oon of the citeseynes of that cuntre, and he sente Und der jting- ste unter ihnen sprach zu dem Vater: Gibmir, Vater, das Theil der Ou ter das mir ge- hOrt. Und er theilte ihnen das Gut. Und nicht lang dam ach samm- lete der jiing- ste Sohn alles zusammen und zog feme tiber Land; und da- selbst brachte er sein Gut um •aixt Prassen.i}) Da er nun alle das Seine ver- zehret hatte, ward eine ^7-(7j- se Theurung durch dassel bige ganze Land, und er fieng an zu darben. Und gieng hin undhilngte sich an einen Bur ger desselbigen Landes, der schickte ihn and the yonger 12 of them sayde to his father: father geve me my part of the goodcs that to me belongeth. And he divided vnto them his substaunce. And not longe 13 after, the yong er Sonne gad- dered all that he had to ged- der, and toke his iomey into a farre countre, and theare he wasted his goodes with royetous lyv- inge. And when he 14 had spent all that he had, ther rose a greate derth thorow out all thatsamelande, and he began to lacke. And he went 15 and clave to a citesyn of that same countre, which sent him to his felde, to Tyndale's Version. 95 ccret porcos. l6 Et cupiebat im- plere ventrum suum de sili- quis, quas porci manducabant,et nemo illi dabat. 17 In se autem re- versus dixit: Quanti mer- cenarii in domo patris mei abundant pani- bus! ego autem hie fame pereo. 18 Surgam et ibo ad patrem me um, et dicam ei: Pater, pec cavi in coelum et coram te; 19 jam non sum dignus vocari filius tuus, fac me sicut unum de mercenariis tuis. 20 Et surgens ve nit ad patrem suum. Cum autem adhuc hym in to his towne: to fede s-wyne,and he coueitid to fiUe his wombe of the coddis that the hoggis eten; and no man gaf to hym. and he tumed agen in to hym. silf: and seid, hou many hirid men in Toy fadris hous had plente of looues and I perisch here thorug hungir! /schal rise up and go to my fadir; and I schal seie to hym, fadir T hatie synned in to heuene and bifor thee, now / am not -worthi to be clepid thi sone, make me as oon of thin hirid men, and he roos up caul cam to his fadir, emd whanne he was auf seinen Ac ker der Saue zu haten.Und er be- gehrte seinen Bauch zu fullen mit Trebem die die Saue as- sen, und nie- mand gab sie ihn. 'D&schlugerin.fzV,^ and sprach: Wie viel Tag- lohner hat mein Vater, die Brot die Flille haben, and ich ver- derbe im Hun ger. Ich will mich aufmachenundzu meinem Va ter gehen und zu ihm sagen: 'Vater, ich ha- ba gesUndiget in den Himmel und vor dir, und bin hin- fort nicht mehr werth dass ich dein Sohn heis- se ; mache mich als einen deiner TaglOhner. Und er machte sich auf und kam zu seinem Vater. Da er kepe his swyne. And he wolde i6 fayne have filled his bely with the coddes that the swyne ate: and noo raan gave him. Then he came 17 to him selfe and sayde: how many hyred servauntes at my fathers, have breed ynough, and I dye forhonger. I will aryse, 18 and goo to my father and will saye vnto him: father, I have synned agaynst heven and be fore the, and am no 19 moare worthy to be called thy Sonne, make me as one of thy hyred ser vauntes. And he arose 20 and went to his father. And when he was 96 The English Versions. longe esset, vi dit ilium pater ipsius et miseri cordia motus est, et accur- rens cecidit su per collum ejus et osculatus est eum. 21 Dixitque ei fili us: Pater, pec cavi in coelum et coram te; jam non sum dignus vocari filius tuus. 22 Dixit autem pater ad servos: Cito proferte stolam primam etinduite ilium, et date annu- lum in manum ejus, et calcea- menta in pedes ejus. 23 et adducite vi- tulum sagina- tum et occidite, et manducemus et epulemur; yit afer, his fa dir saie hym, and was stirid bi merci, and he ranne and fit on his necke: kissid hym,and the sone seide to him, fadir T haue synned in to heuene and bi for thee: and now / am not worthi to be clepid thi sone. and the fadir seide to his ser- 7 P- 2). Aber dass Tyndale und Fryth wirklich hier in Marburg gewesen seien, davon habe ich nirgends eine urkundliche Spur finden kOnnen; in unserm Album kommen sie nicht vor. Was Lorimer in seinem Buch uber Hamilton (Edinb., 1857), p. 93 f. erzahlt, indem er sich auf An derson's Annals of the Bible, I., p. 139, 167 beruft, habe ich leider bis jetzt nicht controliren kOnnen, da wir nur die zweite abgekUrzte Aus- gabe des Andersonschen Werkes besitzen (das auch in Gottingen nicht vorhanden ist). Ich weiss nicht wo der von ihm erwahnte Brief von Hermann von dem Busche an Spa- latin gedruckt ist. Geht daraus hervor, dass Tyndale bei diesem im J. 1526 in Worms war, so scheint das Weitere, dass er dem im J. 1527 nach Marburg Ubergesiedelten B. dahin gefolgt,sei nur eine auf jenen fingirten Druckort gestUtzte Ver- muthung zu sem. It is correct that Patrick Hamil ton matriculated at Marburg, and that his name is entered under the year 1527 on folio 5 b. of our Al bum, and that in connection with two of his comrades as follows: Patritius Hamilton, a Litgau, Scotus, mgr, Parisiensis. Joannes Hamilton, a Litgau, Scotus. Gilbertus Winram, Edinburg ensis (cF. Catalogus stu diorum scHOL^ Marpur gensis. Ed. Jul. C^sar. P. I. Marb., 1875, 4, p. 2), But that Tyndale and Frith were really here at Marburg, I have not been able to find a documentary trace thereof anywhere ; their name does not occur in our Album. What Lorimer in his book on Hamilton (Edinb., 1857), p. 93 sq. narrates with reference to Anderson's An nals of the Bible, I., p. 139, 167, I regret to have been thus far unable to verify, as we have only the sec ond abridged edition of Anderson (nor is there a copy of it at GOttin- gen). I do not know where the letter of Hermann von dem Busche to Spalatin, to which he refers, is printed. If it states that Tyndale was with him at Worms in 1526, the rest, that he followed B. on his removal to Marburg in 1527, ap pears to be a conjecture based on the fictitious place of printing. Tyndale's Version. "5 Es wurde mir sehr interessant sein, wenn Ihre Forschungen liber Tyndale zu sichereren positiven Re- sultaten fiihrten. Mir selbst haben die Mittel nicht zu Gebote gestanden, um dazu zu gelangen, und die Zeit um die Sa che durch Nachfragen an grOssere Bibliotheken, oder in England wei- ter zu verfolgen, doch habe ich sie nicht aus dem Auge verloren. Hochachtungsvoll und ergebenst. Dr. Julius C^sar. Professor und Bibliothekar an de Universitat Marburg. It would be interesting to me if your researches respectmg Tyndale should lead to more certain and pos itive results. I myself did not possess the means to accomplish it, nor the time to prosecute the matter by inquiries directed to larger libraries, or in England, but I have not lost it out of sight. With high regards, etc.. Dr. Julius C^sar. Professor and Librarian of the University of Marburg. Having cleared the field, we may now return to the mat ter of Tyndale's knowledge of Hebrew, concerning which, as authentic data (for what we have are simply conjectures of the vaguest sort) are wanting, I may say that whether he got it from Busche, the Rabbis, Bugenhagen, or Luther and his friends at Wittenberg, he acquired it somehow and attained great proficiency in it. Of this, and the further fact that he was lawfully indebted to Luther's version, I shall now supply z. proof. For this purpose I subjoin Deuteronomy vi. 6-9 in Luther's version and in Tyndale's version : German. 6 Und diese Worte, die ich dir heute gebiete, sollst du zu Her- zen netimen, 7 Und sollst sie deinen Kindern scharfen, und davon reden, wenn du in deinem Hause sitzest, oder auf dem Wege gehest, wenn du dich niederlegest, oder aufste- hest; 8 Und sollst sie binden zum Zei- chen auf deine Hand, und sollen Tyndale. Let these words which I command 6 thee this day stick fast in thine heart.And whet them on thy children, 7 and talk of them as thou sittest in thine house, and as thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up; And bind them for a token to 8 thine hand, and let them be a re- ii6 The English Versions. dir ein Dcnkmaal vor deinen membrance between thine eyes, Augen seyn; 9 Und sollst sie Uier deines Houses And write them on the posts and 9 Pfosten schreibcn und an die gates of thine house. Thore. The rendering of these four verses proves an independent knowledge of Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, and English. There was nothing in the English language he could have used, e. g. , for the rendering of the Hebrew Shinnacn by the English whet, which conveys an idea contained neither in the Greek Ttpopilid6Ei'i of the Septuagint, nor the Latin narrabis of the Vulgate; but it had been employed by Luther, who renders scharfen, the obsolete form for einscharfm — to whet in (with the government aliquid alicui). Had he been a ser vile imitator of Luther, he would have rendered, after the example of the dreadful translators of the period, ' ' and whet them in, or into thy children "; but he knew that that would have violated the English idiom, and therefore he rendered "whet on"; and he understood the Piel force of the root shdnan which Simonis renders: acuit, exacuit, metaphorice, instigavit, inculcavit; plainly showing by his rendering that he had grasped the primary sense of the Hebrew word, which has been retained in the margin of the Authorized Version, and though uncurrent and somewhat harsh, is stronger than "teach diligently." Again, in verse eight, Luther translates the Hebrew: Letotaphoth beyn eyneycha: " Denkmaal vor deinen Augen" (a remembrance or memorial before thine eyes); the Septuagint: dddXevra -itpo ocp^akfimv 6ov, "unshaken be fore thine eyes"; the Vulgate: eruntque et movebuntur inter oculos tuos, "and shall be moved between thine eyes." It is evident that he deliberately gave preference to Luther's admirable free rendering, as much superior to the vague Greek and still vaguer Latin ofthe literal Hebrew "bands or fillets"; but knew Hebrew enough to perceive that "remem- Tyndale's Version. 117 brance betiveen thine eyes " conformed at once to the Hebrew and English idioms. These two examples, I think, will sui- fice to convince and prove to scholars that Tyndale used Lu ther and understood Hebrew. His discriminations through out are excellent, and his English vocabulary is more choice by far than that of the reputed English Demosthenes of the period. Sir Thomas More. But let Tyndale himself be heard on this subject. He says in the preface to The Obedience of a Christian Man (Parker Soc. ed. , p. 148), arguing with those who opposed the trans lation ofthe Bible into the vernacular: " The sermons which thou readest in the Acts o the Apostles, and all that the apostles preached, were no doubt preached in the mother tongue. Why, then, might they not be written in the mo ther tongue ? As, if one of us preach a good sermon, why may it not be written ? Saint Jerom also translated the Bible into his mother tongue, why may not we also ! They will say it cannot be translated into our tongue, it is so rude. It is not as rude as they are false liars. For the Greek tongue agreeth more with the English than with the Latin. And the properties of the Hebrew tongue agreeth a thousand times more with the English than with the Latin. The manner of speaking is both one; so that in a thousand places thou needest not but to translate it into English, word for for word, when thou must seek a compass in the Latin, and yet shalt have much work to translate it well-favouredly, so that it have the same grace and sweetness, sense and pure understanding with it in the Latin, and as it hath in the Hebrew. A thousand parts better may it be translated into the English than into the Latin." This he wrote in 1528. The helps available to Tyndale were: The Hebrew Bible (Soncino, 1488, Brescia, 1494), the latter edition was that from which Luther translated; Bomberg's Bible, published in i^iS; and the Rabbinical Bible, in 1 519 and 1525. Belli- iiS The English Versions. can's Hebrew Grammar had appeared in 1503, Reuchlin's Dictionary in 1506, Miinster's Grammar in 1525, and the Complutensian Polyglot with a Hebrew Grammar and Lec- tionary in 1517-20. The Latin translation ofthe Hebrew Bible, by Pagninus (Lyons, 1528), and his Thesaurus (1529) he may have seen, but the presumption is that he did not. In addition to what has been said of Tyndale's knowledge of Hebrew, the following Tables expounding certain words in the Pentateuch, prepared by Tyndale, taken from Walter's Doctrinal Treatises (Parker Soc. Ed., Cambridge, 1848) will be of permanent value for reference, the longer notes being indicated by ... . The reader will find Walter's notes, which, for want of space, cannot be given here, very valuable and instructive. genesis. Abrech. Tender father'; or as some will. Bow the knee. Ark. A ship made flat, or as it were a chest or a coffer. Bisse. Fine white, whether it be silk or linen [cf. fiv6doi, Luke xvi. 19] . Bless. God's blessings are his gifts Cain. So it is written in Hebrew. Notwithstanding, whether we call him Cain or Caim, it maketh no matter, so we understand the mean ing. Every land hath tliis manner: that we call John, the Welchmen call Evan, the Dutch [German] Haunce. Such difference is between the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and that maketh them that translate out of the Hebrew vary in names from them that translate out of Latin or Greek. Curse. God's curse is the taking away of his benefits .... Eden. Pleasure. paith, is the believing of God's promises, and a sure trust in the good ness and truth of God: which faith justified Abraham, and was the mother of all his good works which he afterwards did Eirmament. The sky.* Grace. Favour: as Noah found grace; that is to say, found favour and love. Ham and Cam., all one.* Jehovah, is God's name; neither is any creature so called; and it is as mucn to say as. One that is of himself, and dependeth of nothing [self- existent] Tyndale's Version. 119 Marshal. In Hebrew he is called Sartabaim: as thou wouldest say, lord of the slaughtermen. And though that Tabaim be taken for cooks in many places (for the cooks did slay the beasts themselves in those days), yet it may be taken for thera that put men to execution also * Slime, was their mortar .... a fatness that ooses out of the earth like unto tar; and thou mayest call it cement if thou wilt. Siloh, after some, is as much to say as " sent " \qui mittendus est, Vulg.] ; and after some "happy"; and after some, it signifieth Messias,* that is to say " anointed," and that we call Christ after the Greek word. Testament; that is, an appointment made between God and man, and God's promises Tyrants. "There were tyrants in those days, for the sons of God saw the daughters of men," etc. The sons of God were the prophets' children Vapour. A dewy mist, as the smoke of a seething pot. Walk. To walk with God is to live godly, and to walk in his com mandments Zaphnath Paenea. Words of Egypt are they (as I suppose); and as much to say as, "a man to whom secret things he opened " ; or " an expounder of secret things," as some interpret it.* Albe. A long garment of white linen. Ark. A coffer, or chest, as our shrines, save it was flat; and the sample of our shrines was taken thereof. Booth. An house made of boughs. Brestlap, or brestflap, is such a flap as thou seest in the breast of a cope. Consecrate. To appoint a thing to holy uses. Dedicate. Purify or sanctify. Ephod, is a garment somewhat like an amice; save the arms came through and it was girded to (chap. xxv.). Geeras. In weight as it were an English half-penny, or somewhat more. Heave-offerings. Because they were hoven up before the Lord. House. He made them houses; that is, he made a kindred, or a multi tude of people to spring out of them; as we say the house of David, for the kindred of David. Peace-offering. Offering of thanksgiving of devotion, and not for con science of sin and trespass. Pollute. Defile. Reconcile. To make at one, and to bring in grace or favour. I20 The English Versions. Sanctify. To cleanse and purify; to appoint a thing unto holy uses, and to separate from unclean and unholy uses. Sanctuary. A place hallowed and dedicate unto God. Shewbread. Because it was always in the sight and presence of the Lord (chap. xxv.). Tabernacle. A house made tentwise, or as a pavilion. Tunicle. Much like the uppermost garment of the deacon. IVaive-offering. Because they are waiven in the priest's hands lo divers quarters. Worship. By worshipping, whether it be in the old Testament or new, understand the bowing of a man's self upon the ground: as we ofttimes, as we kneel in our prayers, bow ourselves, and lie on our arms and hands, with our face to the ground. ^ I will be, of this word cometh the name of God, Jehovah, which we in terpret Lord; and is as much to say as, I am that I am (chap. iii.). \Sheep.* That I call here [ch. xii.] sheep, in Hebrew is a word indiffer ent to a sheep and to a goat both \Jehovah Nissi.* The Lord is he that exalteth me (ch. xvii.). DEUTERONOMY. Avims. A kind of giants, and the word signifieth crooked, unright, or wicked. Belial. Wicked or wickedness; he that hath cast the yoke of God off his neck, and will not obey God.* Bruterer. Prophesier or soothsayer. Emims. A kind of giants, so called because they were terrible and cruel, for emim signifieth terribleness.* Enacke. A kind of giants, so called haply because they wore chains about their necks; for enach is such a chain as men wear about their necks.* Horims. A kind of giants, and signifieth noble; because that of pride they called themselves nobles, or gentles. * Rock. God is called a rock, because both he and his word lasteth forever. Whet tliem on thy children.* That is, exercise thy children in them and put them in use. [For a fuller account of this rendering see what is said pages 115, 116]. Zamzumims. A kind of giants, and signifieth mischievous, or that be always imagining.* Note. The places marked * denote passages illustrative of Tyndale's independence as a Hebrew scholar, which in many instances is sustained by the best authorities. In the Brief Declaration of the Sacraments, by Tyndale, he explains Pheniel, Abel Mitsraim, Pesach, Mahanaim, El Eloth Israel. EL Bethel, Hornia, Lehi, Mahanch- Dan, Abel-hagedolaih, Eben-haazer. Neser, and others. t Nof found in the Pentateuch of TS30 ana T S34, iiut in Day' if olio. Tyndale's Version. 121 Tyndale's Pentateuch, the first English translation direct from the Hebrew appeared, as has been stated, in 1530; it is unique in typography, and exceedingly rare. The book of Genesis is in the black letter, or, as they used to call it last century, in the Dutch (German) letter. Exodus and Leviti cus are in the Roman letter. Numbers in the black letter, and Deuteronomy again in the Roman. The four books begin ning with Exodus contain no clue as to where and by whom they were printed, but the colophon at the end of Genesis states: '^ Emprented at Marlborow in the land of Hesse, by me, Hans Luft, in the yere of our Lord, MCCCCCXXX., the xvii. days of fanuarii, " This date designates a. d. 1530, not 1531, as Anderson, and others that follow him, hold, for although legal and of ficial documents signed between January i and March 25, 1 53 1, would have been dated 1530, this was not the usage in dating unofficial letters and in historical works, and is not likely to have been common with publishers. A complete copy of this small octavo is in the Grenville Li brary in the British Museum, another in the Lenox Library; and as every writer on the subject has his own "simplest way of accounting for this irregularity, " which, however satisfactory to himself, is not so to others, I venture to say that beyond the certainty that Genesis and Numbers in the same black letter were printed by Hans Luft at Marlborow, (.?) the name of the printer and the place of the printing of the three remaining books belong to the things unknown. In 1530 the Dutch printers brought out the fourth surrepti tious edition in 1 2mo, which, in the language of Joye, was "miche more false than ever it were before." Tyndale's Obedience of a Christian Man appears to have been quite congenial to Henry; Cromwell was now gaining influ ence over him, and probably had told him the drift of Tyn dale's argument in The Practice of Prelates (without showing 122 The English Versions. him the book)* as far as it encouraged princes to resist and humble the hierarchy, and his account, as well as the perusal of the Obedience by Henry, seem to have made him anxious at the time to secure, if possible, Tyndale's pen against the pope, and in advocacy of his projected measures against the monasteries. The circumstances under which he became ac quainted with the Obedience appear to have been as follows: Anne Boleyn having obtained a copy, lent it one of her at tendant ladies, Mrs. Gainsford, whose suitor, George Zouch, playfully snatched it from her and took it to the king's chapel, where he was reading it so attentively that dean Sampson noticed it, took the book from him, and gave it to the car dinal. The queen, asking for her book, the lady, on her knees, confessed all the particulars. ' ' The lady Anne shewed herself not sorry, nor angry with either ofthe two; but, 'Well,' said she, ' it shall be the dearest book that ever the dean or cardinal took away. ' So she goes to the king, and upon her knees she desireth the king's help for her book. Upon the king's token the book was restored. And now, bringing the book, she besought his grace, most tenderly, to read it. The king did so, and delighted in the book: 'For,' saith he, 'this book is for me and all kings to read ' " (Strype, Eccl. Mem. I. ch. XV., p. 173; confirmed in Wyatt's Memoir, printed from a MS. in Cavendish's Life of Wolsey, by Singer, II. pp. 202-5). In 1530 Stephen Vaughan, the new envoy to the princess- regent of the Netherlands, met Tyndale at Antwerp, to see whether he might not, under royal promise of safety, be in duced to return to England. Tyndale, who knew what was in store for him there, preferred exile to certain death. The negotiations were entirely unsuccessful. * The title ofthe first edition reads: The Practyse ^Prelates. %. Whether the king's grace maye be separated from hys quene, because she was his brother's iJOyfe. Marbcrch. In the yere of oure Lorde, MCCCCC & XXX. Tyndale's Version. 123 To this period (1531) belong Tyndale's Answer to Sir Thomas More's Dialogue, and his translation of the Book of Jonah. In the prologue to the latter he says, "When the hypocrites come to the law, they put glosses to, and make no more of it than of a worldly law, which is satisfied with the outward work, and which a Turk may also fulfil; when yet God's law never ceaseth to condemn a man until it be written in his heart, and until he keep it naturally without compulsion and all other respect, save only of pure love to God and his neighbor; as he naturally eateth when he is an hungered, without compulsion and all other respect, save to slake his hunger only. And when they come to the gospel, then they mingle their leaven and say, ' God now receiveth us no more to mercy, but of mercy receiveth us to penance'; that is, to wit, holy deeds that make them fat bellies, and us their captives both in soul and body. And yet they feign their idol the pope so merciful, that if thou make a little money glister in his Balaam's eyes, then is neither penance, nor purgatory, nor any fasting at all, but to fly to heaven as swift as a thought, and at the twinkling of an eye. ' ' And the lives, stories, and gests [doings] of men, which are contained in the bible, they read as things no more per taining unto them than a tale of Robin Hood, and as things they wot not whereto they serve, save to f^gn false descant and juggling allegories, to stablish their kingdom withal." And further on: "And thirdly, ye see in the practice, how as God is merciful, and long-suffering, even so were all his true prophets and preachers, bearing the infirmities of their weak brethren, and their own wrongs and injuries, with all pa tience and long-suffering, never casting any of them oflf their backs, until they sinned against the Holy Ghost, maliciously persecuting the open and manifest truth: contrary unto the ensample of the pope, which in sinning against God, and to quench the truth of his Holy Spirit, is ever chief captain and 124 The English Versions. trumpet-blower to set other at work, and seeketh only his own freedom, liberty, privilege, wealth, prosperity, profit, pleasure, pastime, honor, and glory, with the bondage, thral dom, captivity, misery, wretchedness, and vile subjection of his brethren; and in his own cause is so fervent, so stiflF and cruel, that he will not suff'er one word to be spoken against his false majesty, wily inventions, and juggling hypocrisy, to be unavenged, though all Christendom should be set together by the ears, and should cost, he cared not how many hundred thousand, their lives. "Now, thou mayest read Jonas fruitfully, and not as a poet's fable, but as an obligation between God and thy soul, as an earnest-penny given thee of God, that he will help thee in time of need, if thou turn to him, and as the word of God, the only food and life of thy soul, this mark and note. First, count Jonas the friend of God, and a man chosen of God, to testify his name unto the world; but yet a young scholar, weak and rude, after the fashion of the apostles while Christ was with them yet bodily. " No wonder this prologue and the translation did not please Sir Thomas More, who, in his Confutation of Tyndale's An swer, etc., 1532, says: "Jonas made out by Tyndale: a booke that whoso delighte therein shall stand in peril that Jonas was never so swalowed up with the whale, as by the delyte of that booke, a man's soule may be so swalowed up by the Devill that he shall never have the grace to get out agayne. " It is interesting to note in connection with the translation of this book the elaborate argument of Professor Walter, the edixtor oi Doctrinal Treatises (Parker Soc. ed., pp. 447, 448), of its non-existence, chiefly because it is not found in Mat thew's Bible. This was in 1848. No copy of it was known to exist. But in 1861, Lord Arthur Hervey, bishop of Bath and Wells, discovered one in the library at Irkworth bound up in a volume which for two hundred years had been in the pos- Tyndale's Version. 125 session of his family. The prologue and the translation seem to have been printed at Antwerp by Martin Emperour, the former having this preface: "The Prophete Jonas, with an introduction before, teaching ye to understand him and the right use of all the Scriptures," and the usual address: " W. T. unto the Christen Reader." The translation is intro duced with: "The storie ofthe prophete Jonas." This trans lation, as well as Coverdale's version, has been published by Mr Y-cy {The Prophet f anas, etc. London, 1863). On May 25th, 153 1, the king conferred with his council and prelates in the Star Chamber on the subject of Tyndale's translations, etc., and caused an instrument to be drawn up declaring that ' ' all the books containing these heresies, etc. , with the translation also of Scripture corrupted by William Tyndal, as well in the Old Testament as in the New, should utterly be expelled, rejected, and put away out of the hands of his people, and not be suffered to get abroad among his subjects, " and enjoining preachers publicly to denounce them and to demand their delivery; that it was not necessary that the people should read the whole Scripture in English, and that the king would see to it that the New Testament should be faithfully and purely translated, etc." (The instrument, and the names of the persons present, may be seen in Wil kins' English Councils, iii. p. 727; see also Foxe, Acts ii. p. 588, col. 2; Collier, Eccl. Hist. ii. p. 50, col. 2). This order, although the promise connected with it was not kept, was strictly enforced, and Stokesly, newly-made bishop of London, burnt as many of the obnoxious books as he could get in St. Paul's church-yard. Nor was a decree passed by the Convocation of the Prov ince of Canterbury, March 17th, 1533, that the Holy Scrip ture should be translated into the vulgar tongue, executed at this time. In 1532, Sir Thomas Elyot, who, under royal instruction, 126 The English Versions. tried his utmost, happily in vain, to trepan Tyndale, wrote from Ratisbon, March 14th, to the Duke of Norfolk: "Al beit the king willeth me, by his grace's letters, to remain at Brussels for some space of time for the apprehension of Tyn dale, which somewhat minisheth my hope of soon return; considering that like as he is in wit moveable, semblably as is his person uncertain to come by: and, as far as I can per ceive, hearing of the king's diligence in the apprehension of him, he withdraweth him into such places where he thinketh to be farthest out of danger. In me there shall lack none endeavour." (British Museum, Cotton MSS. Vitell. B. xxi. fol. 54. Cited by Anderson, i. p. 323, Eng. ed.) From this it appears that Tyndale was again living in con cealment, continuing the work of translating the Hebrew Scriptures, besides writing an exposition on St. Matthew v., vi., vii., and preparing a new edition of the New Testament. Something has already been said of Frith, whose relation to Tyndale resembled that of Timothy to Paul. He had been with him through these sad years of exile, but in 1532 he was sent by his father in the gospel to England, that he might know the estate of certain brethren there and comfort their hearts. His movements having been betrayed to More and Stokesley, he was arrested on the coast of Essex while waiting for a favorable opportunity to return to the continent, and committed to the Tower. On the details relating to his con finement, literary and evangelical labors, I cannot enter here His fate was most sad, for, refusing to recant, he was burnec, a youthful martyr to evangelical liberty, in Smithfield, July 4th, 1533. In August, 1534, there appeared a further Dutch edition of Tyndale's New Testament in i2mo, the collation of which is taken from Anderson : ' ' The New Testament as it was written and caused to be written by them which hearde yt, whom also our Saueoure Christ fesus commanded that they shulde preach it unto Tyndale's Version. 127 al creatures," — Title, at the back of which is an "almanacki for xviii. yeres." The signatures run a to z, A to H. Then the epistles of the Apostle St. Paul, on sign Aai, and extend to Ccc. At the end of the Revelation is this colophon: "Here endeth the Newe Testament diligently ouer sene and cor rected, and printed now agayn at Antwerpe by me Widowe of Christoffel of Endhoue, in the yere of oure Lorde MCCCCC. and xxxiiii. in August." In 1845, the only known copy of this very rare book was then in the Grenville Library, in the Brit ish Museum. This edition was corrected by George Joy, alias Gee, alias Clarke, a Bedfordshire man, educated at Peter- house, Cambridge (b.a. 1512-13; m.a. 1517), who, charged with heresy in 1527, fled to the continent, first to Strasburg, where he translated The Prophet Esay* from the Latin, and in 1532 to Barrow (Bergen-op-Zoom, in Holland) and ven tured to put forth the surreptitious edition just described, re vised by the Vulgate, without the knowledge of Tyndale, who had come to Antwerp to bring out his second edition, of which the following collation may be fittingly inserted here: "The Newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greek by Willyam Tindale, and fyneshed in the yere of our Lorde God a. MD. and xxxiiii. in the moneth of Nouember. " This title is within a wood border, at the bot tom of which is a blank shield. "W. T. to the Christian reader," 17 pages. "A prologue into the iiii. Evangelystes, " 4 pages. Then a second title: 772^ Neue Testament, imprinted at Antwerp by Marten Emperowr, Anno MDXXXIIII. Mat thew begins on folio II. ; Revelation on CCCLV. ; and after ward follow: "The Epistles taken out of the Old Testament," running on to folio CCCC. A table of the Epistles and Gos pels for Sundays, 16 pages, with "some things added to fill up the leflfe with all," 5 pages. The signatures run in eighths. * For full particulars of his literary labors see the sequel. I2S The English Versions. and a full page has 33 lines. It has wood-cuts in Revelation, and some small ones at the beginning of the Gospels and sev eral of the Epistles. The Epistles, taken out of the Old Tes tament, ' ' are read in the Church, after the use of Salisbury, upon certain days of the year," include 78 verses, from the Pentateuch, 51 from i Kings, Proverbs, and Canticles, 147 from the prophetical books, chiefly Isaiah, and 43 from the Apocrypha. Anderson, in his invincible dislike of the Apocrypha act ually omits the extracts from those books in his list of places from the Old Testament translated by Tyndale. Copies of this edition occur more frequently than of Joye's surreptitious version, concerning which it may be here pre mised that Tyndale felt very sore, as will be seen from the extracts presently to be produced, which place the whole case before the reader; and he had good cause to feel sore, for the Dutch printers, hearing that he was about to repub lish, "were anxious to forestal the market, and therefore has* tily got out a new edition," in which they employed Joye. The opening paragraph in Tyndale's prologue upon the Gospel of St. Matthew reads: " Here thou hast (moost deare reader) the New Testament or covenaunt made wyth us of God in Christes bloude. Which I have looked over agayne (now at the last) with all dylygence, and compared it vnto the Greke, and have weded oute of it many fautes, which lacke of helpe at the begynninge and oversyght did sowe therein." In an additional prologue, beginning, "W. Tyn dal yet once more to the Christen reader," he says: "Thou shalt understand, most dear reader, when I had taken in hand to look over the New Testament again, to compare it with the Greek, and to mend whatsoever I could find amiss, and had almost finished my labour; George Joye secretly took in hand to correct it also, by what occasion his conscience know eth, and prevented [anticipated] me, insomuch that his cor- Tyndale's Version. 129- rection was printed in great number (most of the sheets) ere mine began." .... He takes special note of Joye's trans lation ofthe word resurrectio by "the life after this," and re marks that if he wanted to alter the text he should have put it forth for his own translation, and not for his (Tyndale's), concluding with the statement: "Finally that NewTestament thus dylygently corrected, beside this so ofte putting out this word resurreccion, and I wote not what other chaunges, for I have not yet reed it ouer, hath in the ende before the table ofthe epistils and gospelles this tytle: Here endith," etc. (as above), "which tytle. Reader, I haue here put in, because by this thou shalt knowe the book the better. Vale. " Joye came out with an apology in November, 1533, which in its way (which the reader may characterize for himself) can hardly be excelled, especially if it be borne in mind that his M. A. notwithstanding, he was only an indifferent Latin schol ar, appears to have known less Greek than Latin, as the se quel will show, and to have been blessed with a degree of assurance and conceit wonderfully adjusted to the Cimmerian darkness of his ignorance. Here is the title of this vindica tion : ' ' An Apology made by Geo. Joye to satisfy, if it may be, W. Tyndale, to pourge and defende himself agaynst so manye slaunderause Lies fayned upon him in Tyndale's un charitable and unsober Pistle, so wel worthye to be prefixed for the Reader to induce him into the understandyng of his New Testament, diligently corrected and printed in the Yeare of oure Lorde MCCCCC and xxxiii., in November.'' He explains how he came to be connected with the matter and so forth, thus: "Then the Dewche began to printe them the fourth time, because thei sawe no man els goyng about them. And after thei had printed the first leife, which copye another Englissh-man had corrected to them, thei came to me and desired me to correcke them their copie; whom I answered — That if Tyndal amende it with so grete diligence as he prom- I30 The English Versions. iseth, yours will be never solde. Yisse, quoth they, for if he prynte two thousand, and we as many, what is so little a noumber for all England ? and we will sel ours better cheap, and therfore we doubt not of the sale: so that I perceyved well and was suer, that whether I had correcked theyr copye or not, thei had gone forth with their worke, and had given us two thousand mo bokes falselyer printed than ever we had before. Then I thus consydered with my self: England hath ynowe and to manye false testaments, & is now likely to have many mo; ye and that whether Tyndal correcktith or no, yet shal these now in hand go forth uncorrecked to, except some body correck them. — Aftir this consydered, the printer came to me againe & ofi"red me two stuvers and a half for the cor recting of every sheet of the copye which folden contayneth xvi. leaves; and for three stuvers, which is fourpence half penny starling, I promised to do it. So that in al I had for my labour but xiv. shylyngis flemeshe; which labour, had not the goodnesse of the deede & comon profyte and helpe to the readers compelled me more then the money, I wolde not have done yt for five tymes so miche, the copye was so corrupt, and especially the table." He further states that "this Testament was printed or Tindal's was begun, and that, says he, not by my prevention but by the printer's ex pedition, & Tindal's owne long sleeping. For as for me I had nothing to do with the printing thereof, but correcked their copie only as where I founde a worde falsely printed, I mended it; and when I came to some derke sentencis that no reason coude be gathered of them, whether it was by the ig norance of the first translatour or of the prynter, I had the latyne text by me, and made it playne: and where any sen tence was unperfite or clene lefte oute, I restored it agene, and gave many wordis their pure and native signification in their places which thei had not before. " He moreover de clared that ' ' he wolde the scripture were so puerly and ply- Tyndale's Version. 131 antly translated, that it needed neither note, glose, nor scholia, so that the reder might once swimme without a corke." Now all this was written after Tyndale's own corrected New Testament had been published, and at a time when poor Tyn dale was in prison. There was one correction in particular of which Joye was uncommonly proud, and that may enable the reader to determine his scholarship. He says: "Ere he (Tyndale) came to one place of the Testament to be last cor rected, I told his scribe that there was a place in the begin ning of the sixth chapter of the Acts somewhat darkly trans lated at first, and that I had mended it in my correction, and bade him shew it Tyndale to mend it also. But yet, because T found the fault and had corrected it before, Tyndale had lever to let it stand, as he ^xAfor all my warning, still darkly in his new correction, whereof the reader might take a wrong sense, than to have mended it. Which place, whether it standeth now clearer and truer in my correction than in his, let the learned Yii^ge." * The passage in Tyndale's version read thus: "In those dayes, as the nombre of the disciples grewe, ther arose a grudge amonge the Grekes agaynste the Ebrues, because their wyddowes were despysed in the dayly mynystracion. " The improved, corrected, and clearer passage reads in Joye's version: "In those dayes, the nombre of the disciples grewe, there arose a grudge amonge the grekes agaynst the ebrues, because theyr pore nedy were neglege in the dayly almose dealinge. " The italicized clause contains the improved rendering of the Vulgate's: Eo quod despicerentur in ministerio quotidiano viducB eorum. Before noticing the changes introduced into Tyndale's cor rected New Testament by himself this seems the proper place to enumerate the labors of Joye: * The last extract with the italics is taken from Anderson, which accounts for the different spelling. 132 The English Versions. I. A Translation of the Prophet Esay into English. 8vo. Strassburg: Balthaser Backneth. 1530. 2. David's Psalter, etc. i2mo. Antwerp: Martin Em perowr. 1534. 3. feremy the Prophete translated into Englishe, etc. Date: May, 1534. Name of printer and place not given. The ti tle has a second clause: The Songe of Moses is added in the ende to magnifie oure Lorde for the Fall of Pharao the Bisshop of Rome. Anno M. D. and xxxiiii. in the monthe of Maye. Immediately after the preface then follows: "To supplee the lefe take here, crysten reder, that goodly and godly songe of Moses, wherewith thou oughtest now gloriously to magnifie and prayse God for the destruccion and throing downe of our cruel Pharao, the Bisshop of Rome, non otherwyse then did Moses and his chirche loaue him for drownyng of Pharao, which Pharao fygured our blodye Bisshops of Rome. The songe of Moses and his Chirche songen aftir Pharao's dethe, drowned with his hoste in the redde sea." 4. The surreptitious edition of Tyndale's New Testament, fully described before. Of the numerous changes introduced by Tyndale in his corrected edition, the following table furnishes an illustration. MATTHEW VI. tS2b. 1534- I youre father in heven. youre father which is in heven. I 7 But when ye praye. And when ye praye. 7 " gentyls. hethen. <( 12 as ue forgeve them which tras- as we forgeve oure trespacers. 12 pas vs. 13 Leede vs not into temptacion. And leade vs not into tempta 13 but delyvre vs from yvel. cion, but delyver vs from evell. Amen. For thyne is the kingdome and the power and the glorye for ever. Amen. 16 that hit myght apere vnto men that they myght be sene of men i5 that they faste. how they faste. Tyndale's Version. 133 21 there are youre heartes also. there will youre hertes be also. 21 22 The light off thy body. The light of the body. 22 " ys full of light. shalbe full of light. " 24 he shall lene the one. he shal lene to the one. 24 25 what rayment ye shall weare. what ye shall put on. 25 26 Are ye not better than they? Are ye not much better than they? 26 28 Behold the lyles. Considre the lylies. 28 34 Care not therfore for the daye Care not then for the morow, 34 foloynge ; For the daye foloynge but let the morow care for it shall care ffor yt sylfe. Eche selfe; for the day present hath dayes trouble ys sufficient for ever ynough ofhis awne trouble. the same silfe day. Many of his renderings are more idiomatic, and he availed himself of the criticisms of his enemies. He exchanged sen ior for "elder," and, in several places, _/3wr for "grace." The other objections made by More and others he disallowed. How he improved his renderings may be illustrated by Ga latians V. 5, which in the first edition ran, ' ' We loke for and hope to be justified by the sprete which commeth of fayth," and'stands in that of 1534, "We loke for and hope in the sprite to be justifyed thorow fayth." At i Peter iv. 6 there is this note: "The dead are the ignorant of God." On the other hand, the strange rendering of Rev. vi. 8, "And I loked, and beholde a grene horsse, " occurs in both editions. Joye had detected in the first edition of 1526 the marginal gloss upon I John iii., "Love is the first precept and cause of all other," contradicted by one on the other side, "Fayth is the first commandment, and Love the seconde. " This was corrected in the last (1536) into "Faith and Love is the fyrste commaundement and all commaundementes, and he that hath them is in God and hath his Sprete. " The edition of 1534 notices likewise a curious erratum at St. Matthew xxiii. 26, where, by mistake, it had been printed, "Clense fyrst the out syde of the cup and platter," and for which ynne- side is to be substituted. 134 The English Versions. As Joye's revision of the Dutch editions did not sell after the appearance of Tyndale's own, the printers brought out a surreptitious edition in exact imitation of Tyndale's; this was a i2mo, and is occasionally met with. The statement of Foxe that after T3'ndale had finished the manuscript, but ' ' before it was quite finished at the press " he was betrayed and apprehended by the imperial officers and imprisoned at Vilvorde, is not correct, for the events to which he refers did not take place until the following year; but ac curacy in the matter of dates cannot be enumerated among the virtues of the martyrologist. That he was busy writing and translating, and correcting proof-sheets until he died is undoubtedly true, but the second edition was published in November, 1534, and Tyndale was at liberty, perfectly free and unmolested, living in the house of Mr. Thomas Poyntz, an English merchant, who had a brother in the king's household, and was himself a lover of the Gospel, until toward the close of 1535. Before supplying from Foxe an abstract of that Judas busi ness, I have the more pleasing duty to record the touching manner in which Tyndale expressed his appreciation of the Kind interference of Queen Anne Boleyn on behalf of Richard Herman, who for having, "with his goods and policy, to his great hurt and hinderance in this world, helped to the setting forth of the New Testament in English, " * had suffered loss and imprisonment, and had at her instance been "restored to his pristine freedom, liberty, and fellowship aforesaid " (z'. e. , to his former position in the English house at Antwerp). When Tyndale heard thereof he caused a single copy of his Testament to be beautifully printed with illuminated letters on vellum, bound in blue morocco, with the queen's name, in large red letters, equally divided, placed on the fore-edges * Queen Anne's language. Tyndale's Version. . 135 of the top, side, and bottom margins, thus: On the top, ANNA, on the right margin fore-edge, REGINA, and on the lower, ANGLIAE, and with his own name suppressed, without dedication or preface, to be sent to the queen. This relic, once in possession of the Rev. C. M. Crackerode, has been in the British Museum since 1799. The history of the tragical fate of Tyndale remains to be written, for neither Foxe nor Anderson, although their con tributions are meritorious, have done justice to the subject. Foxe narrates how Tyndale, lodging in the house of Poyntz, made the acquaintance of a certain Henry Philips, of Poole, in Dorset, on the borders of Gardiner's diocese (of Winches ter), accompanied by a servant. Poyntz. took a dislike to him from the first, but Tyndale, simple and unsuspecting, was imposed upon by the frank and pleasant manners of the good-looking Philips, whom Anderson has identified as an agent of Gardiner, while his servant, or coadjutor, was dis covered by Tebold, Cromwell's agent, to have been a monk of Stratford Abbey named Gabriel Donne. These two, very probably in the pay, and at the instance of Gardiner, suc ceeded in getting the emperor's procuror-general, with divers officers, to come from Brussels to Antwerp for the purpose of arresting Tyndale. They embraced the opportune absence of Poyntz to trap Tyndale, whom they removed to the castle of Vilvorde, between Malines and Brussels, and seized all his books and other belongings. This happened in 1 53 5. Poyntz tried everj'thing in his power to induce influential people in England to interpose in behalf of Tyndale, having actually gone to England for the purpose, and returned with letters to the emperor's council at Brussels, ' ' according to the tenor " of which Tyndale should have been delivered to him. But Philips, hearing thereof, accused Poyntz of heresy, and caused him likewise to be arrested and imprisoned. This occurred about Christmas, a. d. 1535. " He was long kept in prison; 136 The English Versions. but at length, when he saw no other remedy, by night he made his escape, and avoided their hands. " It does not ap pear that Poyntz, after his escape, was able to do anything more for, poor Tyndale. The jailor, John Baers, was fined eighty pounds for con nivance (Demaus, p. 497). Poyntz returned to England, where he died in 1562; his epitaph contains a notice of his escape. The lady of Sir John Walsh, with whom Tyndale lived at Little Sodbury, was a Poyntz of Gloucestershire, and a relative of the Essex Poyntzes. During the twelve months that had already elapsed since Tyndale was sent to Vilvorde, his godly life and powerful ex hortations, like those of St. Paul at Philippi, were so blessed that, according to Foxe, "he converted the keeper and his daughter, and others of his household." It, was doubtless through the good offices of that keeper that he was enabled to employ his time in the prosecution of his great work of translating the Scriptures. Three editions of the New Testa ment are known to have been printed at Antwerp in that year, and although they were probably all carried through the press with his knowledge, it is certain that one of them claims to have been prepared under his special care, being entitled. The Newe Testament, dylygently corrected and compared with the Greeke by William Tyndale, and fynnesshed in the yere of our Lorde God MD. and XXXV. It will be remembered how many years ago he had declared to a Romish priest, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than you do. " In the gloomy prison of Vilvorde he remembered that vow, and as he must have realized that, humanly speaking, life would not be spared much longer, he prepared this edition, exceed ingly rare (of which a perfect copy exists in the Camb. Univ. Library), for the instruction of the plough-boys of England, conforming the spelling to their rude pronunciation, and fur- Tyndale*s Version. 137 nishing for their better understanding of the subjects treated of, for the first time, headings to the chapters. In this edi tion father is s^g^lt /aether; master, maester; stone, sioene; once, cones; worse, wkorsse; etc. (Tyndale, Doct. Treatises^ Parker Soc. ed, p. Ixxiii. ). Westcott and Eadie think, however, and not without good reason, especially as the theory of the pro vincial form of spelling does not make the language any clearer to rustics, that the flat diphthongal orthography was due to the copy being read to a Flemish compositor who did not know English; te for the, thongs for tongues, and thaugh for taught, are certainly rather Flemish than provincial English. * How the theologians of Louvain, that stronghold of Ro manism, beset him with their attacks, and how, when the king of England and his council had abandoned him, they got Carondelet, archbishop of Palermo, and president of the privy council of Brussels f to condemn the noble Tyndale, the translator of the Word of God, and the strenuous advocate ofthe doctrine of justification by faith alone, as a heretic, under the detestable decree promulgated at Augsburg, November * Professor Westcott, from materials furnished by Mr. F. Fry, has drawn up a table, in which the peculiar vowel-sounds are so arranged as to exhibit their affinity with Flemish vowel-sounds. The following are specimens: ae for a faether, graece. ae " ay vaele. ae " ea aete, paerle. ae " e belaeved, naedeth. oe " o aboede, roese. oe " ou foere. oe " e kneeled. 00 " o boones, moore. There is also much inconsistency of spelling, e. g., boeldely and booldly; hoeme and hoome, etc. Westcott, History, (2d ed., pp. 55, 56). t What this Brabant government was may be gathered from the language of Erasmus in a letter to Cholerus, written in 1534, in which, after referring to the aionks, he says: "These animals are omnipotent at the emperor's court [in the Low Countries]. Mary is a mere puppet, maintained by our nation; Montigni, a man of authority, is a tool of the Franciscans; the Cardinal of Liege is an ambitious friend, and, when he takes offence, a violent enemy; the archbishop of Palermo is a giver of good words, and nothing else." ye for y abyede. ey " e agreyment. ee " e heere, teell. ea " a eare (=are). ie " y{=i } bUend. ea " e streates, neade. ue " u crueses, ruelers. 138 The English Versions. 19th, 1530, cannot be related here at length. If ever a man was innocent and earned the martyr's crown it was Tyndale, of whom even the procurator-general, the emperor's attorney, was constrained to say that he was ' 'Homo doctus, plus et bonus, " Compare the inscription on his picture given before. Yes, a learned, a godly, and a good man he was, whom on Friday, the 6th of October, 1536, they led forth from the castle of Vilvorde to the place of execution, where they tied him to a stake, upon which, crying with a fervent zeal and a loud voice, ' 'Lordl open the eyes ofthe King of England, " the hangman first strangled him, and then gave his body to be consumed with fire. It remains historically unproved who was the prime mover in this Judas affair. Anderson, with a strong degree of prob ability, has named Gardiner, for Philips was certainly not an agent either of Henry VIII. or Cromwell, and his intimate relations to the Romish party, as well as his paternal home, point strongly to some wealthy ecclesiastic in England. Fisher and More had too much trouble of their own at the time to be implicated in the matter, and the correspondence of Cromw-ell and other contemporary documents in the British Museum ex onerate Henry VIII. and Cromwell. The monk Donne, likewise, the servant in disguise, has been connected by An derson with Gardiner, who has further discovered that he was rewarded at this very time from the patronage of Vesey, bishop of Exeter, a bitter persecutor of the reformers. There was one person who, from his intimate relations to Tyndale, probably found means to communicate with him at Vilvorde, and who may be regarded as his literary executor, to whom reference must here be made. That was John Rogers, who had been educated at Cambridge, and came as chaplain to the English Merchant Adventurers * to Antwerp * They were an old.guild under a charter conferring many privileges on them, and had been originally known as The Mercliants of St. Thomas d Becket. For further particulars see Demaus, Life of Tyndale, p. 413, sq. Tyndale's Version. 139 while Tyndale was there. He became to him, what Frith had been, "his own son in the faith," and continued the work, interrupted by the untimely murder of Tyndale. Of the nature of that work more will be said hereafter. Mr. Galesloot has discovered in the archives of the Council of Brabant a letter written by Tyndale in prison to the gov ernor, the marquis of Bergen-op-Zoom, which sheds light on his condition there, and confirms incidentally what is other wise abundantly clear, that he translated the Old Testament from the Hebrew. The first passage gives his appeal to the governor, "that if I am to remain here during the winter, you will request the procureur to be kind enough to send me from my goods which he has in his possession a warmer cap, for I suffer extremely from cold in the head, being afflicted with a perpetual catarrh, which is considerably increased in the cell. A warmer coat also, for that which I have is very thin; also a piece of cloth to patch my leggings; my shirts are also worn out. He has also a woollen shirt of mine, if he will be kind enough to send it. I have also with him leggings of thicker cloth for putting on above; he also has warmer caps for wearing at night." The second passage states: "I wish also his permission to have a candle in the evening, for it is wearisome to sit alone in the dark. But, above all, I entreat and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the procureur, that he may kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, He brew grammar, and Hebrew dictionary, that I may spend my time with that study. And in return may you obtain your dearest wish, provided always it be consistent with the salva tion of your soul" (Demaus, Tyndale, p. 476). Another unsolved mystery connected with the imprison ment of Tyndale is the appearance, at the very time of his martyrdom at Vilvorde, oiz. folio edition ofhis New Testament, printed in England, at the press of the king's own patent printer in London. Whether he read the proofs, whether the 140 The English Versions. queen Anne was instrumental in the matter, or how it came to pass, we have no means to determine, but it was certainly the first sacred volume printed in England. Of this edition I now give the title, followed by the collation: The Newe testament, yet ones agayne corrected by W, Tindale: And in many places ameded, where it scaped before by neglygence of the printer. Also a Kalender, and a necessary table, wherein easily and lightly may be founde any story cbteyned in ye foure Euangelystes, and in the Ades of ye apostles. Also before every pystel of S. Paul is a prologue, very frutefull to ye reder. And after ye newe testament, foloweth the Epistels of ye olde testament. Newly printed in the yere of oure lorde jMDXXXVI. Collation (from Anderson): Prefixes, viz. : Almanake for 23 years — Kalender — W. T. to the Christen Reder — a prologue into the four Euangel}-stes — the Offyce of all Estates, and the Bokes conteyned in the Newe Testament: 14 leaves. The Newe Testament contains folio cxcvii. , but the folios run on to ccv. ; then the table of the Epistles and the Gospels, in double columns, etc. The distinguishing mark at the end: "GOD SAUE THE KYNGE AND ALL HIS WELL- WYLLERS." Its orthography is peculiar in the one particular of giving throughout the Anglo-Saxon particle of negation nat for not, and «a/withstanding. The name of the printer, Thomas Berthelet, is not given. Ames (Herbert), Dibdin, and An derson ascribe it to his press, but Mr. Bradshaw, of the Uni versity Library, Cambridge, to that of T. Godfray, to whom the engraved border belonged before it passed into the pos session of Berthelet, which he thinks could not have been as early as 1536. In his conversation with Vaughan (see above) Tyndale had said: "Ifit would stand with the king's most gracious pleas ure to grant only a bare text of the scripture to be put forth among his people, like as is put forth among the subjects of Tyndale's Version. 141 the emperor in these parts, and of other Christian princes, be it of the translation of what person soever shall please his majesty, I shall immediately make faithful promise never to write more, nor abide two days in these parts "; he had ceased to write upon earth, and while his name was recorded in the book above, the Book of God which he translated into Eng lish, was printed and openly sold in England with all his pro logues and prefaces. And though many more versions were made in after times, it may be safely asserted that the version of Tyndale, for which he was martyred, still continues to be among the best parts of the Authorized Version, and it is so excellent in many points that even the Westminster Version has returned to not a few of his renderings. From among the numerous testimonies borne to the excel lence of Tyndale's version, I shall select three modern ones, as showing the universality of the high estimate in which it is held. Geddes, a Roman Catholic scholar, says: "In point of perspicacity and noble simplicity, propriety of idiom and purity of style, no English version has as yet surpassed it " {Prospectus for anew Translation, p. 89). J. A. Froude writes, "The peculiar genius, if such a word may be permitted, which breathes through it, the mingled tenderness and ma jesty, the Saxon simplicity, the preternatural grandeur, un equalled, unapproached, in the attempted improvements of modern scholars, — all are here, and bear the impress of the mind of one man, and that man William Tyndal" {History of England, iii. 84); and lastly, G. P. Marsh de clares: "Tyndale is merely a full-grown Wyclif, and his re cension of the New Testament is just what his great predeces sor would have made it, had he awaked again to see the dawn of that glorious day, of which his own life and labors kindled the morning twilight. Not only does Tyndale retain the gen eral grammatical structure of the older version, but most of its felicitous verbal combinations, and, what is more remark- 142 The English Versions. able, he preserves even the rhythmic flow of its periods, which is again repeated in the recension of 1611. Wyclif, then, must be considered as having originated the diction and phraseology, which for five centuries has constituted the consecrated dialect of the English speech; and Tyndale as having given to it that finish and perfection, which have so admirably adapted it to the expression of religious doctrine and sentiment, and to the narration of the re markable series of historical facts which are recorded in the Christian Scriptures" {Lectures on the English Language, First Series, p. 627). A few brief examples of Tyndale's Version, in which the portions in Roman type show what remains of it in the Au thorized Version, will be perused with interest; no change has been made in the spelling. The first is a passage from the Pentateuch; the others are taken from the edition of 1534. Matthew viii. 1-13 may be compared with Wiclifs, pp. 59-64. NUMBERS XVI. 28-3O. 28. And Moses said : Hereby ye shall know that the Lord hath sent me to do all these works, and thai I have not done them of mine own mind. 29. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men, then the Lord hath not sent me. 30. But, and if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them, and all HasA pertain unto them, so that they go down quick into hell, then ye shall understand that these men have railed upon the Lord. ST. MATTHEW VIII. I-I3. I. When he was come downe from the mountayne, moch people io\- owed him. 2. And lo, ther came a lepre, and worsheped him sayinge: Master, if thou wylt, thou canst make me clene. 3. And lesus put forthe hys hond and touched hym sayinge: I wyll, be thou clene, and immediatly hys leprosie was clensed. Tyndale's Version. 143 4. And lesus sayde vnto him, Se thou tell no man, but go and shewe thy selfe to the preste, and offer the gyfte that Moses commaunded, in ¦witness to them. 5. When lesus was entred into Capernaum ther came vnto him a cer tayne Centurion, and besought hym 6. Sayinge: Master my seruaunt lyeth sicke at home of the palsye, 3.n&ys gienously payned. 7. And lesus sayd vnto hym: I will come and heale hym. 8. The Centurion answered and sayde: Syr I am not worthy that thou sliuldest come vnder my rofe, but speake the worde only and my ser- uant shalbe healed. 9. For I also myself e am a man vndre power, and have sowdiers vndre me, and I saye to one, go, and he goeth, and to anothre come, and he cometh: and to my seruaunt, do this, and he doeth it. 10. When lesus hearde that, he marveled and sayd to them that fol- owed hym. Verely I say vnto you, I have not founde so great fayth: no, not in Israel. II . I say therfore vnto you that many shall come from the eest and weest, and shall rest with Abraham, Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heven: 12. And the chyldren of the kyngdome shalbe cast out in to vtter darcknes: there shalbe weping and gnasshing of tethe. 13. Then lesus sayd vnto the Centurion, go thy waye, and as thou be- levest so be it vnto the. And his seruaunt was healed the selfe houre. ACTS XV. 36-41. 36. But after a certayne space, Paul sayde vnto Barnabas: Let us goo agayne and visite oure brethren in every cite where we have shewed the worde of the Lorde, and se how they do. 37. And Barnabas gave counsell to take with them lohn, called also Marke. 38. But Paul thought it not mete to take him vnto their company, whiche departed from them at Pamphylia, and went not with them to the worke. 39. And the dissencion was so sharpe bitwene them, that they aeparted a sunder one from the other: so that Barnabas toke Marke, and sayled vnto Cypers. 40. And Paul chose Sylas and departed delyvered of the brethren vnto the grace of God. 41. And he went thorowe all Cyna. and Cilicia, stablishynge the con- gregacions. 144 The English Versions. ACTS XXIII. 3-5. 3. Then sayde 'Pa.al to him: God smyte the ihou pay ntydwal). Sit- test thou and iudgest me after the lawe: and commaundest me to be smyt- ten contrary to the lawe ? 4. And they that stode by, sayde: revylest thou Goddes hye preste ? 5. Then sayd Paul: I wist not, brethren, that he was the hye preste. For it is written, thou shalt not curse the rular of thy people. ROMANS II. 1-8. I . What preferment then hath the lewe ? other what a vauntageth circumcision ? 2. Surely very moche. Fyrst vnto them was committed the worde of God. 3. What then though some of them did not beleve ? shall their vnbe- leve make the promes of god with out effecte ? 4. God forbid. Let god be true, and all men lyars, as it is written; That thou myghtest be lustifyed in thy sayings and shuldest overcom* when thou arte iudged. 5. Yf oure vnrightewesnes make the rightewesnes of God more excel. lent: what shall we saye ? Is God vnrighteous which taketh vengeaunce ? I speake after the maner of men. 6. God forbid. For how then shall God iudge the worlde ? 7. Yf the veritie of God appere moare excellent thorow my lye, vnto his prayse, why am I henceforth iudged as a synner? 8. And saye not rather {as men evyll speake of vs, and as some affirme that we saye) let vs do evyll, that good maye come therof. Whose damnacion is iuste. I COR. XV. 51-53. 5 1 . Beholde I shewe you a mystery. We shall not all slepe ; but we shall all be chaunged, and that in a moment, and in the twinclinge of an eye, at the sounde of the last trompe. 52. For the trompe shall blowe, and the deed shall ryse incorruptible, and we shalbe chaunged. 53. For this corruptible must put on incorruptibilite ; and this mortali must put on immortalite. I PETER III. 7-12. 7. Lyke wyse ye men dwell with them accordinge to knowledge, gevinge honoure vnto the wyfe, as vnto the weaker vessell, and as vnto Tyndale's Version. 145 them that are heyres also of the grace of lyfe, that youre prayers be not let. 8. In conclusion, be ye all of one mynde, one suffre luith an other, love as brethren, be petifuU, be courteous, 9. Not rendringe evyll for evyll, nether rebuke for rebuke: but contrary wyse, blesse, remembringe that ye are thervnto called, even that ye shuld be heyres (j/'blessinge. 10. If eny man longe after life, and loveth to se good dayes, let him refrayne his tonge from evyll, and his lippes that they speak not gyle. II. Let him eschue evyll and do good: let him seke peace, and en sue it. 12. For the eyes of the Lorde are ouer the righteous, and his eares are open vnto their prayers. But the face of the Lorde beholdeth them that do evyll. I JOHN III. I-IO. I . Beholde what love the father hath shewed on vs, that we shuld be' called the sonnes of god. For this cause the world knoweth _j'i7« not be- cause it knoweth not him. 2. Derely beloved, now are we the sonnes of God, and yet it dothe not appere what we shal be. But we knowe that when it shall appere, we shalbe lyke him. For we shal se him as he is. 3. And every raan that hath thys hope in '^\m pourgeth him silfe, even as he ys pure. 4. Whosoever committeth synne, committeth vnrighteousnes also, for synne is vnrighteousnes . 5. And ye knowe that he appered to take awaye oure synnes, and in him is no synne. 6. As many as byde in him, synne not; whosoever synneth hath not sene him, nether hath knowen him. 7. Babes, let no man deceave you. He that doeth righteousnes, is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8. He that committeth synne, is ofthe devill; for the devyll synneth sence the begynnynge. For this purpose appered the sonne of god, to lowse the workers ai the devill. 9. Whosoever is borne of God, sinneth not: for his seed remayneth in him, and he cannot sinne, because he is borne of god. 10. In this are the children of god knowen, and the children of the devyll. Whosoever doeth not rightewesnes, is not of God, nether he that loveth not his brother. K 146 The English Versions. REVELATION II. I2-I7. 12. And to the messenger of the congregacion in Pergamos wryte: This sayth he which hath the sharpe swearde with two edges. 13. I knowe thy workes and where thow dwellest, evyn where Sathans seat ys, and thou kepest my name and hast not denyed my fayth. And in my dayes Antipas was a faythfuU witnes of myne, which was slayne amonge you where satlian dwelleth. 14. But I have a fewe thynges agaynst the: that thou hast there, they ths.1 mayntayne the doctryne of Hidam which taught in balake, to put occasion of syn before the chylderne of Israhell, that they shulde eate of meate dedicat vnto ydoles, and to commyt fornicacion. 15. Even so hast thou them that mayntayne the doctryne of the Nico- laytans, which thynge I hate. 16. But be converted or elles I will come vnto the shortly and will fyght agaynste them with the swearde of my mouth. 17. Let him that hath eares heare what the sprete sayth vnto the con- gregaciom: To him that overcommeth will I geve to eate manna that is hyd, and will geve him a whyte stone, and in the stone a newe name wrytten, whych no man knoweth, saving he that receaveth it. The differences between the editions are exhibited with great accuracy in the collation of Mr. T. Fry, of Bristol. Three New Testaments of William Tyndale, that of 1 5 34, 1535, 1535-34, and the text of Matthew's first edition, of which a specimen is here subjoined. The letters GH denote 1535-34, and M Matthew. COLLATION OF EDITIONS 1534, GH 1535-34, AND MATTHEW 1537. / CORINTHIANS, Ch. Ver. 2 4 34 — 7 34 GH '35 — 8 34 3 6 34 20 34 GH M — 22 34 5 8 '34 GH M 7 37 '34 GH M 8 7 '34 GH '35 9 13 '34 GH ivi 14 '34 GH M — '34 GH M 10 32 '34 12 3 '34 GH '35 — 23 '34 14 6 '34 GH '35 '5 2 !34 — 10 34 — 12 '34 — "5 '34 — • 29 '34 GH M — 33 '34 GH M — 50 '34 16 3 '34 GH M preaching were not with. ordained before the world. the rulers of the world. God gave increase. God knoweth the thoughts. other, 4 times in the verse. and wickedness. his virgin doeth well. eat as of a thing oSered. have their finding. so also did the Lord. should live of the gospel. ye give occasion. but by the Holy Ghost. members of that body. unto you other by revelation. by which also ye are. not I but the grace. from death . . from death. rise not up again. if the dead rise not at all. malicious speakings. corruption inherileth. allow by your letters. GH '35 M M GH '35 M GH '35 '35 M GH >'35'35 >'35'35 iviivi GH '35 M GH '35 MM GH '35 M GH ¦35 M GH '35 M GH '35 M GH '.35 ivi 35 preaching was not with. ordained before the word. the rulers of this world. God gave the increase. God knoweth thoughts. either, 4 times in the verse. omitted.his virginite doeth well. eat as a thing offered. have they finding. so did the Lord. omitted. ye give none occasion. but the Holy Ghost. members of the body. to you other by revelation. by the which also ye are. yet not I but the grace. from the dead . . ofthe dead. rise not again. if the dead rise not all. malicious speaking. doth corruption inherit. allow by our letters. ft^v!< tfl xnO 4^ 148 The English Versions. Among the words in Tyndale's version which have become obsolete in meaning, are: angle, hook; avoyd, depart; aught, owed; by and by, immediately; corn, * wheat or barley; meate, food; diseasest, troublest; quicke, living; scrip, small bag; wittes, mind; wode, tree; dyd on, put on; gostly, spiritually; knowledge, confess; and both in meaning and form : arede, prophesy; bewreyeth, betrayeth; closse, field; pill, make a gain; gobbets, fragments; grece, stairs; harbourless, shelterless; lyve- lod, land; partlettes, handkerchiefs; shamfastness, modesty; woot not, know not; yerwhyle, already. The following are instances of his homely and quaint ren derings: "ester," Matth. xxvi. 2; "good frydaye," xxvii. 62; " witsontyde, " i Cor. xvi. 8; " sondaye, " Rev. i. 10; "Marse- street," Acts xvii. 19; " towne clarcke, " xix. 35; "which. for one breakfast solde his right," Heb. xii. 16; "his awne shire- toune," Luke ii. 3; "she laye a dyinge," viii. 42; "com mon hostry," x. 34; "ten grotes," xv. 8; "did I pill you?" 2 Cor. xii. 16; "this is the pyth," Heb. viii. i. The spelling is very curious and inconsistent; e. g., we meet with: it, hit, and hyt; loost, lost; citesen, citesyn; ageynst, agaynst; of, off; go, goo; so, soo; one, woon; other, wother. Such connections as "litleons," "shalbe," are common; we find also: beknowen, be known; doughterelawe, motherelawe, and moter eleawe, Luke xii. 53. Forms like despeared, heedes, sherer, kynred, brydde, a brood {abroad), moche, moare, theare, etc., are of constant occurrence, and it is startling to read: "better to Mary then to bourne," i Cor. vii. 9. Mary is not a proper noun, but the verb to marry, and bourne means burn. Proper names with small letters, and common nouns with capitals, and the same words * Only in America, where com designates maize, not in England where it denotes all kinds of grain. This list is taken from Condit, History of the English Bible, pp. 129, 130, a thoughtful work written with special reference to the Protestant religion and the English Kinguage. New York, iSSa. Coverdale. 145 with both as fancy led, are also frequent, e. g., "lewry and galile and Samary " occur in one clause. Acts ix. 3 1 ; " Da- masco,"ver. 22, and "damasco," ver. 27; "hye Prestes," xxii. 30, "hye prest," xxiii. 2; Ihon and John, Matth. xi. 4, 7; "let vs put on the Armoure of lyght," Rom. xiii. 12. In conclusion, I feel constrained to say of one of England's noblest sons, to whom the Church at large, and more espe cially all readers of the English Bible, are under the greatest obligations, and who has grown dear to me by his beautiful character, his undaunted manliness, and his translucent pu rity and truthfulness, in the pithy phrase of Fuller: "What he undertook was to be admired as glorious, what he per formed to be commended as profitable, wherein he failed is to be excused as pardonable, and to be scored on the ac count rather of that age than of the author himself. " " His tongue was never traitor to his heart." CHAPTER V. COVERDALE. It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to obtulii iciiaoie data relating to the early history of this translator of the Bible into the vernacular. It is supposed that he was a native of the District of Coverdale in the parish of Coverham, near Middleham, in the North Riding of Yorkshire; the year a. d. 1488 is given as that of his birth, and Whitaker {History of Richmondshire, i. p. 17), alleges that Coverdale is an assumed, and not a family name. He is said to have been educated at the monastery of the Augustines at Cambridge, of which Dr. Robert Barnes was at that time prior. To him he was indebted for his learning and religious convictions. The 150 The English Versions. name of Coverdale is mentioned among the chief promoters of the Reformation in the University, of whom Bilney, Staf ford and Latimer are the most celebrated. According to Tanner {Bibl Brit Hibern. ) he was priested by John, bishop of Chalcedon, at Norwich a. d. 15 14; took the degree of Bachelor of Canon Law at Cambridge, a. d. 1531, and that of D.D. at Tiibingen. In 1527 he had made the acquaint ance of lord Cromwell, and while an inmate of his house, corresponded with him. When Barnes was arrested for heresy, Coverdale accompa nied him to support him under his trials. But when the for mer recanted, the latter threw off" the monk's habit, left the priory, and became a secular priest, and chose Essex as a field for missionary work. Soon after that period (1528) he either went to the Continent or labored elsewhere; but where he worked in retirement, remains uncertain. The story, cir culated by Foxe, and repeated by numerous writers, that he went to Hamburg and assisted Tyndale, is destitute of histor ical evidence, and must therefore be disregarded. It may be, however, admitted that Coverdale, wherever he worked, was encouraged, if not employed, by Cromwell in the translation of the Bible, and it would seem from a letter without date (assigned to 1527 or 1532), that Sir Thomas More was aware of his occupation. The letter is given by Anderson, and in Pearson's Remains of Coverdale, p. 490; the passage in question is this: "Ifit like your favour to revocate to your memory the godly communication, which your mas tership had with me your orator in master Moore's bouse upon Easter Eve" etc. And further on he says: "Now I be gin to taste of Holy Scriptures: now honour be to God ! I am set to the most sweet smell of holy letters, with the godly savour of holy and ancient doctors, unto whose knowledge I cannot attain without diversity of books, as is not unknovni to your most excellent wisdom. Nothing in the world I de- Coverdale. 151 sire but books, as concerning my learning: they once had, I do not doubt but Almighty God shall perform that in me, which he of his most plentiful favour and grace hath begun. " That these passages relate to the translation of the Bible can not be doubted, but they shed no light on the place where, and the circumstances under which Coverdale progressed with and completed his great work, which was published in 1535 agree ably to the subjoined Title and collation. The Book is a small folio and has the title: BIBLIA, The Bible: that is, the holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated out of Douche and Latyn in to Englishe, MDXXXV. S. Paul. II Tessa, iii. Praie for us, that the worde of God male haue fre passage & be glorified, etc. S. Paul. Cols. iii. Let the worde of Christ dwell in you plenteously in all wysdome, etc. Jostle i. Let not the Boke of this lawe departe out of thy mouth, but exercyse thyselfe therein daye and nyghte. — There are six woodcuts: that on the top displays Adam and Eve after the fell, and the Redeemer trampling on the serpent's head; the two beneath, on the one side represent Moses re ceiving the law, and Ezra reading it to the people; the two on the other exhibit our Lord investing the disciples with power to preach and heal, each having a symbolical key, and Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost; the cut at the bottom shows the monarch on his throne delivering the Bible to his prelates and peers; David, with his lyre, stands on the one side, and Paul, with the martyr's sword, on the other. — It also displays four scrolls with these texts: "In what daye so euer thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye. Genesis 2." — "This is my deare sonne in whom I delyte, heare him. Matthew 17." — "O how sweete are thy wordes vnto my throte: yee more then hony, etc. Psal. 118." — "I am not ashamed of the Gospell of christ for it is the power of god. Rom. i." Under the woodcut of Moses are the words: "These are the lawyes that thou shalt laye before them "; and under that of 152 The English Versions. Christ above described: "Go youre waye into all the worlde, and preach the Gospel." — The Collation (from Anderson) is this: "Woodcut title, dedication to K. Henry VIIL, in cluding his 'dearest just wife, and most virtuous pryncesse Queen Anne, ' " 5 pages. — "A prologue to the reader, " 6 pages. "The Bokes of the hole Byble," 2 pages. — "The con- tentes of the boke of Genesis," i page. — "The first book of Moses," fol. i. to xc. A map of the Holy Land. — "The seconde parte of the Olde Testament," Josua to Hester, fol. ii.-cxx. — "Job to Salomon's Balettes," fol. i.-lii. — "All the Prophets in Englishe," fol. ii.-cii. — "Apocripha," fol. ii.- Ixxxiii., falsely numbered Ixxxi., a blank leaf. "The Newe Testamente," fol. ii.-cxiii., and on the reverse of the last is, "Prynted in the yeare of oure Lorde, MDXXXV. and fyn- ished the fourth daye of October. " It is not certain where this Bible was printed; it was not printed in England; ofthe places mentioned, viz., Frankfort, Cologne and Ziirich, the one named last is regarded by the most competent scholars (including Westcott and Eadie) as the most likely place, mainly on account of the similarity of the black-letter type used to that of other books, printed about that time by Christopher Froschover at Ziirich. Mr. Henry Stevens {The Bibles in the Caxton Exhibition, p. 88) has established the fact, before unknown, that Jacob van Meteren of Antwerp was connected with Coverdale in the translation of the Bible. The passage reads in the original: "Luyavait faict apprendre sa jeunesse I'art d'imprimerie, &¦ estoit doii^ de la cognoissance de plusieurs langues, & autres bones sciences tellement que des lors il sceust si bien distin- guer la lumiere dts t^nebres, qu'il employa sa peine, & mon stra son zele en Anvers a la traduction de la Bible Angloise, & employa a cela un certain docte escolier nomm6 Miles Cov- erdal ce qu'il fit a I'avancement du Royaume de J6sus Christ en Angleterre" {La Vie et la Mori de I' honorable et Renomme Coverdale. 153 Historien Emanuel de Meteren, printed at the end of L'Histoire des Paysbas d' Emanuel de Meteren, La Haye, 16 18). In Eng lish : ' ' He had learned [in] his youth the art of printing, and was endowed with the knowledge of several languages, and other good sciences so that he understood so well to distinguish light from darkness that he was at pains and very zealous at Antwerp towards the translation of the English Bible, and em ployed for that purpose a certain learned scholar, called Miles Coverdale, which he did for the advancement of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in England." This renders it probable that the first edition of Coverdale was printed at Antwerp, but the language used does not warrant any other inference but that he aided in money, or otherwise in the furtherance of the work. There is a very curious circumstance connected with the Ded ication and Prologue. In the original edition of 1 53 5 " queen Anne" is referred to as the king's "dearest just wife, and most virtuous pryncesse." The copy in the British Mu seum has the same words, but Anne, altered by the pen into Jane, thus: JAne. At Lambeth there are two copies, one with Anne, another with Jane; a copy at Sion College has Jane, and there are some copies with the name of the queen entirely expunged. The explanation is not difficult. As Queen Anne was beheaded in 1536, and the book, though published abroad in 1535, had not yet been allowed to cir culate in England in 1536, Anne was changed into Jane (which appears also in the editions of Nicolson, one folio, and one quarto of 1537), while the entire suppression of the queen's name in some copies, probably made at a later date, may refer to the rapid succession of wives justifying the ex pedient of leaving that an open question. Diplomacy and expediency were necessary to get the royal approbation, and accordingly in 1536, the first title was with drawn and a new one substituted, omitting likewise the words 154 The English Versions. "translated out of Douch and Latyn," and running simply: Biblia, The Byble: that is, .'he Holy Scrypture of the 01 Je and New Testament, faythfuUy translated in Englyshe, MDXXXVI. Whether the ro3al sanction was ever express!}' accorded to Coverdale's version is extremely doubtful, and the testimony of Fulke {Defence of the Translations of the Bible, p. 98. Parker Soc. Ed. ) probably contains all that is really impor tant in the matter: "I myself," he says, "and so did many hundreds beside me, heard that reverend father, M. Doctor Coverdale, of holy and learned memory, in a sermon at St. Paul's Cross, upon occasion of some slanderous reports that then were raised against his translation, declare his faithful purpose in doing the same; which after it was finished, and presented to King Henry VIII. of famous memory, and by him committed to divers bishops of that time to peruse, of which (as I remember) Stephen Gardiner was one; after they had kept it long in their hands, and the king was divers times sued unto for the publication thereof, at the last being called for by the king himself, they redelivered the book; and being demanded by the king what was their judgment of the trans lation, they answered that there were many faults therein. "Well," said the king, "but are there any heresies main tained thereby ? " They answered, there were no heresies, that they could find, maintained thereby. " If there be no heresies," said the king, "then in God's name let it go abroad among our people. " * In 1537, when Coverdale appears to have been in London, there were published by J. Nicolson of Southwarke, a quarto, and a folio edition of Coverdale's Bible. Both are dedicated to " Henry VIII. and his queen Jane," and are "sett forth with the Kynges most gracious license." This dedication. * There is some doubt whether this passage relates to this llible, oi to the Great Bible of 1539, Westcott, Eadie and Moulton refer it to the latter. Coverdale. 155 which is couched in terms of abject flattery, is almost as bad as that to King James, the retention of which is as inexplica ble as the all but universal suppression ofthe noble Preface. The title of this second edition runs: Biblia, The Byble, that is the Holy Scripture of the Olde and Nav Testament, fayth- fiilly translated in Englysh, and newly oversene and corrected, MDXXXVII. Imprinted in Southwarke for James Nycolson. The order of the books in Coverdale's Bible, 1535, is as follows. It is divided into six tomes, or parts. Tome I. contains the Pentateuch. " II. " Josua, Esther, Ezra and Nehemiah being called I and 2 Esdras. " III. " Job, the Psalter, the Proverbs, the Preacher and "Salomon's Balettes." " IV. " All the prophets. Baruch, with the Epis tle of Jeremy, appears next unto Jeremy "because he was his scrybe, and in his tyme. " Lamentations is thus introduced: "And it came to passe (after Israel was brought into captiuyte and Jerusalem de stroyed) that Jeremy the Prophet sat wepinge, mournynge, and making his mone in Jerusalem; so that with an heuy herte he sighed and sobbed, sayenge." Tome V. contains the "Apochripha." "The bokes and treatises which among the lathers of olde are not rekened to be of like authorite with the other bokes of the byble, nether are they founde in the Canon of the He- brue. " The Prayer of Manasses is omitted. " VI. " The New Testament in the following order: 4 Gospels, Acts, The Epistles of St. Paul, Romans to Philemon, i and 2 St Peter, I, a, 3 St John, Hebrews, St James, St Jude, Revelation. 156 The English Versions. It is necessary to supply additional particulars to the Nicol son editions of 1537. In 1538 Coverdale was in Paris, at the instance and charge of Cromwell, and engaged with Grafton in carrying through the press another edition of the Bible, the particulars relating to which will be considered in the chapter on ' ' The Great Bible." During his absence in Paris, the first New Testament of Coverdale, professing to contain his translation and the Latin in parallel columns was published by Nicolson of Southwark. Of this Latin-English Testament we have three editions. There is one in 4to, with this title: " The Newe Testament both in Latine and Englishe eche correspondent to the other after the vulgare text communely called St, ferome's. Faithfully translated byfohan Hollybushe, Anno MCCCCCXXXVIIL— Jeremie xxiii. 29. 'Is not my worde like a fyre, saith the Lorde: and lyke a hammer that breketh the harde stone ? ' — Prynted in South warke by James Nicolson. Set forth wyth the Kynge's moost gracious license." This edition is not the first, but really the third. The accounts in Anderson, following Lewis, Horne, Bagster's Hexapla, and other works, are dreadfully confused, and it is necessary to set them in order; the facts then appear to be these: During Coverdale's absence in Paris, Nicolson printed an edition of the Latin-English New Testament with this title: "-The newe testament both Latine and Englyshe ech correspondent to the other after the vulgare text, commonly called S. feroms. Faithfully translated by Myles Couerdale Anno MCCCCCXXXVIIL— Printed in Southwarke by James Nicolson. Set forth wyth the kynges moost gracious license. " This edition was very faulty, so ' ' sinistrally printed and neg ligently corrected " as he says in the Dedication and Prologue to the Paris edition, and found "that as it was disagreeable to my former translation in English, so was not the true copy of the Latin text obsei-ved, neither the English so correspond- Coverdale. • 157 ent to the same as it ought to be, but in many places, both base, insensible, and clean contrary not only to the phrase of our language, but also from the understanding of the text in Latin" {Remains, p. 33). On this account he repudiated the first Nicolson edition, and ' ' endeavoured ... to weed out the faults that were in the Latin and English before," and brought out an 8vo edition, printed at Paris by Francis Reg- nault, and published by Grafton and Whitchurch, a. d. 1538, with this title: "The new testament both in Latin and English after the vulgare texte: which is read in the churche. Translated and corrected by Miles Couerdale: and prynted in Paris by Fraunces Regnault, MCCCCCXXXVIIL in Nouembre . . . Cum gratia et priuilegis regis." — After the appearance of this edition, and still in the same year, Nicolson published another edition of this Testament, still without the sanction of Cover- dale, and with the name of Johan Hollybushe prefixed as that of the editor; but whether this Johan Hollybushe was a mythi cal personage, or a real person, belongs to the realm of conject ure. What these versions are, will be evident from the sub joined examples, as collated by Westcott {History of the Eng lish Bible, 2d ed. pp. 324-27), in which the following abbre viations are used: N=Nicolson; H=Hollybushe; R=Regnault; V= Vulgate. The text to which the various renderings refer, is that of Coverdale's Bible, I JOHN I. I-IO. I. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the word of life; 2. and the life hath appeared, and we have seen and bear witness and shew unto you the life that is everlast ing, which was with the Father and hath appeared unto us. 3. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and that our fellowship may -be with the father. and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4. And this write we unto you thai your joy may be full. 5. And this is the tidings which we have heard of him and declare unto you that God is light and in him is no darkness at alt 158 The English Versions. 6. If we say tliat we have fellowship with him andyet walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. 7. But if we walk in light even as he is in light, then have we fellowship together, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; 9. but if wt. knowl edge our sins, he is faithful 3.ni. just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and Ilis word is not in us. COLLATION. Ver. I. that which, N., H.; eyen, N.; beholden, N., H.; concerning, R., of, N., H., (de, v.). Ver. 2. is manifest, N., H.; testify, N., R., H.; everlasting, N., R., (vitam jeternam, V.); by, N., H. ; appeared, N., H. Ver. 3. Even that, R., (Quod vidimus, V.); have heard, N., H.; do we shew, N., H.; be, N., H. Ver. 4. these things, N., R., (haec, v.); do I write, N.; ye may rejoice and(that, 'R.)your, N., (R-), (ut gaudeatis et gaudium vestrum, V.). Ver. 5. that, N., H.; do shew, N., H. ; there is no darkness in him, N., H. Ver. 6. walk, N., R. Ver. 7. as ke also, N., R., (sicut et ipse, V.); we have, N., H. ; his Son Jesus Christ, N., H. Ver. 8. do say, N., H. Ver. 9. if, N., R.; righteous that he do, N., H.; cleanse, N., H.; wickedness, N., H. Ver. 10. do say, N., H. ; that we, N., R., (quoniam, V.). I JOHN v. 16-21. 16. If any man see his brother sin a sin not unto death, let him ask and he shall give him lif e for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death, /<);- the which say I not that a man should pray. 17. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. We know that whosoever is bom of God sinneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked toucheth him not. ig. We know thai we are of God and the world is set altogether on wickedness. 20. But we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us a mind to know him which is true, and we are in him that is true, in his Son Je su Christ. This is the true God and everlasting life. Ver. 21. Babes \t&^ yourselves from images. Amen. COLLATION. Ver. 16. He that knoweth, N., R., H.; to sin, N., R.; life shall be given to him that sinneth (sinning, N., H.) (N.), R. (H.); I say not that any man should (do, N.) fT3.y for that (N.), R., H. Ver. 17. Every wickedness, N., H.; a sin, N., R., H.; omit not, N., R., H. Ver. 18. every one that, N., H.; doth not sin, N., R., H.; the generation, N., Coverdale. 159 R., H.; him, N., R., H.; the, N., R., H. Ver. 19. the whole world is set on (in, N.) mischief (N.), R., H. Ver. 20. and, N., R., H.; under standing that we may, N., R., H. ; the true God, N., R., H. ; be (we are, N., Yi..)in his true sonl^.), R., (H.); r,^^(this, N., H.) jo«^(N., R., H.). Ver. 21. Little children, N. H.;_j'o«, N., R., H.; omit Amen, N. R. H. Of the merits of Coverdale's New Testament it may suffice here to say that, based on Tyndale's first edition, and cor rected by the second and Luther's, it is a very creditable pro duction. Westcott, who has gone into a thorough examina tion of the subject, says that on a rough calculation more than threefourths of the changes introduced by Coverdale into Tyn dale's version of i John are derived from Luther, and that the changes in that epistle, nearly all verbal, are only a hun dred and twenty-three. In 1 540 Cromwell died on the scaffold, and from that pe riod dates Coverdale's Continental exile, during which he lived in the first instance at Tubingen (Godwin, de prcesuli- bus AnglicB, p. 413), afterwards at Bergzabern, in the Palatin ate, where he kept a school and held a pastoral charge to which he had been preferred in virtue of his proficiency in the German language until his return to England in 1548. The following authentic account of him at this place is in a letter from Richard Hilles to Henry Bullinger (No. cxiv. p. 247, in the Third Series of Letters relating to the English Reforma tion, Parker Soc. edition): ". . . . The other, I think, is somewhat known to you, both by my commendation, and also his own letters sent to you some time since. He is called Myles Coverdale, and is truly one who is very dear, and honourably esteemed by all the ministers of the word and other learned men in these parts. He is the master of a grammar-school at Bergzabern, a town not far from Weissem- berg, and where, by translating in his leisure hours, for the sake of the extensive advancement of the kingdom of Christ, vaiious religious works into our language, partly yours, and i6o The English Versions. partly those of other learned men, he is of very great service in promoting the Scriptural benefit of those persons in the lower ranks of life, who are anxious for the truth, and in flamed with zeal and desire of obeying the will of God. He is one of those, who, after the example of Moses, rather choose to be banished, than with a wounded conscience enjoy the pleasures of sin in their native Egypt.'' Recalled to England on the accession of Edward VI. , he was, through the influence of Cranmer, appointed one of the king's chaplains, and almoner to the queen Catherine; in 1 550, he served in conjunction with the archbishop, the bishops of Ely, London, Lincoln, Sir John Cheke, Latimer, and Dr. Parker, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, on a commis sion against the anabaptists and other sectaries. In 1550 Coverdale brought out anew edition ofthe Bible, printed by Froschover at Ziirich, and published in London, by Andrew Hester. The same work was re-issued, in 1553, in London, with a new title-page, and the dedication and prologue reprinted, by Richard Jugge. Not having had an opportunity to examine copies of these impressions, I have to state on the rather doubtful authority of Lewis: "They are exactly alike, and both of a foreign print, though it is pre tended by Hester and Jugge that it was printed at London. " Appointed in 1551 coadjutor to Veysey, bishop of Exeter, he was on the 30th of August of that year consecrated bishop of that see. Deprived in 1553, and imprisoned, he was finally released at the personal intercession of the king of Denmark, which came about as follows. Coverdale, during his first exile, had married a lady of Scotch descent, named Macheson; her sister was the wife of Dr. John Macbee, called on the Continent Machabseus, chaplain to the king of Den mark and highly esteemed, among other things, for his prom inent share in the Danish Version of the Bible. Through him, the king persisted in his intercession with Mary and ob- Coverdale. i6i tained Coverdale's release in February, 1555 {Remains, p. xiv.). Coverdale then went to Denmark, was appointed preacher to the exiles at Wesel in Friesland (Strype, Memorials, III., i. pp. 233,41 o), and shortly after returned to his former charge at Bergzabern. In 1558 he was at Geneva, and as he returned the same year to England (Strype, Annals, I. i. c. vii. pp. 150-4), the supposition that he aided in the preparation of the Geneva Bible appears to be unfounded. There is reason to believe that he declined the offer of the bishopric of Llandaff in 1563. He was presented by bishop Grindal to the living of St Magnus, London Bridge in 1564, but resigned it in 1 566. He took the degree of D. D. at Cam bridge in 1563. He died in February 1569, aged eighty-one, and was buried in St Bartholomew's Church behind the Ex change. When that church was taken down in 1840, his re mains were removed to St Magnus, where they were finally interred {Remains, p. xvi.). Bishop Tanner, in Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, gives an account of Coverdale, and his works, from which are taken the following passages relating to his life, and his translation ofthe Scriptures: * "Coverdalus [Mils] patria Eboracencis in Cantabrigiensi academia studia philosophica et theologica sedulo excoluit. Dein unus ex primis doctrinse reformatas prsedicatoribus. Frater eremita Augustinianus A. MDXCIV. Norwici per Jo. Calcidonensem episcopum suffrag, presbyter. [A. MDXLVII. in ecclesia S. Pauli London, praedicabat, cum multi Anabaptista: palinodiam canebant. Stow, Hist, p. 596. Et A. MDXLIX. dominum Russel comitatus est in expeditione contra rebelles Devon. Hooker ad Hollinsh. iii. 1023.] S. theol. doctor Tubingse in Germania creatus, A. MDLI. 20 Aug. consecrabatur episcopus Exon. Post bien- nium in carcerem detrusus, segre, Danorum regis opera, flammas evasit, et solum vertit (Fox, I. edit. 108 1). Post obitum reginse Marise e Ger mania in patriam rediit, sede vero suam repetere non curavit, quia calvin- istarum dogmatibus in Germania imbutus, ceremoniis et vestibus sacris in • The whole passage is given in Works of Coverdale. Resnains (Park. Soc.) p. xxx. J. i62 The English Versions. ecclesia Anglicana infensissimus erat. A. MDLXIII. per episcopum Grindal ad episcopatum Landavensem commendabatur (Strype in Vita Grindall, p. 91). Et hoc anno 3 Martii collatus fuit ad ecclesiam S. Magni ad pedem pontis Londin. quam resignabat A. MDLXVI. Reg. Grind. Newe. I. 396, A. MDLXIV. 15 April. Edmundum Grindall. episc. Londinensem ad gradum doctoratus virtute mandati procancellarii universitatis admisit, (Strype in Vita Grindall. p. 95) "Transtulit in sermonem Anglicum Biblia tola., cum prsefatione ad Henr. VIII. extant MDXXXV. et MDXXXVII. Vetus Testamentum huius translationis. Pr. epist. ad Edw. VI. ' Caiaphas being byshop that yeare.' In fine hujus epistolae ait se translationem hanc ante annos 16 patri Henr. VIII. dicasse. Pr. pr. lectori. ' Consydering how excel lent.' In prsef. ait se hanc translationem A. MDXXXIV. inchoasse ro- gata doctorum amicorum. Pr. transl. 'In the beginning,' etc. Lond. MDL. MDLIII. 4to. Principium epistolse dedicatoriae et prasfationis hujus impressionis idem est cum epist. et praefat. principio editionis Southwark. MDXX.KVII. fol. Novum Testamentum. Pr. ded. dom. Cromwell. 'I was never so wyllinge to labour," Lond. MDXXXVIII. 8vo. Haec editio anni MDXXXVIII. accurata est; in praefatione de er- roribus in alia editione conqueritur. Impr. Lat. et Anglice Lond. MDXXXIX. 8vo. Translatio hasc collata cum versione Gul. Tindalli. Lond. MDL. 8vo "Londini grandscvus aetatis 80, vel 81, obiit Jan. 20, MDLXXX. Fuller, Eccl. Hist. ix. 64, 65, A. MDLXV. juxta Strype in Vita Parker, p. 149, attamen juxta pag. 241, ejusdem libri in vivis adhuc erat A. MDLXVII. Et in ecclesia S. Bartholomaii humatus jacet. Godwin i. 476. Bal. ix. 61." To which is added the account of his personal friend Bale in Scriptores illustr es major is BrilannicB: "Milo Coverdalus, patria Eboracencis, ex Augustiniano fraterculo Christianus minister factus, ex primis unus erat, qui renascente Anglorum ecclesia, cum Roberto Bamso, suse professionis doctore, Christum pure docuit. Alii partim, hic se totum dedidit ad propagandam Evangelii regni Dei gloriam, ut patet in utriusque Testamenti laboriosisssima ver sione claruit episcopus Excestriensis sub rege Eduuardo sexto, anno Domini 1552, nunc autem in Germania pauper ac peregrinus manet." The omitted part of this notice enumerates some of his works. Turning to the Version itself, it is impossible, to reach any Coverdale. 163 other conclusion than that it is a secondary, eclectic transla tion. The Pentateuch and Jonah (probably also Job) and the whole of the New Testament are Tyndale's version revised by Luther, the Ziirich, Sanctes Pagninus and, in the subsequent revisions, especially by Munster. The clause in the title of his first edition of 1535 "faythfully translated out of Douche and Latyn,'' must be admitted, after the thorough examina tion to which his version has of late years been subjected, to be literally true. The reason of its withdrawal from the title- page of subsequent editions can only be conjectured, and no conjecture appears to me fairer than that the alteration was not due to Coverdale, but to those who bore the expense of the undertaking, and took umbrage at that phrase, which, at that time, seemed to give it an odor of heresy (for "Douche" or German, on account of Luther, was viewed in that light) and interfere with its circulation. But be that as it may, the later editions simply stated in the title: "faythfully translated in to Englyshe" (1535-36), and "translated in Englysh" (1537 and the subsequent issues). In connection with his first edition he stated distinctly in the Dedication: "I have with a clear conscience purely and faithfully translated this out of five sundry interpreters, having only the manifest truth of the Scriptures before mine eyes," and he says to the Chris tian Reader: "To help me therein, I have had sondrye trans lacions, not only in Latin, but also of the Douche interpreters, whom, because of their singuler gyftes and special diligence in the Bible, I have been the more glad to follow for the most part " Whether these five interpreters include Tyndale, whom he certainly most freely consulted, cannot be determined, but that he consulted the Vulgate, and Pagninus in Latin, and Luther and the Ziirich in German is certain; it is also highly probable that he consulted the Worms translation and the Biblia Sacra of Rudelius, with marginal renderings, Cologne, 1527. 164 The English Versions. It is nevertheless certain that Coverdale distinctly and ex plicitly declares that he knew Hebrew; to wit, the following extract from his letter to Cromwell, dated from Paris, June 23, 1538: "For we follow not only a standing text of the Hebrew, with the interpretation of the Chaldee and the Greek, but we set also in a private table the diversity of readings of all texts with such annotations in another table, as shall doubt less elucidate and clear the same, as well without any singu larity of opinion, as all checkings and reproofs " (State Papers, Cromwell Correspondence, I. No. 107 in Coverdale's i?^OT(Zz«j, Park. Soc. ed. ). This applies, of course, to the Great Bible; and he says likewise in the dedication to the Diglott, Nicol- son's edition of 1538: "For, inasmuch as in our other trans lations we do not follow this old Latin text word for word, they cry out upon us, as though all were not as nigh the truth to translate the Scripture out of other languages, as to turn it out of the Latin; or as though the Holy Ghost were not the author of his Scripture as well in the Hebrew, Greek, French, Dutch, and in English, as in Latin. The scripture and word of God is truly to every Christian man of like wor thiness and authority, in what language soever the Holy Ghost speaketh it And therefore am I, and will be while I live, under your most gracious favour and correction, alway willing and ready to do my best as well in one translation as in another. " Two or three short specimens are now produced to present to the reader's eye the origin of Coverdale's version. NUMBERS xxiv. I5-I7. Pagninus ( Vatablus), Zurich. Coverdale. 15 Tunc assumpsit par- Vunder hub auf seine And he toke vp his 15 abolam suam, et dix- sprtich, vund sprach: parable, and sa)ide: it, " Dixit Bileam, fi- Es sagt Bileam der Thus sayeth'&!i\.2a.ia lius Beor, dixit, vir sun Peor: Es sagt der the sonne of Beor: apertum habens oc- Mann dfim die Au- Thus sayeth the man, ulum, gen geotihet sind: whose eyes are opened: Coverdale. 165 16 " Dixens audiens elo- quia Dei, et sciens scientiam Altissimi. Visionem Omnipo- tentis videbit: ca- dens, & disco aper- tos habens oculos. 17 "Videbo ilium, sed non nunc: intuebor ilium, sed non pro pe; procedet Stella ex Jacob, et surget virga ex Israel: " et trans- figet terminos Moab, et destruet omnes fi lios Seth. I Et dices in die ilia, "Confitebor tibi Domine quanquam iratus fuisti contra me, auersus est fu ror tuus et consola- tus es me. 2 " Ecce Deus salus mea, confidam, et non pauebo; quia forbitudo mea, et laus mea Deus Do minus, fuitque mihi salus." Es sagt derhOrer gOtt- licher red, vnd der die erkanntnuss hat dess hOchsten, der die gesicht des All- machtigen sach, vnd niederfiel, vund seine augen erOffnet wur- dend:Ich wird jn sehen, aber yetz nit; ich wird jn schauwen, aber nit von der na- he. Es wirt ein stem auss Jacob dahar trat- ten vund ein scepter auss Israel aufkom- men, vund wird zer- schmattem die ober- sten der Moabitem, vnd tibergewaltigen alle Kinder Seth. ISAIAH XII. 1-6. Das du denn also sprechen wirst: O Herr, ich sag dir danck: dann du wart erztlmet Uber mich, aber du hast deinen zom abgelas- sen, vnd hast dich mein erbarmet. Sihe, Gott is mein heyljdem ich trilwen, vnd fOrcht mir nit. Dann mein stercke vund mein lob ist der herr Gott, der wirdt auch mein zuflucht sein. Thus say eth hewhich 16 heareth the wordes of God, <&= that hath the knowledge of the hyest, euen he that sawe the vision of the Allmightie, Sf fell downe, and his eyes were opened: I shal se him, bul 17 not now; I shal be holde him, but not nie at hande. There shal a starre come out of Jacob, &= a cepter shall come vp out of Israel, and shal smyte the ru lers of the Moabites, and ouercome all the children of Seth. So that then thou I shalt saye: 0 Lorde, Ithanke the, for thou wast displeased at me, but thou hast re- frayned thy wrath, and hast mercy vpon Behold, God is my 2 health, in whom I trust, and am not afrayde. For the Lorde God is my strength, and my prayse, he also shal be my refuge. 1 66 The English Versions. 3 Et haurietis aquas in gaudio e fontibus salutis: 4 et dicetis in die ilia, "Confitemini Dom ino, invocate nomen ejus; scire facite in populis opera ejus, mementote quod ex- celsum est nomen ejus. 5 Cantate Domino quo niam magiiificentiam fecit: scitur hoc in uniuersa terra. 6 Exalta vocem, et lauda habitatrix Si- ion, quia magnus in medio tui sanctus Is rael. 6 Et prseparauit Do minus Deus cucurbi- tam et ascendit su per Jonah, ut esset vmbra super caput ejus, ut erueret eum k milo ejus. Darumb werdend jr wasser mit frOuden schOpffen auss dem brunnen des hey- lands, vund zur selben zeyt sprechen:Lassendvns dem herren danckeri, vund seinen nam- men anruffen, vund vnder den vOlckeren seyne radt auskUn- den vnd gedencken, dann sein namm ist hoch. Lobsingend dem Herren, dann er thut grosse ding dz mans wllsse in aller welt. Schrey vnd frolock du eynwonerin Zion, dann gross ist dein ftlrst der heylig Is raels. JONAH rv. 6. Dann der Herr Gott has jm ein kikaion lassen wachsen, das wUchs Uber Jona auf, vnd macht seinem haupt einen schalten das es jn von dem das jm wee thatt be- schirmpte. Therefore with ioye 3 shal ye drawe water out of the welles of the Sauioure, and then shal ye 4 saye: Let us geue thankes unto the Lorde, and call vp on his name, and de clare his counsels amonge the people, and kepe them in remembraunce, for his name is excel lent. O synge praises vnto 5 the Lorde, for he doth greate things, as it is known in all the worlde. Crie out, and be 6 glad, thou that dwellest in Sion, for greate is thy prince: the holy one of Is rael.And the Lord God 6 prepared a wyld vyne which sprange vp ouer Jonas that he might have shad- owe aboue his heade, to delyuer him out ofhis payne.* * The italicized portions in Numbers and Isaiah are literal renderings of the ZUrich version. In Jonah the italicized words are from Pagninus, the wyld vyne is the kikaioD of the ZUrich, delyuer from Luther, and payne again from the Ziirich. Coverdale. 167 From Coverdale's Bible (Fragment*) 1535: MALACHI IV. For marck, the daye commeth that shall burne as an ouen: and all the proude, yee and all soch as do wickednesse, shalbe straw: and the daye that is for to come, shall burne them vp (sayeth the Lorde of hoostes) so that it shall leaue them nether rote ner braunch. But vnto you that feare my name, shall the Sonne of rightuousnesse aryse, & health shalbe vnder his winges. Ye shal go forth, & mulli- plie as ye fat calues. Ye shal treade downe ye vngodly: for they .shalbe like the asshes vnder the soles of youre fete, in the daye that I shal make, sayeth the Lorde of hoostes. Remember the lawe of Moses my seruaunt, which I committed vnto him in Oreb for all Israel, with the statutes and ordinaunces. Beholde, I will sende you Elias ye prophet: before the commynge off the daye of the great and fearfuU Lorde. He shall tume the hertes of the fathers to their children, and the hertes of the children to their fathers, that I come not, and smyte the earth with cursynge, I have collated this chapter with Luther, the Ziirich, the Worms edition of Peter Schofer (1528, i6mo.), and the Com bination Bible of Wolff Kopphl (Strassburg, 1529-32, folio), with the result, that there is hardly a word that cannot be re ferred to one or more of them. It would lead me too far, to state the details here, but many will be supplied in the chap ters on the German versions. Unless I am mistaken, the pe culiar character of the Combination Bible, with which Cover- dale must have been very familiar, suggested to him the adoption of the same principle in his own versions. The collation of these passages with the Vulgate and Luther, as well as the Ziirich and Pagninus on the one hand, and the Hebrew on the other, shows very plainly that they cannot have been translated from the original. A similar process of collation has been pursued by Professors Westcott and Eadie with references to other passages, and by Dr. Ginsburg, who • Kindly placea m my hands by the Rev. Dr, Gilman, Secretary of the American Bible Sodety. i68 The English Versions. was the first to call attention to it, in Koheleth, and as the portions examined belong to the various books of the Old Testament and have uniformly led to the same result, it may be regarded as proven that Coverdale's translation is decidedly secondary and eclectic. In the Apocrypha, however, he is much more independent, while the New Testament, based in the first instance on the first edition of Tyndale, was revised by the second and the German of Luther (see above). Coverdale set great store by many different translations, deeming them highly advantageous {Remains, pp. 13, 14), and carried his eclecticism into his own translation. His liberality, in this respect, is certainly very remarkable, as may be seen from his own words: Now whereas the most famous interpreters of all give sundry judg ments of the text, so far as it is done by the spirit of knowledge in the Holy Ghost, methink no man should be offended thereat, for they refer their doings in meekness to the spirit of truth in the congregation of God: and sure I am, that there cometh more knowledge and understanding of the Scripture by their sundry translations than by all the glosses of our sophistical doctors. For that one interpreteth something obscurely in one place, the same translateth another, or else he himself, more manifestly by a more plain vocable of the same meaning in another place. Be not thou offended, therefore good reader, though one call a scribe that an other calleth a lawyer; or elders, that another z3S\.'i\\y father and mother; or repentance, that another calleth penance or amendment. For if men be not deceived by men's traditions, thou shalt find no more diversity be tween these terms, than between fourpence and a groat. And this man ner have I used in my translation, calling it in sorae place penance, that in another place I call repentance; and that not only because the inter preters have done so before me, but that the adversaries of the truth may see, how that we abhor not this word penance, as they untmly report of us, no more than the interpreters of Latin abhor paenitere, when they read resipiscere. Only our heart's desire unto God is, that this people be not blinded in their understanding, lest they believe penance to be ought save a very repentance, amendment, or conversion unto God, and to be an unfeigned new creature in Christ, and to live according to his law. For else shall they fall into the old blasphemy of Christ's blood, Coverdale. 169 and believe that they themselves are able to make satisfaction unto God for their own sins; from the which error God of his mercy and plenteous goodness preserve all his (Prologue). The very limited number of notes (sixty-six in all, forty- seven in the Old Testament, and nineteen in the New) in Coverdale's Bible indicates very plainly that they also are drawn from the versions which stand to his in the relation of parent to child. They furnish both alternative readings and explanatory matter; e. g. — Gen. iii. 6. " A pleasant tree to make wise." " Some reade: whyte it made ¦wise," Luther, Zurich. Gen. xvii. 2. "I am the Almighty God," Luther, Pagninus and Vui- gate. "Some reade: / am the God Schadai" (that is, plenteous in power, abundant, sufficient, and full of all good) . Zurich Bible (das ist ein voUmachtigen, vund ein Uberfiilssige genugsamme vnd volly alles gutenn). Gen. xii. 45. "Zaphnath Paena, that is to saye, an expounder of se cret things, or a man to whom secrete thinges are opened." The He brew spelling is taken from Tyndale and the Zurich Bible, the expla nation from Pagninus with the clauses reversed: "Vir cui abscondita revelata sunt, vel absconditoram expositor." Exod. xvii. 16. "The Lord Nissi (so Luther and Zurich), that is: the Lord is he that raiseth me up." Pagninus: Dominus elevatio mea. 2 Kings xxv. 6. " And he gave judgment upon him," Luther. " Some reade: And they talked with him of judgment." Zurich: sy redtend mit jm vom rechten. Pagninus: locuti sunt cum eo judicium. Matth. i. 8. " Before they came together, " Erasmus. '^ Some reade: bi fore they sat at home together." Zurich: ee sy miteinanderen zu hausz sassend. (a specimen of the Zurich improved reading of) Luther: ehe er sie heimholete. Tyndale (2d ed.): came to aTwrf/ together. Matth. xxvi. 7. "A box with precious ointment," Tyndale. (2d ed.) An alabaster box of p. o. " Some reade: a glas with precious water." So Luther. Mark iii. 21. " He taketh too much upon him," Zurich. "Some reade: he wil go out of his witt." Luther: Er wurd von Sinnen kommen. It were a great mistake to suppose that in spite of this un questionable dependence of Coverdale's version, it is a poor 170 The English Versions. version. The very opposite may be maintained, and he cer tainly possessed admirable taste and an uncommonly correct ear. Many of his renderings are decided improvements on those of Tyndale, and not a few are retained in the Author ized Version. Some of these may be seen in the collations given before, e. g.,in i John ii. 16, 17, where his "pride of life," and "the world passeth away" are vastly better than Tyndale's "pride of goods, "and " the world vanisheth away." Among thoi.z preserved in the A. V. are these: "a righteous man's reward," Matth. x. 41; "there will the eagles be gath ered together," xxiv. 28; and among those not retained, very meritorious, the following: "that we might receive the child- ship," Gal. iv. 5; and "with the angels of his power," 2 Thess. i. 7. A few specimens of antique and quaint expressions may be added. ' ' Layed the fleshe in a maunde and put the broth in a pot," Judges vi. 19; "and brake his brain panne," x, 53; "the man Micah had a god's house and made an over- body cote" (ephod), xvii. 5; "then answered the tydinge bringer," i Sam. iv. 17; "it is man that is borne vnto mys- ery, lyke as the byrde for to fle," Job v. 7; "he that is a blabbe ofhis tonge maketh devysion," Prov. xvi. 28; "graven vpon the edge of your aulters with a pen of iron and with an adamant clawe," Jer. viii. 52; "the erth shal geue a greate crack, it shal haue a sore ruyne, and take an horrible fall," Is. xxiv. 20; "because ofhis unshamefast begginge," Luke xi. 8; "not loked vpon in the daylie handreachinge," Acts vi. I ; " one member hangeth by another thorowout all the iontes," Eph. iv. 16; " but waysteth his brayne aboute ques tions and stryuynges of wordes," i Tim. vi. 4. And the following obsolete terms, or only surviving in dia lects: to clyp (=shear sheep); a maund (=large basket); body (^man); to spar a door (==close it); rowles (=waves); bug (^bugbear, object of fear); symnel (=a cake). Coverdale. 171 A large portion of Prayer Book Version of the Psalms is the work of Coverdale; e. g., "My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever. " "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. " ' ' Thou Lord in the be ginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heav ens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish but thou shalt endure; they shall all wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed. But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. " Coverdale wrote quite a number of "Ghostly Psalms," which strangely enough are often as unmusical, as his prose translation is musical. A single stanza may serve as a speci men to mark the contrast: DEUS MISEREATUR NOSTRI, PS. LXVI. (LXVII.). " God be mercyfull unto us. And sende over vs his blessynge; Shewe us his presence glorious. And be ever to us lovynge; That men on earth may knowe thy waye, Thy savyng health and ryghteousnesse; That they be not led by nyght nor day, Throwe the pretexte of trewe justice. To seke saluacyon where none is." A few brief examples from the New Testament with refer ence to Tyndale's version, very characteristic and suggestive, may conclude this general survey of Coverdale's translation. The first two are literal reproductions of Tyndale's version: Rom. viii. 3, And sent his Son in the similitude of synfiill flesh, and by synne damned synne in the flesh. Heb. ii. 16, For he in no place taketh on him the angels, but the sede of Abraham taketh he on him. The second two give the two versions in parallel columns, Coverdale's alterations in italics. 172 The English Versions. LUKE XV, Tyndale. 7 I say vnto you that lykewise ioye shalbe in heven over one synner that repenteth, moore than over nynety and nine luste persons, which nede noo repentaunce. IO Lykwise I saye vnto you, ioye is made in the presence of the angels of god over one synner that repenteth. 7, 10. Coverdale. I saye unto you: even so shall 7 there be joye in heven over one synner that doth pennaunce more than nyne andnyentye righteous which nede not repentaunce. Even so (I tell you) shall there 10 fe joye before the Angels of God, over one synner that doth pen- naunce. The following specimens show the nature of the differences and agreements in Tyndale's original edition of 1526, and Coverdale's, 1535. MARK IX. 42-44. Tyndale. 42 And whosoever shall hourte won of this litell wons, that beleve in me, it were better for him, that a myllstone were hanged aboute his necke, and that he were caste in to the see. 43 And yf thy hande offende the, cut hym of. Itt ys better for the, to entre into lyffe maymed, then to goo, with two hondes in to hell, in to fire that never shal be quenched, 44 where there worme dyeth nott, and the fyre never goeth oute. Coverdale. And who so offendeth one of 42 these title ones that beleue in me, it were better for him that a mylstone were hanged aboute his neck, and he cast in to the see. Yf thy hande offende the, cut 43 him of. Better it is for the to entre in to life lame, then hau ynge two hondes to go in to hell in to the euerlastinge fyre, where their worme dyeth not, 44 and their fyre goeth not out. I I beseche you therfore brethren by the mercifulnes of God, that ye make youre bodyes a quicke sacrifise, holy and exceptable vnto God which is your resonable servynge off God. ROMANS XII. I, 2. I beseke you bi-ethren by the i mercyfulnesse of God, that ye geue ouer youre bodies for a sac rifice, that is quycke holy, and acceptable vnto God, which is youre reasonable seruynge off God. Coverdale. i;3 2 and fassion nott youre selves lyke vnto this worlde: But be ye chaunged [in youre shape,] by the renuynge of youre wittes, that ye maye fele what thynge that good, that acceptable, and perfaicte will of God is. And fashion not youre selues 2 like vnto this worlde, but be chaunged thorow the renewynge off youre mynde, that ye maye proue, what thinge that good, that acceptable, and perfeck wil of God is. The differences between the editions of 1535 and 1537 are very slight The following prayers before and after reading the Scriptures were added in the edition of 1537. A prayer to be used before reading the Bible: because that when thou goest to study in Holy Scripture thou shouldest do it with reverence, therefore for thine instruction and loving admonition thereto, the rev erend father in God Nicholas, bishop of Salisbury, hath prescribed this prayer following taken out of the same: O Lord God Alraighty which long ago saidst by the mouth of James thine Apostle: If any of you lack wisdom, let hira ask it of God .... Hear my petition for this thy proraise sake . . . Have mercy upon me and graciously hear me for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord, which liveth and reigneth with Thee, His Father, and the Holy Ghost, world with out end. Araen. After the end of any chapter (if thou wilt) thou mayest say these verses following: Lead rae, O Lord, in thy way, and let me walk in thy truth. Oh let mine heart delight in fearing thy narae. Order ray goings after Thy Word that no wickedness reign in rae. Keep my steps within thy paths, lest my feet turn into any contrary way. The order of the books in Coverdale's Bible is as follows: OLD TESTAMENT. Genesis, Ruth, I Esdras, Exodus, I Kings, II Esdras, Leviticus, II Kings, Esther, Numbers, III Kings, Job, Deuteronomy, IV Kings, Psalms, Joshua, I Chronicles, Proverbs, Judges, II Chronicles, Ecclesiastes, 174 The English Versions. Canticles, Hosea, Nahum, Isaiah, Joel, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Araos, Zephaniah, Lamentations, Obadiah, Haggai, Baruch, Jonah, Zechariah, Ezekiel, Micah, Malachi. Daniel, APOCRYPHA. III Esdras, Ecclesiasticus, IV Esdras, Susannah, Tobias, Bel, Judith, Manasses, Rest of the Book of Esther, I Maccabees, Wisdom, NEW TESTAMENT. 11 Maccabees. Matthew, Ephesians, I Peter, Mark, Philippians, II Peter, Luke, Colossians, I John, John, I Thessalonians, II John, Acts, II Thessalonians, III John, Romans, I Tiraothy, Hebrews, I Corinthians, .. II Tiraothy, James, II Corinthians, Titus, Jude, Galatians, Phileraon, Revelation. CHAPTER VI. MATTHEW'S BIBLE. It will be remembered that Coverdale's Bible was published in A. D. 1535, and the last edition of Tyndale's New Testa ment, printed in England, about the time he suffered mar tyrdom at Vilvorde in 1536. In the next year appeared a folio volume containing the Bible, of which the Title, and a brief account are here given. Title: — The Byble, which is all the Holy Scriptures: in which are contayned the Olde and Newe Testament truely and purely translated into Englysh. By Thomas Matthew's Bible. 175 Matthewe. — Esaye I. ' ' Hearken to ye Heavens, and thou earthe geave eare: for the Lord speaketh," MDXXXVII. — Set Forth with the Kinge's most gracyous lycence. — (The royal imprim atur is printed in red letters). Next to the title-page follows, A Dedication to Henry viii. , subscribed by ' ' His grace's faythfuU and true subject, Thomas Matthew," three pages; and A Preface to the Christen Reders. Then follows: A Callender and Almanac for 18 years, beginning 1538, in which are continued as holydays St Nicholas, St Lawrence, The Invention and Exaltation of Holy Cross; — An Exhorta- cyon to the studye of the holy Scrypture, gathered out of the Bible, with the two large flourished initials I. R. at the end; — The Summe and Content of all the Holy Scrypture of the Olde and Newe Testament, and a brief rehearsal of the years passed since the begynnynge of the world, unto this yeare of our Lord, MDXXXVII.— " Genesis to Salomon's Ballet, " fol. i.-ccxlvii. "The Prophetes in Englysh"; on the reverse of this title is a large wood-cut between the initials R. G. and E. W. — "Esay to Malachi" — fol. i.-xciiii., and at the end of Malachi the initials W. T. in large flourished capitals. — The Apocrypha, taken from Coverdale, with the omission of the third book of Maccabees, followed by the New Testament with this title: The Newe Testament of our Sauyaur fesu Christ, newly and dylygentlye translated into Englishe, with annotacions in the margent to helpe the Reader to the understandynge of the Texte. Prynted in the yere of our Lorde God, M. D. XXXVII. Matthew to Revelation, fol. ii.-cix. — Tables, etc., fol. cx.- cxi. On the last leaf is printed: "The ende of the Newe Testamente and of the whole Byble. — To the honoure and prayse of God was this Byble printed and fyneshed in the Yere of our Lorde God a M. D. XXXVII.— The wood-cuts in the Apocalypse are the same as those used ' ' in the second Dutch (?) edition of Tyndal's New Testament," and other engravings were taken from the blocks, which had already 176 The English Versions. been used in the Liibeck Bible of 1533. There is not in any part of the volume the faintest information as to the place where the book was printed, but as the types are German, and as the initials I. R. are admitted to stand for John Rog ers, the first who suffered in the reign of Queen Mary, who lived in the same year (1537) at Wittenberg,* I conclude, on the same grounds already fully set forth in the chapter on Tyndale, corroborated by this fact, that this Bible was printed neither at Antwerp nor Hamburg, but at the mysterious Marlborow, that is, at Wittenberg, by Hans Luft. A brief account of John Rogers, unquestionably the editor of this Bible, is now in place. Born about 1500, he took the degree of B.A. at Cambridge in 1525, and received an invitation to Christ Church, Oxford, then known as "Car dinal College." About 1534 he became chaplain to the Mer chant Adventurers at Antwerp, and there made the acquaint ance of Tyndale. 'Soy.^ {Ads and Monuments, vi. p. 591), says that there he chanced "to fall in company with that worthy martyr of God William Tyndale, and with Miles Coverdale, which both for the hatred they bare to popish superstition and idolatry, and love they bare toward true religion, had forsaken their native country. In conferring with them the Scriptures, he came to great knowledge in the gospel of God, insomuch that he cast off the heavy yoke of popery, perceiving it to be impure and filthy idolatry, and joined himself with them two in that painful and most profitable labour of translating the Bible into the English tongue, which is entitled, 'The Trans lation of Thomas Matthew.'" Professor Westcott (/. c. p. 88) denies this statement of Foxe, and holds that Thomas Mat thew is not a pseudonym for John Rogers, surmising that be cause the former name is given in full at the end of the Ex- * The statement that he went to Wittenherg I have not been able to trace farther than Lewis (History of Transl. ofthe Bible, p. 108). Matthew's Bible. 177 hortation to the study of Scripture, it designates a real person who probably furnished the money for the work as had been surmised before by Walter, but, if that be so, it is necessary to remove the stubborn fact that in the official record of the apprehension of Rogers he is called : ' ' Johannes Rogers alias Matthew."* In 1537 Rogers married and moved to Witten berg, and is supposed to have remained there until 1547. Distinguished by many marks of favor under the reign of Edward VI. , he was the first martyr in the Marian persecu tion, being burned alive in Smithfield in February, 1555. Before examining the translation, it is necessary to state that the initials on the reverse of the title to the prophets, R. G. and E. W. stand for Richard Grafton and Edward Whitchurch, at whose expense the book was printed, which seems to settle the surmised pecuniary aid derived from the mythical Matthews. This is evident from a letter written by Grafton (who subscribes himself "Richard Grafton, Grocer"), to Cranmer seeking the protection of the Privy Seal against opposition and unauthorized reprints, in which he says: "But now, most gracious Lord, forasmuch as this work hath been brought forth to our most great and costly labours and charges; which charges amount above the sum of five hundred pounds; and I have caused of the same to be printed to the sum of fifteen hundred bookes complete, which now, by reason that of many this work is highly commended, there are that will, and doth, go about the printing of the same work again, in a * In the sentence of condemnation John Rogers is four times called "Johannes Rog ers alias Matthew "; and in the Council Register of queen Mary's reign occurs the entry: "John Rogers alias Matthew, is ordered to keep his house at Paul's." It is evident that under the circumstances a denial of historical statements on mere grounds of conjecture is not a refutation. The alias remains unshaken, aud until it is satisfac torily removed, Foxe's statement should be upheld. All that make counter-state ments are charged with the onus probandi. Professor Westcott has slightly modi fied the view given in the text, but he still states that " Rogers, by the help of an unknown fellow-labourer Thomas Matthew, or simply under this assumed name," etc. (3d ed. p. 68, Lond., 1872). U 178 The English Versions. lesser letter; to the intent that they may sell their little books better cheap than I can sell these great; and so make that I shall sell none at all, or else very few, to the utter undoing of me, your orator, and of all those my creditors, that hath been my comforters and helpers therein. " The sum specified was a very large one at the time, and represents at the present value of money not less than £,"], 500, or $37, 500. The ora tor was successful every way, and the whole edition was speed ily sold. The full particulars relating to the introduction of the volume into England may be read at length in Lewis, Anderson, Westcott, etc. ; they embody these facts: that though it is uncertain whether Cranmer knew of the preparation of the work, he gave it a cordial welcome and urged Cromwell with great earnestness to show the book, which he thought a better translation than any he had until then seen, to the king and obtain from him a ' ' license that the same may be sold and read of every person, without danger of any act, procla mation, or ordinance heretofore granted to the contrary, until such time that we the bishops shall set forth a better transla tion, which I think will not be till a day after doomsday." — How successful Cromwell was is evident from Cranmer's let ter of Aug. 13, 1537, in which he thanks him for his good offices in that he "hath not only exhibited the bible .... to the king's majesty, but also hath obtained of his grace that the same shall be allowed by his authority to be bought and read within this realm. " So it would seem that this transla tion in Matthew's Bible may be called the first Authorized Version of the English Bible, and Coverdale's the second. "The setting forth of Matthew's Bible," says Foxe, "did not a little offend the clergy, especially the bishops aforesaid (the bishop of Winchester and his fellows), both for the pro logues, and especially because in the same book was one spe cial table, collected of the common places in the Bible and the Scriptures for the approbation of the same; and chiefly Matthew's Bible. 179 about the Supper of the Lord, and marriage of priests, and the mass, which there was said not to be found in Scripture. " The translation itself consists of three distinct elements:- 1. The reprints from Tyndale (The Pentateuch and the New Tes tament); 2. The reprints from Coverdale (Ezra to Malachi and the Apocrypha); 3. A New Translation (Joshua to 2 Chronicles). Strype {Cranmer I. p. 117) says after Bale, that Rogers "translated the Bible into English from Genesis to the end of Revelation, making use of the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German and English copies." The same writer al leges that he "added prefaces and notes out of Luther, and dedicated the whole book to King Henry, under the name of Thomas Matthews by an epistle prefixed, minding to con ceal his own name." On the other hand Foxe {Ads and Mon uments, V. p. 410) says: "In the translation of this Bible the greatest doer was indeed W. Tyndale, who with the help of Miles Coverdale had translated all the books thereof except only the Apocrypha, and certain notes in the margin which were added after. But because the said W. Tyndale in the meantime was apprehended before this Bible was fully per fected, it was thought good ... to father it by a strange name of Thomas Matthewe. John Rogers at the same time being corrector to the print, who had then translated the res idue of the Apocrypha and added also certain notes thereto in the margin: and thereof came it to be called 'Thomas Matthewe's Bible.'" Many of the particulars in these accounts are already set aside by the facts developed in the papers on Tyndale and Coverdale, and of the remainder it may suffice to say that, leaving aside the mysterious Matthewe, according to the fore- mentioned classification it may be regarded as established that John Rogers was the editor of the whole, and as the literary executor of Tyndale, the third element described as the New Translation is most probably that portion of the Old Testa- i8o The English Versions. ment which Tyndale was permitted to finish before his death. The reasons fbr this supposition are so strong as to amount almost to certainty; and they are admirably illustrated in the following passage from Moulton {History of the English Bible, p. 128): 'There is a Hebrew word (elon) occurring nine times in the Old Testament, which is rendered "plain "in our common Bibles, but which in Tyndale's Pentateuch is more correctly translated "oak" or "oakgrove" (in Deut. xi. 30, "grove"). We turn to the later passages in which the word occurs, viz., Judg. iv. 11; ix. 6, 37; i Sam. x. 3, and find that in each of these passages Matthew's Bible has ' ' oak. " The curious expression rendered in our Bibles ' ' shut up and left" occurs five times (with slight variations), viz., once in Deuteronomy and four times in the Books of Kings. In Matthew's Bible the uniform rendering is "prisoned (or in prison) and forsaken." .... Amongst the musical in struments frequently mentioned in the Old Testament is the tambour or hand-drum, in Hebrew toph. Now this word oc curs three time in the Pentateuch, five times between Joshua and 2 Chronicles, and nine times in later books, — that is, three times in the part which was certainly Tyndale's, nine times in Coverdale's portion, and five times in the books which lie between. In the Pentateuch (Tyndale) the trans lation is always timbrel. In the books from Ezra onwards (setting aside three passages in which entirely different words occur) Coverdale always adopts tabret. In the books of which we are now speaking, — Matthew's Bible has always timbrel, never tabret — that is, has Tyndale's rendering and not Cover- dale's.' It will be admitted by all who duly consider the ef fect of such an accumulation of minute coincidences, that the probability of Tyndale being the author, and Rogers the edi tor, of the new translation, amounts almost to certainty, and completely disposes of the inaccurate statements given by un- Matthew's Bible. i8i discerning writers. It is supposed that the manuscript of the translation of the books in question was contained in the packet of papers, which Foxe states that the martyr on the morning of his execution sent to his friend Poyntz. In support of the view here advocated, attention is called to the statement of Westcott that upon examination the "Epistles of the Old Testament " added to Tyndale's New Testament of 1534, which contain several passages from the Pentateuch as well as the Historical Books, exhibit about the some rela tion to the translation in Matthew as those from the Penta teuch do to Tyndale's published text. This view, it is proper to add here, is also shared by Eadie {English Bible, i. 322), and Plumptre {"Authorized Version," Smith's Diet of the Bi ble), although the new pagination beginning with Isaiah (see above) and his account of the whole history of the book is rather imaginary, barring the main circumstance that Graf ton and Whitchurch wanted to make their commercial venture remunerative (see Chester, Life of Rogers, pp. 29, 425-430), and of which the published letters afford abun dant evidence. It must not be imagined, however, that although the trans lation of almost the whole of Matthew's Bible is the work of Tyndale and Coverdale, the labors of Rogers were light or unnecessary. They were neither, and from beginning to end the judicious hand of that accomplished scholar is clearly per ceptible. The prayer of Manasses in the Apocrypha has been ascribed to Rogers, although he did not translate it from the Greek (not accessible to him), but from the French Bible of Olivetan (1535), and from the same source likewise is taken the Preface to the Apocrypha, the Table of the principal mat ters contained in the Bible, and for the most part, the Preface to Solomon's Song, the division of the Psalter into five trea tises, and a number of notes, to be mentioned more in detail below. Ii-'3 The English Versions. The reason why he preferred Coverdale's version of Jonah to Tyndale's has not been ascertained. The learned and in genious argument of Walter, prefixed to the reprint of the Prologue in the Parker Society's Doctrinal Treatises, etc. , of Tyndale, that if there had been a version by Tyndale "the editors" {sic) of Matthew's Bible, would certainly have used it in spite of the king's dislike of Tyndale, etc., etc., has been completely demolished by the discovery in 1861 by Lord A. Hervey, of a copy of that book translated by Tyndale, v/hich, with the Prologue and Coverdale's version, has been published by Mr. Fry in fac-simile (1863). As this matter is more or less misstated, the reproduction, in this place, of Professor Westcott's collation of the various readings of chapter ii. of that book in both versions may be useful: Tyndale. I bowels. 2 Sind -i- he said, tribulation. answered. 3 +/<7?- thou hadst. and all thy w. ¦^and yih. 5 water.unto. 6 + and I went. +on every side for e. and yet thou. Lord. broughtest. 8 observe. have forsaken. him that was m^ciful unto them. 9 sacrifice +«»<<) thee. that saving c. Coverdale (Matthew). I belly. 2 oraits he trouble. heard. 3 omAsfor. yea all thy w. omits and. 5 waters.to. 6 omits and. omits on every side, but thou. + O Lord. hast brought. 8 hold of. will forsake. his mercy. <) -\-do the sacrifice. For why? Salvation. Westcott adds that, as the collation itself will show. Cover- dale's version was not independent of Tyndale's. Matthew's Bible. 183 In the following example are given first Luther's translation (1532), then the Ziirich (1534), followed by Coverdale's ver sion collated with Tyndale's, and the literal rendering of the Hebrew, with which I have collated it. The only difference is in the spelling, which in the former of these folios is no toriously bad. JONAH IV. 6. Luther(iSS2). Ziirich (is 34)- Der Herr aber verschaffte einen Dann der Herr Gott hatjm eiu Kiirbiss, der wuchs Uber Jona, das Kikaion* lassen wachsen,das wuchs er schatten gab iiber sein heubt, vnd Uber Jona auf, vn macht seinem ergetztjnjnn seinem iibel. haupt einen Schatten, das es jn von dem des jm ¦wee thetl be- schirmpte. But the Lord provided a gourd. Then the Lord God caused for which grew over Jona, that it gave him a kikaion f to grow, which grew shade over his head, and delighted up over Jona, and made a shadow him in his evil. to his head, that it might shield him from that which 'hurt him. Hebrew. Coverdale.X And the Lord God prepared a And the Lord God (om. Tynd.) gourd [or the ricinus, i. c, Palma prepared (as it were add. Tynd.) a Christi, Jer. Talm. Heb. interpre- wild vine which sprung up over Jo- ters] which grew up above Jona, nas, that he raight have shadow that it might be shadow over his above (over, Tynd.) his head, to de- head, to deliver him from his evil. liver him out ofhis pain. The preference then of Coverdale's version of Jonah to Tyn dale's in Matthew by Rogers (for he seems to have edited the whole) appears somehow to be owing to the influence of Grafton and Whitchurch, who were very diplomatic. Matthew's Bible appeared in 1537; at that time there had been published besides the New Testament of Tyndale, his * Kikaion ist ein Krut oder gewachs. t Kikaion is an herb or a plant. % The rendering in Coverdale agrees verbatim with two copies of Matthew's Bible (Raynalde and Hyll, 1549, and John Daye and W. Seres [Becke], 1549). i84 The English Versions. version ofthe Pentateuch (1531, 1534), of Jonah (1531), and his Epistles from the Old Testament and the Apocrypha (1534). Coverdale's Old Testament and Apocrypha had also appeared. The New Testament in Matthew's Bible gener ally agrees with Tyndale's edition of 1535. As an example of the close agreement of Matthew with Tyndale in the Pentateuch, a few verses from Numbers xxiv. are here subjoined in which the differences are only in spelling: TYNDALE (1531). 15. And he began his parable and sayed: Balam the sonne of Beor hath sayed, and the man thai hath his eye open hath sayed, 16. and he hath sayed that heareth the wordes of God and hath the knowledge of the raost hye and beholdeth the vision of the allraightie, and when he falleth downe hath his eyes opened. 17. I se hira but not now, I beholde him but not nye. There shall come a starre of Jacob and rise a ceptre of Israel, which shall smyte the coostes of Moab and vndermyne all the children of Seth. 18. And Edom shal be his possession, and the possession of Seir shalbe their enimyes, and Israel shall doo manfully. 19. And out of Jacob shall come he that shall destroye the remnaunt of the cities. Of the changes introduced into the Pentateuch, Moulton (/. c. p. 126) mentions two examples. In Levit. xi. 22, where Tyndale and Rogers agree with Luther in not trans lating the four words which in the Authorized Version are rendered locust, bald-locust, beetle and grasshopper, the first adds no explanation, while Rogers in Matthew's Bible says that "Arbi, Selaam, Hargol, Hagab, are kyndes of beastes that crepe or scraul on the grounde, which the Hebreues themselves do not now a dayes know." At Deut. xiv. 4, 5, in the list of unclean beasts Tyndale calls the last five, the bugle, hart-goat, unicorn, origin and camelion, and the only change introduced in Matthew's Bible is -wild-goat for hart- goat. Eadie states in a note that "bugle" is BUffel in Luther, and " oxi^m." Auerochs, the Ixx. having opul, and that the Matthew's Bible. 185 word so rendered is a kind of antelope, adding that "all these terms seem to denote animals of that species." They may have seemed so to the good Doctor, but they cannot mislead any one who has not forgotten his Natural History. It is possible that the Zevi was an antelope, and that Orux also designated one, but Biiffel is a buffalo, and Auerochs, the wild ox. In the following example are given the versions of Tyndale, Matthew and Coverdale, showing at once the agreements and differences in the first two, and the variations of both from the third. I KINGS XIX. 5-7.* Tyndale, IS34- 5. And as he lay and slept under a genaper tree behold an angel touched him and said thus: Up and eat. 6. And he looked up, and be- holdthtK was at his head a cake baken on the coals and a cruse of water. And he ate and drank and laid him down again. 7. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him, and said. Up and cat, for thou hast a great way to go. Matthew (Tyndale), 1^37 ¦ 5. And as he lay and slept under the ginaper tree, behold there came an angel and touched him and said unto him, Up .ind eat. 6. And he looked about him, and see there was a loaf of broiled bread and a cruse of water at his head. And he ate and drank, and laid hira down again to sleep. 7. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him and said Up and eat, for thou hast a long journey to go. Coverdale, IS3S^ ^SS7- 5. And he laid him down and slept under the juniper tree; and be hold the angel touched him and said unto him Stand up and eat. 6. And he looked about him, and behold at his head there was a bread baken on the coals and a cruse with water. And when he had eaten and drunken he laid him down again to sleep. 7. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time and touched him and said Stand up and eat, for thou hast a great way to go. * The examples and the printing of them are taken from Westcott (/. c. pp. 227, 28). i86 The English Versions. The next specimen relates to the differences between Tyn dale and Matthew (Coverdale), showing a verbal agreement of Matthew and Coverdale, and an absolute difference between both and Tyndale, and establishing the fact that Rogers was as particular in preserving the integrity of the one version as well as that of the other. ISAIAH LI. 6. Tyndale. My righteousness is nigh, and my salvation shall go out and mme arm shall judge nations and islands shall look for me and shall tarry after mine arm. Matthew (Coverdale) . It is hard by that my health and my righteousness shall go forth, and the people shall be ordered with mine arm. The islands (that is, the Gentiles) shall hope in me and put their trust in mine arra. The following is a collation of Coverdale (1535), and the faulty Matthew (1549), not for critical purposes, but to indi cate the strange character of some Bibles of the period. ISAIAH LX. 1-3. Coverdale (iS3SJ- And therfore get the vp by tymes, for thy light cometh, & the glory of the Lorde shal ryse vp vpon the. For lo, while the darknesse and cloude couereth the earth and the people, the Lorde shal shewe the light, & his glory shal be sene in the. The Gentiles shal corae to thy light, and kynges to the brightnes that springeth forth vpon the. Matthew (Raynalde and Hyll, ij^g). And therfor get the vp betyrae for thi light cometh & the glory of the Lord shal rise vp vpon the. For lo, whyle the darckeness and cloud coureth the erth and the people, the lord shall shewe the lyght, & your glory shal be sene in the. The gentyles shalcome to thy lyght and kynges to the brightnes that springeth forthe vpon the. The change of the pronoun is characteristic of the slovenly execution of this Bible. Some of the notes are very curious and convey information not generally possessed; e, g., the fol lowing on ch. Ixix. 5 : Matthew's Bible. 187 To brede cockatryse egges, is to go aboute that which is mischeuous and wycked. And to weue the spyders webb, is, to go aboute vayne and tryflynge thynges, whiche are of noo valure: although they seame neuer so excellent vnto the doers — as he that eateth of a cockatryce egg dyeth, so they that delyte in euell worckes, or that consente vnto them shall per ish. And yf a man at vnware, treade on theyr egges, and so presse out the cockatryse and be touched, he shalbe kylled of her: euen so shall the thoughtes of the euell bringe them to death. V. 6. As no raan maketh clothes of the spyders web, so shal wicked worckes enryche no man, nor profyt him in the daye of iudgeraente, when we raust go in vntoo the feast in the weddynge garraent. Matt. xxii. 6. Those which follow are taken at random from Raynalde & Hyll (marked Ra.), and Day and Seres (marked Da.). The former are selected at haphazard without much judgment, the latter are those of John Rogers. Words explained at the end of the Introduction to Exodus. {Ra.) Albe, a longe garmente of whyte lynen. Boothe, an house made of bowes. Brestlappe, or brestflap, is soche a flap as thou seest in the brest of a cope. Geeras, in weyght as it were an englyshe halfpeny or somewhat more. Tunicle, moche lyke the vppermost garment of the deaken. Worship, by worshipping whether it be in the old testaraent or the new, vnderstand the boweng of a man's self vpon the grounde: as we oftymes a we knele in oure prayers) bowe our selues & lye on our armes & handes, wyth our face to the ground. Exod. xxxv. 25. Gotes hayre is that whych we cal chamblet. (Ra.) " " Bysse is fyne whyte, whether it be sylcks or lynen. (Ra.) 2 Sam. vi. 25. Cab was a certen vessel vsed that tyme, as ue nowe use skoutelles or suche lyke. (Da.) Lamentations, (printed with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet). ch. ii. 3. Home here sygnyfyeth strength, pouer, nobylitie and domynion: which al the Lorde by hys just auenge- ment toke from the kyngdome of the Jewes and from Jerusalem. (Da.') i88 The English Versions. Ezek, xvii. 3. By this great aegle hauynge greate wynges is vnder- stand the kyng of Babylon with hys great army. — V. 22. By thys braunche vnderstande our ladye, and by the hye cedar tree the try be of Juda, of whiche she came; by the vppermost twigge is vnderstande Christ, and by the hyll of Syon, is fygured the churche. (Da.) Matth. xxiv. 28. Egles are byrdes that fly hygh and feade vpon carion. Wherfore they resorte vnto the dead carkas that lyeth somtyme far from them. It is therfore a mete sym- plitude to declare that the Christians (whose conuer- sation is highe in heauen) shall at the laste daye resorte to Christe their fode, frora all partes of the worlde. (Da.) I Tim. iii. I . Bishop is as muche to say, as a watchman, an ouer sear, a sear to, or one that taketh heed to. When this raan desireth to feade the flocke of Christ, with his holy worde : then desireth he a good worke, and the very office of a bishoppe: but he that desireth honoure, gap- eth for lucre, thyrsteth great rentes, seket preherai- nence, porap, dorainion: couetheth aboundaunce of all things without wanle, reste and hertes ease, cas- telles, parkes, lordships, eridomes, and desireth not a worke moch lesse, a good worke, and is nothyng lesse then a bishop, as sainct Paule doeth here vnderstande a bishoppe. (Da.) Still there are changes, such as those already noted above, and others indicative of advanced scholarship, e. g., the ex planation of technical terms in the Psalms, such as Shiggaion, Sheminith, etc. Psalm ii. is printed as a dialogue; in Psalm xiv. the spurious verses are excluded; in Psalm cxix. the let ters of the Hebrew alphabet are given at the head of each section; the "Hallelujah" in the last Psalm is rendered "Praise the Everlasting." In "Salomons Ballet" (Canti cles) the characters are indicated by rubricated headings. The source of many of these changes has already been pointed out. It remains to notice the distinguishing feature of Matthew's Bible, namely the marginal notes, a few of which additional Matthew's Bible. 189 to those marked Da. are subjoined; some of them have been traced to Pellican and Luther. Selah, This word after Rabbi Kimchi was a sign or token of lifting up the voice, and also a monition and advertisement to enforce the thought and raind earnestly to give heed to the meaning of the verse unto which it is added. Some will that it signify perpetually or verily. 2 Mace. xii. 44: Judge upon this place whether the opinion hath been to pray for the dead, as to be baptized for them, i Cor. xv., which thing was only done to confirm the hope of the resurrection of the dead, not to deliver thera from any pain. St. Paul did not allow the ceremony of Christening for the dead, no raore doth any place of the canonical scrip ture allow the ceremony of offering for the dead. Furthermore: This whole book of the Maccabees, and specially this second, is not of suffi cient authority to make an article of our faith, as it is before sufficiently proved by the authority of St. Jerorae in the prologue of the books called Apocrypha. St. Matth. i. 18: Messiah. It signifieth anointed. Jesus Christ then is the earnest and pledge of God's promise, by whom the grace and fa vour of God is promised to us with the Holy Ghost, which Ulumineth, lighteth, reneweth our hearts to fulfil the law. St. Matth. vi. 34: It is commanded us in the sweat of our face to win our bread; that travail must we daily, diligently, and earnestly do, but not be careful what profit shall come us thereof, for that were to care for tomorrow. We raust therefore commit that to God, which is ready to prosper our labours vrith His blessing, and that abundantly, so that most shall we profit, when we are least careful. St. John V. 17: That is, my Father keepeth not the Sabbath day, no more do I. But my Father used no coraraon raerchandise on the Sab bath, and no raore do I. St. John vi. 33 : The word of the Gospel which is Christ, is the true and lively bread of heaven that giveth lite to the whole world. St. James ii. 24: Justified, that is, is declared just, is openly known to be righteous, like as by the fruits the good tree is known for good. Otherwise may not this sentence be interpreted. . . . In the introductory paragraph of this chapter, giving an ac count of the contents of Matthew's Bible, reference is made to "The Summe and Content of all the Holy Scriptures," etc., it covers twenty-six folio pages, and furnishes in alphabetical 190 The English Versions. order a vast amount of valuable matter, taken for the most part from Olivetan's French Bible. As the chapters are not broken up into verses, the letters of the. alphabet are used to mark annotated passages, and the italics following the chapters in the subjoined examples refer to those passages: Angels. The angels assyste before God, Job xxv. a; xxviii. a; Dan. vii. c; Matth. xviii.; and do minister to men, Ps. civ. a; Heb. i. Also they do rebuke sinners, Judg. ii. a, and do comforte the afflycte. Gen. x-\i. b, Lke. xxu. es, Dan. vi._/". Also they do teach the ignor- aunte, example of ye angel which taught Elijah, what he should say to the seruantes of Ohoziah, 4 Reg. i. u, also of Daniel, ix./, also of Joseph, Matth. i., ii. d, also of Cornelius, Acts x. a, also of Zecha riah, Luke i. By the angelles God scourgeth his people, 2 Reg. xxiv., 4 Reg. g. Acts vii. d. Meryte. In lokynge ouer the Byble, as well the newe as the olde Tes tament, I haue not founde this word meryte. Meryte then is noth ynge ; for to meryt is to bind God vnto his creatures, and not to ob- serue the meryte of Jesus Christ, by which only we are saued; not accordynge to oure workes or merytes, but according to his holy purpose and grace, which was geuen vnto vs before al time. 2 Tira. i. b. Tit. iv. b: it is then by grace that we are saued through fayth, and not of vs, but by the gyft of God to thyntent that none do boast hyra selfe, Eph. ii., Rom. iii. For the tribulacyons of thys world, are not worthye of the glorye that shal be shewed vnto vs, Rom. viii. And if we haue pacyence in thera, that cometh of God, I Cor. iv. Houe then can we glorye that we do meryte that thyng which is none of ours, in as much as God doth and accomplysheth in vs the good wil, Phil. ii. Religion, for obseruing (not of cloister rules), but of thynges ordayned of God, Exo: xii. d, Leue. viii. g, Numb. xix. d, religion for the sect of the Pharises which were proud Ipocrites and ful of cere monies, of which S. Paul was at the fyrste. Act. xxvi. b, Cornelius being captain of the Italians' array, is called a religious man, and yet he had made no monastycall vowes. Acts x. a. The true relig ion of the Christen standeth not in the dyuersitye of habytes or of vowes; bul in visitynge of the fatherlesse and wydowes in their tribu lacyons and kepyng a man's selfe pure from the wickedness of this world, James i. Matthew's Bible. 191 Many of the notes are strongly anti-papal. "One of these notes fixeth us in the year ofthe edition; inz., Mark i. Upon those words. What new doctrine is this? the note in the margin is, ' That that was then new, after XV. C. XXXVI. years, is yet new. When will it then be old .? ' This note was made to meet with the common reproach then given to the religion reformed, that it was a new upstart religion, and called the new learning. Another marginal note was at Matthew xxv. , And the wise answered. Not so, lest there be not enough, etc. , where the note is, ' Note here, that their own good works sufficed not for themselves; and therefore remained none to be dis tributed unto their fellows: ' against works of supererogation, and the merits of saints. And Matthew xvi. , / say unto thee, that thou art Peter: and upon this rock, etc. The note is, 'That is, as saith St. Austin, upon the confession which thou hast made, knowledging me to be the Christ, the Son of the living God, I build my congregation or church. ' And again, Iwill give the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The note is, 'Origen, writing upon Matthew, in his first homily af- firmeth, that these words were as well spoken to all the rest of the Apostles as to Peter. And proves it, in that Christ, John xx. , saith. Receive the Holy Ghost. 'Whose sins soever ye remit, etc. , and not thou remittest. ' And Matthew xviii. , Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven : and whatsoever ye loose on earth, etc. Margin, 'Whatsoever ye bind, etc., is. Whatsoever ye condemn by my word in earth, the same is condemned in heaven. And what ye allow by my word in earth, is allowed in heaven.' These and such like notes and explications, giv ing offence, no doubt, to the Popish Bishops, when the Bible was printed again (which was in the year 1 540) all was left out. " * The text of the New Testament in Matthew's Bible agrees • Strype, Memorials of Cranmer, I., pt. i. p. 472. Oxf. 1848. 192 The English Versions. in the main with that of Tyndale's Revised edition of 1535, which declares on its title-page that it had been "diligently corrected and compared with the Greek." Professor West cott, who collated Tyndale's editions of 1534 and 1535 and Matthew of 1537 in St. Mark xvi. and the Epistles to the Ro mans and Galatians, failed to perceive a characteristic reading of Tyndale, 1535, which does not likewise appear in Mat thew, 1537; and shiewdly conjectures that the production in both of the same mistakes points to the use of the same cor rected copy of Tyndale, which under the circumstances is very probable. A few passages will make this abundantly clear. The text here used is Tyndale's, 1534, the readings in italics in [ ] are those of 1535. St. Mark xvi. 11, And when they herde, that he was alyve and he had appered to hyr, they beleved it not. l.4nd though they heard .... and had appered .... yet they be leved not'\. So Matthew, 1537. " 17, And these signes shall folowe them that beleve. [these things] . This mistake is also in Matthew. Roraans viii. 15, For ye have no received .... [not]. So Matthew. . ix. 16, So lieth it not then in a man's will or cunnynge .... [. . . . running']. So Matthew. xiii. 8, For these commaunderaents .... [the comraaunde- ments be] . Not Matthew. xvi. 5, Lyke wyse grete all the corapany that is in thy housse. [. . . . the congregation that is in their house]. So Matthew. Galatians ii. 2 but apart with them which were counted chefe. [. . . . between ourselves with them ] So Matthew. This Bible, which was set forth by royal authority, and a copy of which was ordered to be set up in every church, con tains not only annotations more bold and outspoken than Tyndale's, but substantially the obnoxious Prologue to the Romans, which for the greater part is a paraphrase, and sometimes a literal translation of Luther's Preface to the Ro- Matthew's Bible. 193 mans, of which a Latin version had been published in 1523, with this title: Prcsfatio methodica totius Scriptures in epistola ad Romanos, e vernacula Martini Lutheri in Latinum versa; per fustum fonam. This Prologue, which covers seven pages in folio closely printed, is often couched in terms, and through out breathes a spirit of freedom, intolerable to the Romish clergy and partisans, stands in this Bible, which of course would not have been allowed to circulate, if it had been read by the king or Cranmer. Two passages giving the portions taken from Luther in quotation marks, may serve as specimens: "And as thou callest him flesh which is not renewed with the Spirit, and bom again in Christ, and all his deeds, even the very motions of his heart and raind, his learning, doctrine, and contemplation of high things, his preaching, teaching, and study in the Scriptures, building of churches, founding of abbeys, giving of alms, mass, matins, and whatsoever he doth, though it seem spiritual and after the laws of God; so, contrari. wise, call hira spiritual who is renewed in Christ, and all his deeds which spring of faith, seem they never so gross, as the washing of the disciples' feet done by Christ, and Peter's fishing after the resurrection; yea, am? whatsoever is done within the laws of God, though it be wrought by the body, as the very wiping of shoes and such like, however gross they ap pear outwardly." Where God's word is not purely preached, but men's dreams, tradi tions, imaginations, inventions, ceremonies, and superstition, there is no faith; and consequently no spirit that cometh frora God. And even where God's Spirit is not, there can be no good works, even as where an apple- tree is not, there can grow no apples; but there is unbelief, the devil's spirit, and evil works. Of this, God's Spirit and his fruits, have our holy hypocrites not once known, neither yet tasted how sweet they are; though "they feign raany good works, of their own imagination, to be justified withal, in which is not one crumb of true faith, of spiritual love, or of inward joy, peace, and quietness of conscience " ; forasmuch as they ¦ have not the word of God for them, that such works please God, but they are even the rotten fruit of a rotten tree. " The last chapter isa chapter of recommendation, wherein he yet ming- leth a good monition, that we should beware of the traditions and doc trine of men, which beguile the simple with sophistry and learning that is not after the gospel," and draw them from Chfist, and noosel them is N 194 The English Versions. weak and feeble and (as Paul calleth them in the epistle to the Galatians) in beggarly ceremonies for the intent that they would live in fat pastures and be in authority and be taken as Christ, yea, and above Christ, and sit in the temple of God, that is to wit, in the consciences of men, where God only, his word and his Christ, ought to sit. Corapare therefore all manner of doctrine of men unto the Scripture, and see whether they agree or not. And commit thyself whole and altogether unto Christ; and so shall he with his Holy Spirit, and with all his fulness, dwell in thy soul. Amen. From all that has been said, it follows, that for critical pur poses, Matthew's Bible possesses only a relative merit; and yet it is a very important one, as being virtually the basis of the text of the Authorized Version. CHAPTER VII. taverner's bible. This Bible, although published in point of time after the Great Bible (April, 1539), yet on account of its close connec tion with Matthew's, may not inappropriately be considered in this place. It appeared in the same year, and of its editor and translator the account given by one of his descendants, Anthony a Wood, in his AthencB Oxoniensis (I. col. 143) ap pears to be the most authentic. He was born at Brisley, Norfolk, about 1505, and after some time spent at Benet College (Corpus Christi), Cambridge, entered the Cardinal College, Oxford, under the patronage of Cromwell, or as -Eadie says, "as one of the young men selected by Wolsey for his college." He took the degree of B.A. there in 1529. For reading Tyndale's New Testament he and some others were imprisoned in the college cellar, and it is said that he owed his speedy release to his musical skill. About 1530, he "went to an inn of Chancery, near London (Lewis says, Taverner's Bible. 195 ' Staire Inn, ' that is ' Stronde Inn '), and thence to the Inner Temple, where his humour was to quote the law in Greek when he read anything thereof. " In 1 534 he went to court, be came attached to the service of Cromwell, and through his recommendation was appointed in 1537, a clerk of the signet. His proficiency in Greek, it is thought, induced Cromwell to suggest to him the revision of the Bible, which he completed in 1539, and published in folio and quarto, the latter in parts, to enable the poorer class of people, who could not afford to buy the whole, to procure some portion. It was printed in London and allowed to be read in churches. His New Tes tament likewise was issued the same year in two editions, folio and quarto, and in i2mo in 1540. After Cromwell's death he was imprisoned for this very work, but soon released and reinstated to the royal favor. In 1551 his Old Testament ap peared in the folio Bible, revised by Becke, and printed by Ihon Day. After that period it fell into neglect. In 1552 Edward VI. licensed him to preach, and he is reported to have preached before the king, and elsewhere, dressed in a damask gown, a velvet bonnet, and a gold chain; and, though in retirement during the reign of Mary, he reappeared in the pulpit after the accession of Elizabeth, who greatly favored him, and appointed him in 1569, high-sheriff of Oxfordshire, in virtue of which last office, he added the official sword to his pulpit attire, as appears from what Fuller {Church History, ii. p. 459) delivers: "Surely preaching now ran very low, if it be true what I read, that Mr. Tavernour, of Water Eaton, in Oxfordshire, High Sheriff of the County, gave the schol ars a sermon in St. Mary's, with his gold chain about his neck, ahd his sword by his side, beginning with these words, 'Arriving at the Mount of St. Mary's, in the stony stage where I now stand, I have brought you some fine biscuits,. baked in the oven of charity, and carefully conserved for the chickens of the church, the sparrows of the Spirit, and the 196 The English Versions. sweet swallows of salvation.' " (See also Wood, AthencB Oxon., i. p. 182.) He died July 14, 1577. Taverner's Bible has certain peculiarities which will now be noted. Its title is as follows: "The most sacred Bible, whiche is the holy Scripture, conteyning the old and new testament, translated in to English, and newly recognised with great dil igence after moost faithful exemplars, by Richard Taverner. — Harken thou heven, and thou earth gyve eare, for the Lord speaketh. Esaie i. — Prynted at London in Fletestrete, at the sygne ofthe sonne, by John Byddell for Thomas Barthlett. — Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. — M. D. XXXIX." After this title follow: " i. A Dedication to the King. 2. An exhortacion to the studye of the holy Scripture, gathered out of the Bible. 3. The summe and content of all the holy scripture bothe of the Olde and New Testament. 4. The names of all the Bokes of the Bible, with the contents of the Chapters. 5. Abriefrehersall declarynge how long the worlde hath endured from the creation of Adam unto this present yeare of our Lord M. D. XXXIX. 6. A Table to fynde manye of the chyefe and pryncypal matters conteyned in the Bible. — The title to the Apocrypha is the same as in Mat thew's Bible, 1537. — The Registre thereof, etc. — The Newe Testament of our Sauyour Jesu Christ, translated in to Eng lish, and newly recognised with great diligence after moost faythful exemplars. By Rycharde Taverner. — Pray for us, that the worde of God may hau fre passage and be glori- lied. 2 Tessa, iii. — Prynted in the yere of our Lorde God, M. D. XXXIX.— The ende ofthe Newe Testament." The dedication is manly and outspoken, and contrasts fa vorably with the fulsome language of previous documents. of that sort He says: "This one thing I dare full well affirm, that among all your majesty's deservings .... your high ness never did any thing more acceptable unto God, more profitable unto the auauncement of true Christianity, more Taverner's Bible. 197 displeasant to the enemies of the same, and also to your grace's enemies, than when your majesty lycensed and wylled the moost sacred Byble, conteynyng the unspotted and lyvely word of God, to be in the English Tonge set forth to your highness' subjectes .... Wherefore the premises well con sidered, forasmuch as the prynters herof were very desirous to haue the Byble come forth as faultlesse and emendatly as the shortnes of tyme for the recognysing of the same wold require they desyred me, your moost humble seruaunt, for default of a better learned, diligently to overloke and peruse the hole copy, and in case I shold fynd any notable default that neded correction, to amende the same according to the true exemplars, which thing according to my talent I have gladly done " He understood and fully appreciated the great responsibility and difificulty of the undertaking, say ing: " It is a worke of so great difficultie so absolutely to trans late the hole Bible that it be faultlesse that I feared it could scare be done of one or two persons, but rather requyred both a deeper conferryng of many learned wittes together, and also a juster tyme and longer leysure. " .... "These therefore my simple lucubrations and labours to whom might I better dedicate than unto your, etc " Bale calls this recognition: " sacrorum bibliorum recognitio seu potius versio nova. " It is more than an examination and less than a new translation; and bears throughout the marks of his own individuality. The opening chapter of the Bible brings that out very clearly. Gen. i. The fyrst boke of Mo ses called Genesis or Generation. By the worde all thynges be create of God; of man's creation, rule and sustenance. Margin. Matthew's note: brethed or stered, followed by Tav erner's: Spirite signifieth a breth or stirynge, and is taken som tyme for the wynde, as in the viii of this boke, a; but in this place the moste parte of lerned men understande it of the holy ghost. Ver. 22. God blesseth, that is to say, prospereth his creatures. 198 The English Versions. His recognition of Matthew's text in this chapter led him to render v. 2 "the Spirit of God was borne upon" {fre- batur, Vulgate); v. 7 to change "for it was so" into "and so it was doon" {Et factum est ita, Vulgate); v. 11 "that sowe seed "into "that bereth seed" {afferentem, Vul gate). The influence of the Vulgate is very pronounced in his renderings of the Old Testament, but not exclusively so, for he often corrects without reference to the Vulgate, which, according to Westcott, was his only help. In Gen. xlix. 6, the older rendering "they houghed an ox" becomes "they threw down the walls of the city " {suffoderunt murum, Vulg. ), which shows that he knew no Hebrew, and did not consult the Septuagint. The same applies to his bold rendering of the word Abrech in ch. xii. 43, "that every person should bow his knee before him"; and to i Kings xxi. 21, where he changed "prisoned and forsaken" (Matthew) into "incluse and furthest " in servile imitation of the Vulgate. A correc tion of the independent sort is that of "chemerim" with a note in Matthew, into "religious persons" at 2 Kings xxiii. 5. His recognition in the Old Testament consisted mainly in euppressing many of Rogers' notes, in correcting his Eng lish by the Vulgate, and in endeavoring to give a clear sense (though not always) to the text. His improvements in the Old Testament are therefore, with few exceptions, of a very doubt ful character. The change of "a curtesye bawlme" (Gen. xliii. 11) into "a quantitie of bawlme," of "by and by" into "forthwith," of "like as" into "like," of "but and if" into "but if," of " neverthelater " into "nevertheless," and of "remnant" into "residue" (Numb. xxiv. 19), may be given as samples of his clearing up the text. In the New Testa ment, where his knowledge of Greek stood him in good stead, the changes introduced are at once more numerous, and often also felicitous, though sometimes from a desire to adhere closely to the original, he grows obscure, and through Taverner's Bible. 199 haste he has left uncorrected errors which could not have es caped him, if he had paid greater attention to his work. In St. Matth. i. at Jechonias, Taverner notes: "This Jechonias is otherwise called Jehoiakim, and is the son to Jechonias be fore mentioned." Ver. 18 he renders "espoused"; and v. 25, "tyll at last she had brought forth her fyrst borne sonne,'' against Matthew's, "Till she had brought forth her fyrst Sonne." In St. Matthew xxi. xxii., Moulton counted forty variations of which one third are retained in the Authorized Version. In ch. xxii. 12, he changed "he was even speech less," into "had never a word to say"; "intreated them un godly" (v. 6), into "intreated them foully," and "put the Sadducees to silence" (v. 34), into "stopped the Sadducees' mouths." Westcott notes in St. John i. his reading "this," for "the same" (vv. 2, 7), "witness," for "to bear witness" (vv. 7, 15); he renders Tyndale's "verity," by "truth" (v. 14), and "confessed, and denied not, and said plainly," by "con fessed, and denied not, and confessed " (v. 20). In his stu dious endeavor to find Saxon terms, he gave us i John ii. i, "spokesman" for "advocate," and v. 2, coined "mercy- stock " as the equivalent of iXa6ti6%, in place of Tyndale's and Coverdale's: "he it is that obtaineth grace for our sins." Another example of the same kind occurs, St. Luke xii. 29, where he changed Tyndale's "neither climb ye up on high," into "and be not carried in the clouds." St. John iii. 8, Taverner reads: "the spirit breatheth" and says in a note that ' ' spirit is here taken for wind. " Among the errors that he failed to correct are Acts xxvii. 9, which reads in his version as in Tyndale's, "because that he had overlong fasted," and xii. 19: "and commanded the keepers to depart"; and among the obscure places may be mentioned John i. 2, "all were made by it"; v. 12, "to be made the sons of God believing on his name"; v. 11, "intohis o^n"; and v. 15, "h^wzs first ere I ¦'vas," To his regard for the Greek article are due the 200 The English Versions. renderings, St. John i. 9: "that was the true light which .... coming into . . . ."; v. 23, "lam a voice of one crying . . . ."; and v. 25, "Art thou the Prophet?" Gal. v. 27, " Hath the husband. " Quite a number of his words and phrases are retained in the 'Authorized Version; e. g., St. Matth. xiii. 58, "because of their unbelief"; xviii. 12, "ninety and nine"; xxi. 17, "lodged"; xxiii. 23, "throne"; xxiv. 12, "of many shall wax cold"; xxv. 35, "a stranger"; xxvi. 17, "passover"; 66, "guilty of death"; xxvii. 65, "ye have a watch"; Gal. vi. 16, "the Israel of God"; iv. 20, "I stand in doubt of you." From Professor Moulton's collation of fourteen chapters of St. Matthew, given in Westcott, History of the English Bible, 2d ed. 1872, the following changes have been selected: Tyndale, 1534. Taverner, I33g. xiii. 35 similitudes. parables. — 45 good. fair. xiv. 5 counted. held. XV. 2 transgress. break. — 18 proceed out ol. come forth of. — 22 piteously. sore. xvi. 3 fashion. countenance. xviii. I the greatest. greater. — 12, 13 ninety and nine. the fourscore and nineteen. xix. 9 fornication. adultery. — " breaketh wedlock. committeth adultery. xxii. 12 was even speechless. had never a word to say. xxiii. 33 damnation. judgment. xxiv. 12 and because iniquity shall have and because of the abundance the upper hand the love of of wickedness the charity of many shall abate. many shall wax cold. xxv. 35 harbourless. a stranger (vv. 38, 45). xxvi. 8 had indignation. disdained. — 17 paschal lamb. passover. — 66 worthy to die. guilty of death. The Great Bible. 201 -xxvii. 62 foUoweth Good Friday. followed the day of preparing the Sabbath. — 65 Take watchmen. Ye have a watch. xxviii. 2 the angel. an angel. These examples abundantly illustrate the nature of Taver ner's work, and show that though, on the whole, scholarly, it is nevertheless unequal. * Several extracts from this Version are given in the con spectus of passages at the end of the Volume. CHAPTER VIII. THE GREAT BIBLE. Nkither Coverdale's Bible nor Matthew's were, for reasons already sufficiently explained, altogether satisfactory to Crom well, at whose instance and charge Coverdale undertook the production of a new edition of the Bible on more critical principles, and repaired, accompanied by Grafton, about Lent, 1538, to Paris to superintend as editor that undertak ing, for the execution of which 'Paris was chosen on account of its superior paper and typography. Through Cromwell's influence a license was obtained from Francis I. , authorizing Coverdale and Grafton to print and export to England the Latin and the English Bible with the important proviso that they should not print private or unlawful opinions {Dum- modo quod sic imprimetis et excudetis sincere et pie, quantum in vobis erit, citra ullas privatas aut illegitimas opiniones impressum et excusum fuerit'\), which the ecclesiastical authorities would * The Order of the Books in Taverner's version: Genesis .... The Balet of bal ettes. — ^I'he Prophets: Isaiah .... Malachiah. — The Apocrypha: 3 Esdras .... 2 Maccabees. — ^The New Testament: Four Gospels. Acts. — ^The Epistles: 13 of St. Paul, I, 2 St. Peter, 1, 2, 3 St. John, Hebrews, St. James, St. Jude, Revelation. t The license may be seen in Stripe's Cranmer, Appendix XXX. 202 The English Versions. not be slow in discovering. However, matters ran smoothly enough for seven or eight months, and Coverdale, who knew the tender mercies of the Romish fraternity, informed Crom well in the same letter in which he apprized him of the satisfac tory progress of the work (in which Regnault the French printer was associated with them) that "we be daily threat ened, and look ever to be spoken withal. " * Three months later he, Grafton, and Grey wrote: Your work going forward, we thought it our most bounden duty to send unto your lordship certain leaves thereof, specially seeing we had so good occasion, by the returning of your beloved servant Sebastian [Crorawell's cook] . And as they are done, so will we send your lordship the residue from time to time. As touching the manner and order that we keep in the same work, pleaseth your good lordship to be advertised, that the mark ]/&• in the text signifieth, that upon the same, in the latter end of the book, there is some notable annotation, which we have written without any private opin ion, only after the best interpreters of the Hebrews, for the more clearness of the text. This Q betokeneth, that upon the same text there is a diversity of reading among the Hebrews, Chaldees, and Greeks, and Latinists; as in a table at the end of the book shall be declared. This mark ' shew eth that the sentence written in small letters is not in the Hebrew or Chal dee, but in the Latin, and seldom in the Greek ; and that we nevertheless would not have it extinct, but highly accept it, for the raore explanation of the text. This token \ in the Old Testaraent, giveth to understand, that the sarae text which foUoweth it, is also aUeged of Christ, or of some Apostle in the New Testament. This, among other our necessary la bours, is the way that we take in this work; trusting verily, that as God Almighty moved your lordship to set us unto it, so shall it be to his glory, and right welcome to all them that love to serve Hira and their prince in true faithful obedience: as is only known to the Lord of heaven, to whora we raost heartily pray for your lordship's preservation. At Paris, the gth day of August. 1538, by your faithful orators. On the 1 2 th of September they state that the work of the Bible "goeth well forward, and within few months will draw to an end, by the grace of Almighty God. " • State Papers, Cromzucll Corr., vol. i., No. iq%. The Great Bible. ' 203 Gardiner, bishop of Winchester, had been replaced at this time by Bonner, when still archdeacon of Leicester, as am bassador to France, and as he seems to have been promoted to the episcopate through the influence of Cromwell, it is not difficult to understand why he befriended Coverdale and Graf ton, inviting them to dinner and supper, and visiting the "im printers' house " to partake of ' ' such dinners as the English had, and that to his cost, which, as it seems, he little weighed " (Foxe, ii. 434). When in December (1538) Coverdale and his associates heard it muttered that an inimical movement was preparing against them, they availed themselves of Bonner's aid to send another portion of the printed sheets to Cromwell ' ' to the intent that if these men proceed in their cruelness against us, and confiscate the rest, yet this at least may be safe by the means of your lordship " (Letters iii. , iv. , v. , vi. , vii. to Crom- ivell, printed in Parker's Society's ed. of Coverdale's Remains, pp. 492-97). The dreaded thunderbolt was launched four days later (Dec. 17th) in the shape ofan edict of the inquisi tor general, issued through Le Tellier, the scribe of the Holy Ofifice, stopping the progress of the work, ordering the printed sheets on hand to be seized, and requiring the printers to ap pear before his court. Coverdale and his associates thereupon sought safety in flight, and left behind them the printed cop ies, presses, type, etc. The former were condemned to be "burned in the place Maubert," but as the officers of the inquisition were not loath to condone the offence, for a pe cuniary consideration, a convenient haberdasher was found who purchased them as waste papei* "to lay caps in," and in that way "four great dry-vats full " were bought up and saved, and along with the presses, types, and workmen removed to England, where the work was speedily resumed and com pleted; and in April, 1539, this Bible, on account of its large size called the Great Bible, was published. A copy of this 204 The English Versions. first edition, a large folio, printed in black letter, on vel lum, is now in the library of St. John's College, Cambridge. It bears this title: The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the con tent 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 dyuerse excellent learned men, expert in the forsayde tongues. — Prynted by Rychard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch — Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. — 1539. A very elaborate border, alleged to have been designed by Hans Holbein, encloses this title. From a fullsize copper plate engraving made in 1818, and two fac-simile cuts re duced, before me, is furnished this description: Its actual dimensions of engraved space are 1 3.^"X9". In the highest central space appears in clouds the Saviour with outstretched arms and hands pointing to ecclesiastical groups of descend ing tableaux on his right, and to a similar series of secular groups on his left; two labels proceed from his mouth, that on his right inscribed with: Verbum quod egredietur de me non revertetur ad me vacuum, sed faciei qucBcumque volui, Esa. Iv. ;> and that on his left, with: Invent virum juxta cor meum qui faciei omnes voluntates meets. Acts xiii. ^ This label ex tends to the king kneeling, bareheaded, his crown on the ground, and his hands extended, with a label proceeding from his mouth inscribed: Lucerna pedibus meis verbum tu um, Psal. cxviij.' In the centre, immediately under the Saviour, the king appears again, on his throne, crowned, and the insignia of the garter at his feet. On his right are six clerics, two of them bishops (Cranmer being one of them), their mitres on the ground; on his left six laics (Cromwell 1 Is. Iv. 18, " My word that goeth forth from my mouth, shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please." 8 Acts xiii. 22, " I have found a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will." 3 Ps. cix. 105, " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet." The Great Bible. 205 being one of them), several lords temporal; the king hands to the front personage in each group a clasped volume, in scribed Verbum Dei, which is received by both with bended knee. Three scrolls proceed from his mouth, the largest in scribed: A me constitutum est decrelum, ut in universa imperio et regno meo homines tremiscant et paveant Deum viventem, Danie. vi. ;¦" the one going to the clerics: Hcbc prcEcipe et doce, Tim. iiij. ; ° and that to the laics: Quod justum est ju- dicate. — Ita parvum audietis ut magnum, Deut. i.* Under neath the receiving group of clerics, stands Cranmer, attended by a chaplain, in pontificals, with his coat of arms at his feet, handing the clasped volume inscribed Verbum Dei, to a cleric kneeling, the scroll proceeding from the archbishop reading: Pascite, qui in vobis est, gregem Christi. Prima Pe. v. ; ' -while in the corresponding compartment on the secular side, appears Cromwell in state attire, with his cap on and his coat of arms at his feet, holding in his right hand a roll of paper, and delivering with his left the clasped volume, in scribed Verbum Dei, to a nobleman, while a scroll over his head has the legend: Diuerte a malo et fac bonum, inquire pacem et persequere eam, Psalmo. xxxiij. » The lowest tableau, filling the entire breadth of the page, is occupied by a preacher in his pulpit at the left end of the page, addressing a large congregation of both sexes, and all estates, ages, and condi tions of men extending to the right side, exhibiting prisoners looking through the grated windows, all depicted with gfes- tures of grateful joy. The scroll, issuing from the preacher's mouth, is inscribed: Obsecro igitur primum omnium fieri ob- 4 Dan, vi. 26, " I have made a decree that throughout my realm and kingdom men tremble and fear before the living God." 6 1 Tim. iv. XI, "These things enjoin and teach." 6 Deut. i. 16, 17, "Judge righteous judgment. — Ye shall hear the small as well as the great." 7 I Pet. v. 2, "Feed the flock of Christ which is among you." 8 Psalm xxxiv. 14, " Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace and ensue it.'' 2o6 The English Versions. secrationes, orationes, postulationes, gratiarum adianes, pro om nibus hominibus, pro regibus, etc., i Timo. ii.,' while from every part of the audience proceed labels inscribed: Vival rex, with a group of children in the lower right hand part of the plate, who as well as a group of women near the preach er, shout in English, "God save the King." The title and frontispiece are followed by: — The names of all the bookes of the Byble, and the content of the chapter of every booke, with the nombre of the leaffe where the bookes begynne. — The Kalendar. — An Almanach for xix yeares. — An exhortacion to the studye of the holy scripture gathered out of the Byble. — The summe and content of all the holy scripture both of the old and newe testament. — A prologue expressynge what is meant by certayn sygnes and tokens that tve have set in the Byble. — A descriptyon and successe ofthe kynges of Juda and Jerusalem, declarynge whan and under what kynges euery prophet lyued. And what notable thynges happened in their tymes, translated out of Hebrue. — Wyth what iudgement the bokes of the Old Testament are to be red. — [The following passage is characteristic of Coverdale: The books of the Old Testament are much to be regarded, because they be as it were a raanner of foundation, whereunto the New Testaraent doth cleave and lean, out of the which certain arguraents of the New Tes tament may be taken. For there is nothing shewed in the New Testa- tament the which was not shadowed before in the figures of Moses' Law, and forespoken in the revelations of the Prophets, some things even evi dently expressed . . . .] The first boke of Moses, called in the hebrue Bereschith and in the latyn Genesis, etc. Like Matthew's Bible the Great Bible is divided into five tomes; the fourth, containing the Apocrypha, has the title: 9 I Tim. ii. 1, 2, " I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intfi cessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, for kings," etc. The Great Bible. 207 The Bookes of Hagiographa. — The title ofthe New Testament reads: The newe Testament in Englyshe translated after the Greke, conteyning these bokes, etc. (In the vellum copy in St. John's College Library, Cambridge, the Titles are shorter). — At the end of the New Testament stands: — A Table to fynde the Epistles and Gospels usually red in the Church after Salisbury use, whereof the first lyne is the Epistle and the other the Gospelle; whose bygynning thou shalt finde in the boke marked with a crosse -)-, and the end with half a crosse |-, conteyned within the letters A. B. C. D. , etc. — Here foUoweth the Table of the Epistles and Gospels, whych are to be red on diuerse sainctes' days in the yeare. They include the following Romish holy days with collects for some of them: St. Nicholas' Day, The Conception of our Lady, St. George's Day, The Invencion of the Crosse, St. Peter and St. Paul's Day, The Commemoracion of St. Paul, The Visitacion of our Lady, Relique Sondaie, St. Margaret's Day, St. Anne's Day, St. Peter's Day ad vincula, The Transfigura- cion. The Feast of the Name of Jesus, St. Lawrence' Day, The Assumption of our Lady, The Decollation of St. John, The Nativitie of our Ladie, The Exaltation of the Crosse, The Translacion of St. Edwarde's Day, the King and Confessour, The iiooo Virgins' Day, All Souls' Day, St. Martyn 's Day, and St. Katherine's Day. The ende of the new Testament and of the whole Byble, fynished in Apryll, Anno 1539. A dOo factum est istud. (This is the Lord's doing). The liberty celebrated in the engsaving, was not fulsome adulation, but warranted by the facts of the case. Through Cromwell's influence injunctions were prepared and issued to the Clergy, most probably in September, 1538, of which the second and third are here given verbatim. Item, that ye shall provyde on this side the feast of next coro- myng, one boke of the whole Bible of the largest volume in Englyshe, 2o8 The English Versions. and the same sett up in summe convenient place within the said churche that ye have the cure of, whereat your parishners may most comraodi- ously resort to the same and rede yt; the charges of whiche boke shal be ratablie bom between you the parson, and the parishners aforsaid, that ys to say, the one half by yowe, and the other half by them. Item, that ye shall discorage no man pryvely or apertely from the readinge or hearinge of the same Bible, bul shall expresslye provoke, stere, and exhorte every parsone to rede the same, as that whyche ys the verye lively worde of God, that every Christen man ys bownde to em brace, beleve, and folowe, yf he loke to be saued, admonyshinge them neverthelesse, to avoid all contention and altercation therein, and to use an honest sobretye in the inquisition of the true sense of the sarae, and referre the explication of obscure places to men of higher judgment in scripture.* The king, moreover, in a declaration appointed "to be read by all curates upon the publishing of the Bible in Eng lish," urged the parochial clergy to study it, and charged them to say unto their people: "You shall have always in your remembrance and memories that all things contained in this book is the undoubted will, law, and commandment of Almighty God, the only and straight mean to know the goodness and benefits of God towards us, and the true duty of every Christian man to serve him accordingly. . . . And if at any time by reading any doubt shall come to any of you, touching the sense and meaning of any part thereof, that then (not giving too much to your own minds, fancies and opin ions, nor having thereof any open reasoning in your open taverns or alehouses) ye shall have recourse to such learned men as be, or shall be authorised to preach and declare the same. So that avoiding all contentions and disputations in such alehouses and other places .... you use this most high benefit quietly and charitably every one of you to the edifying of himself, his wife, and family. . . . ."\ * The injunctions may be read in Burnet ii. p. 260. t Strype, Cranmer, ii. 735-6. The Great Bible. 209 It is well known that Bonner set up six Bibles in St. Paul's, and that the free Bible completely revolutionized the habits of the people, as is clear from the following passages: "Eng^ lishmen have now in hand in every church and place and almost every man the Holy Bible and New Testament in then mother tongue instead ofthe old fabulous and fantastical books of the Table Round, Launcelot du Lac, etc., and such other, whose impure filth and fabulosity the light of God has abol ished utterly. " * ' ' It was wonderful to see with what joy this book of God •was received not only among the learneder sort and those that were noted for lovers of the reformation, but generally all England over among all the vulgar and common people; and with what greediness God's word was read and what re sort to places where the reading of it was. Everybody that could bought the book or busily read it or got others to read it to them if they could not themselves, and divers more elderly people learned to read on purpose. And even little boys flocked among the rest to hear portions of the holy Scripture read."f Turning to the nature of the work itself, and recalling the account of its progress given by Coverdale himself in his let ter to Cromwell (given above), it is clear that the Great Bible is a revision of Tyndale, Matthew, and Coverdale, by the original, with the help of Luther's version, the Ziirich version, as well as the Latin translations of Sanctes Pagninus (1528) and Sebastian Miinster (1534-5) in the Old Testament, and the Latin version of Erasmus (1535) in the New; the text of the Great Bible of 1539, may be described with sufficient accuracy as a Revision of Matthew, that is, of Tyndale, Rogers, and Coverdale, by Coverdale himself. * A summary Declaration of the Faith, Use, and Observations in England (dated 1539). Collier, Ece. Hist., ii. Collection of Records, 47. t Strype, Life of Cranmer, i. p. 92. 0 2IO The English Versions. Here it is proper to state that the first edition of 1539, was again revised in 1 540 (Cranmer), and that there appeared not less that seven editions of the Great Bible in a comparatively brief space, viz., April, 1539; April, July, and November, 1540; May, November, and December, 1541. The first of these (1539) is properly speaking Cromwell's Bible for which he received the Royal Patent, dated November 14, 1539, conferring on him the sole and unlimited power of licensing the printing and publication of English Bibles for the next five years, as is clear from this extract: "We have therfore appoynted oure right trusty and wel beloved counsellour the lorde Cromwell, keeper of our pryvye scale, to take for us, and in oure name, special care and charge, that no manner of persone or persones within this our realme shall enterprise, attempt, or sett in hand, to print any Bible in the English tonge of any manner of volume, duryng the space of fyve yeres next ensuyng after the date hereof, but only suche as shall be deputid, assignid, and admitted, by the said lord Cromwell. Willing and commanding all maires, shirefes, bailiffes, constables, and all other oure officers, min- istres, and subjectes, to be ayding to our said counsailour in the execution of this oure pleasure, and to be conformable in the accomplishment ofthe same, as shall apperteigne."* From Cranmer's connection with this Bible, which seems to begin on the same day, Nov. 14, 1539, it is often called Cranmer's Bible. The edition, in which his Prologue appears for the first time, is that of 1 540. An extract from the Prologue will be given below. The eclectic process in the successive alterations introduced into Coverdale's translations, with the use of additional helps, e. g., Miinster in the Old Testament, and Erasmus in the New may be illustrated by examples, which for convenience of reference, have been taken from the works of Professors * Wilkins, Concilia, iii. p 846. Burnet, Records, i. pt. ii. p. 283, The Great Bible. 211 Westcott and Eadie. The arrangement, however, is different, and made solely for the purpose of enabling the English reader, even if he should not be familiar with the languages referred to, to form an independent judgment. The order followed is the historical, which gives us i. The Hebrew (translated); 2. The Vulgate (with a translation); 3. Luther's version (with a translation) ; 4. the Ziirich version (with a translation); 5. Matthew (Tyndale); 6, Coverdale; 7. Miinster (with a trans lation); 8. The Great Bible. The translations, excepting the Hebrew, are given in italics, and the initials used desig nate: H., the Hebrew; V., The Vulgate; L., Luther; Z., The Ziirich version; Ma., Matthew; C, Coverdale; Mu., Munster; and G., the Great Bible. JUDGES V. 28-30. Ver. 28. H. The raother of Sisera looked down through the window, and wailed through the lattice. y. Per fenestram respiciens ululabat mater ejus, et de coenaculo loque- batur. (His mother, looking back through the ¦window, howled, and spoke from the upper room.) L. Die Mutter Sissera sahe zum fenster aus, und heulete durchs gitter. (The mother of Sisera looked out at the window, and howled through the lattice.) Z. Seyn mutter sach zum fenster ausz, vund schrey mit kiag durchs gatter. (His mother looked out at the window, and shouted with plaint through the lattice.) Ma. Through a window looked Sisera's mother, and howled through a lattice. C. His mother looked out at the window, and cried piteously through the trellis. Mu. Per fenestram prospexit et vociferata est mater Siserse, per cancellos inquam. (The mother of Sisera looked out through the window, and screamed, through the lattice, I say.) G. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice 212 The English Versions. H. Why delayeth his chariot in coming ? Why linger the paces of his chariots ? V. Cur moratur regredi currus ejus ? Quare tardaverunt pedes quadri- garum ejus ? ( Why delayeth his chariot to come back ? wherefore have been re tarded the feet of his four-horse chariots ?) L. Warum verziehet sein Wagen dass er ' nicht koramt ? Wie bleiben die Rader seiner Wagen so dahinten ? ( Why delayeth his chariot that he doth not come ? How do the wheels of his chariots stay so behind?) Z. Warumb bleibet sein wagen so lang aussen das er* nit kompt? Wa- rumb verziehend die reder seines wagens ? ( Why stayeth his chariot out so long, that he cometh not ? Why delay the wheels of his chariot ?) Ma. Why abideth his chariot so long that it cometh not? Why tarry the wheels of his waggons? C. Why tarrieth his chariot out so long that he cometh not? Where fore do the wheels of his chariot make so long tarrying ? Mu. Quare moratur currus ejus venire ? ut quid morantur vestigia quadri- garum ejus ? ( Why delayeth his chariot in coming? why are the steps of his four- horse chariots delaying ?) G. Why is his chariot so long a coraing ? Why tarry the wheels of his carts? Ver. 29. H. The wise of her noble ladies answered her: yea she made answer to herself: ¦V. Una sapientior cseteris uxoribus ejus haec socrui verba respondit. (One wiser than his other wives answered these words to her moth er-in-law. L. Die weisesteu unter seinen frauen antworteten, da sie ihre klage- worte immer wiederholte: ( The wisest among his wives answered, while she was ever repeat ing her words of complaint:) Z. Die weysest vnder seinen frawen antwurtet vnnd sprach zu jn: ( The wisest among his wives answered, and said to her [him\] .) Ma. The wisest of her ladies answered her, yea and she answered her own words herself: * Er may relate to chariot or to Sisera, Wagen being masculine. t ^« is clearly a mistake. The Great Bible. 213 C. The wisest among its ladies answered and said unto her- Mu. Sapientes quseque dominae respondebant illi, quin et ipsa sibi ipsi reddebat verba. {All the wise ladies answered her, yea she answered the words to herself.) G. All the wise ladies answered her, yea and her own words answered herself: Ver. 30. H. ShaU they not find and divide the spoil? A maiden, two maidens to the head of a warrior; the spoil of dyed garments for Sisera, the spoil of dyed garraents of embroidery, dyed garraents of double embroidery for the neck ofthe captured (maidens). V. Forsitan nunc dividit spolia, et pulcherrima feminarum eligitur ei; vestes diversorum colorum Siserae traduntur in prsdam, et supel- lex varia ad ornanda coUa congeritur. (Perhaps he now divideth the spoil, and the fairest ofthe women is chosen for him; garments of divers colors are delivered unto Sis era for booty, and variegated stuff for neck ornament is collected. ) L. Sollen sie denn nicht finden und austheilen den Raub, einem jeglich- en Mann eine Metze oder zwo zur Ausbeute, und Sissera bunte ge- stickte Kleider zur Ausbeute, gestickte bunte Kleider, um den Hals zur Ausbeute ? (Shall they then not find and divide tlie prey, to each man a maiden or two for spoil, and to Sisera variegated embroidered garments for spoil, embroidered variegated garments round the neck for spoil?) Z. SoUend sy nit finden vnd auszteilen den raub, eyn yeglichen raarui eyn schOne raatzen oder zwo zur auszbeilt, vnd Sissera bundte ge stickte kleyder zur auszbeilt, gestickte bundte kleyder vrab den halsz zur auszbetit ? (Verbatim, in the Swiss dialect, like Luther's version, which it is.) Ma. Haply they have found and divide the spoil: a raaid, yea two maids, for a piece: a spoil of diverse colours for Sisera, a spoil of divers colours with brodered works for the neck of a prey. C. Should they not find and divide the spoil, unto every man a fair maid or two for a prey, and party coloured garments of needle work to Sisera for a spoil, party coloured garments of needle-work about the neck for a prey ? Mu. Certe invenerunt, dividunl spolia: est puella vel duae puellae cuilibet viro: habet Sisera predam vestiura coloratarura, praedam inquam 214 The English Versions. vestiura vario tinctanim colore et quae acu pictae sunt: vestem dis- colorem et acu pictam, quae priori corapetit in spoliorum distri- butione. {Surely they have found, they divide the spoils; a maid, or two maids to every man; Sisera hath the booty of dyed garments, the 'booty I say of garments dyed with various colours and embroidered: a variegated embroidered garment, which is fit for a superior in the distribution of the spoils.) G. Surely they have found, they divide the spoils. Every raan hath a damsel or two. Sisera hath a prey of divers coloured garments, even of a prey dyed with sundry colors, and that are made of needle work, raiment of divers colours and of needlework, which is meet for hira that is chief in distributing of the spoils. This collation shows exactly where the different translators found their renderings, and proves, I think, that while Cover- dale consulted the Hebrew, the influence of Luther deter mined his rendering in his first version, and that of Miinster in the text of the Great Bible. It likewise shows the superi ority of Miinster's version to the Vulgate, and his failure to catch the sense of the very difficult last clause of verse 30, where Luther was on the right track, and Miinster made a blunder, which Coverdale adopted. The second example is Eadie's collation of Psalm xxiii., in everything except the translation of the Hebrew placed at the head of each separate verse; the references and italics are Ea die's, but the arrangement differs from his. The bracketed matter is added. The Hebrew is in small capitals. V. I. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Coverdale. Great Bible (iS39). The Lorde is my shepherde,' I The Lorde is my shep herde, can want nothinge. therefore'^ I can want nothing. V. 2. He shall cause me to lie down in green pastures, he SHALL LEAD ME TO (or BY) WATERS OF QUIETNESS. 1 Coverdale has not translated the "darumb" of the Ziirich Bible, but follows the Vulgate and Luther. [They use the third person of the verb ] 2 Ideo, MUnster, The Great Bible. 215 Hefedeth 3 me in a greene pas- He shalim fede rae in a grene pas ture & ledeth rae to a. fresh water.* ture, & leade me fort he e besyde ' the waters of comforte.^ V. 3. He shall REFRESH MY SOUL, HE SHALL LEAD ME IN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR HIS NAME'S SAKE. He quickeneth my soule ' and He shall converte i» my soule & bringeth me forth in the waye of bryng me forth in the pat hes ^^ of rightuousnes for his names sake. ryghteousnes for hys names sake. V. 4. Even if I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, i shall not fear evil, for thou art with me, thy staff and thy PROP, they will comfort me. Though I shulde walke now >2 Yee 16 though I walke thorow " in " the valley of the shadowe of ye valley of the shadow of death, I death, yet^* I feare no euell, for will fear no euell,^ for thou art thou art with me ; thy staffe & thy with me, thy rodde & thy stafTe shepe-hoke comfort >' me. comforte me. V. 5. Thou wilt spread before me a table in the presence of MINE adversaries, THOU WILT ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL, MY CUP is abundance. Thou preparest a table before Thou shalt prepare ^^ TitsAA&tie- me agaynst mine enemies;^ thou fore me agaynst tliem that trouble anoyntest my heade with oyle, and me,''^ thou hast 23 anoynted ray head fyllest my cuppe '"' full. with oyle, & ray cuppe shalbe full,''* V. 6. Only goodness (=happiness) and mercy will follow me all THE days of MY LIFE, AND I SHALL REMAIN IN (or perhaps RETURN TO) THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AS LONG AS I LIVE (literally LENGTH OF DAYS). Oh let thy louying kyndness & But^ (thy) louynge kyndnes & mercy folowe me all the dayes off mercy shall'^i folowe me all the my life that I maye dwells in the dayes of my lyfe, Iwill dwell^^ in house off the Lorde for euer. the house of the Lord for ever. 3 Er weidet mich, Ludier and the Ziirich. « After Luther. 6 Accubare fadet, Miinster. 6 Deducet. 7 Juxta, Miinster. 8 Aquas refrigerii, Miinster. 9 Er- quicket, Ziirich and Luther [denotes in German, to refresh.] 10 Convertet, Pagni nus. 11 In semitis, Miinster. 12 Schon, Luther, Ziirich. 13 In, Vulgate and Zii rich. 14 Doch, Ziirich. 16 Future in Hebrew. 16 Etiam, Pagninus, Miinster. 17 Per, thi! same. 18 Malum, the same [against mala, Vulgate. But that proves nothing, as the two English versions agree except in the tense of the verb]. 18 contra, Pag ninus. 20 fullest, ZUrich. 21 prseparabis, MUnster and Pagninus. 22 Adversus eos, MUnster. 23 MUnster and Pagninus. 24 Saturus, the same. 25 Vulgate and Zu rich. 2C Veruntamen, Munster and Pagninus. 27 Sequentur, the same. M Morabor, the same. "And I will dwell," being in the edition of 1540. 2i6 The English Versions. The influence of Miinster is undeniable not only in these passages, but in the others produced by Westcott and Eadie. The manner in which Coverdale successively corrected his own work is strikingly brought out in the former's collation of Isaiah liii. , where the text of Coverdale (Matthew) is com pared with Cromwell's edition of 1539, and Cranmer's of 1540, with the Zurich version and Miinster's translation. A single clause may suffice to bring this out very clearly. V. 5. Coverdale (Matthew): a. Forthe pain of our punishment *. shall be laid upon him, c. and with his stripes shall we be healed. «• (1539)= — P^'" of our pumshment (die busz unserer straaf. Ziirich). (1540): — chastisement of our peace (castigatio pacis nostrse. M.). b. (1539): — shall be laid (wirt jm auffgelegt. Z.). (1540)-: — was laid (fuit . . . super. M.). c. (1539): — shall we be healed (werdent wir gesund. Z.). (1540): — are we healed (medicatum est nobis. M.). Two or three more examples, collated by Eadie, lead to the same result: proverbs xvii. I. 1539. Whoso hath pleasure to sowe dyscorde, pycketh a quarrell in every thynge (after the Zurich). 1540. He accompanieth hym selfe with all steadfast and helthsome doc tryne, that hath a fervent desyre to it, and is sequestrate from companye. (Munster: Qui in votis est et quaerit sequestrari, hic iramiscet se omni solidze et sanae) [doctrinee] . ECCLES. XI. 5. 1539. As thou knowest not the waye ofthe wynde, nor how the bones are fylled in a mother's wombe. 1540. As thou knowest not the waye of the spirit howe he entred into the body beinge yet in a mother's wombe. (Munster: Sicut tu nescis qua via (ingrediatur) spiritus in corpus- culum cum adhuc est in utero pregnantis). zecharia IX. 16. 1539. For the stones ofhis sanctuary shal be set vp in his lande. 1540. Ffor as precious stones of a dyademe they shall be sett vp ouer his lande. (Miinster: Quia ut lapides coronae elevabuntur super terram ejus.)- The Great Bible. 217 And the following from the New Testament. In the first set the influence of Erasmus is very pronounced. The ex amples are those taken by Canon Westcott, and Professor Eadie from the list of variations in Mr. Francis Fry's A De scription of the Great Bible, etc., London, 1865, which ex hausts the subject, and is a marvel for minute and scrupulous accuracy. ROM. 1. 25. 1539. which is blessed forever. 1540. which is to be praised forever. (E.: qui est laudandus in secula). ROM. V. 15. 1539. which . . . was given by one man . . . 1540. which . . . was of one man . . . (Erasmus: quae fuit unius hominis). PHIL. I. 23. 1539. is much better. 1540. is much and far better. (E.: multo longeque melius est.) REV. XVI. 9. 1539. repented not. 1540. repented not of their evil deeds. (E. : neque egerunt scelerura pcenitentiam.) REV. XXII. 6. 1539. The Lord God of saints and prophets. 1540. The Lord God of the holy prophets. (E.: Dorainus Deus sanctorum prophetarum.) ST. JAMES I. 13. 1539. For God cannot tempt with evil, because he tempteth no man. 1540. For as God cannot be tempted with evil, so neither he hiraself tempteth any man. (E.: Nam Deus ut mails tentari non potest, ita nee ipse quem- quam tentat. There is a complete theological somersault in the render ing of 1539, answering to the Vulgate's: "Deus intentator malorum est," to the Erasmian rendering of 1540, which 2i8 The English Versions. ta.kes ctTCEipadroi xaH(3v passively (retained in A. V., 1611, and in the Wesminster, with the marginal note, "Gr., evil things "). In the next set the revision returns with Erasmus to the Vulgate. ROM. IV. 25. 1539. For to justify us. 1540. For our justification. (Vulgate: Propter justificationem nostrara.) GAL. I. 10. 1539. Do I now speak unto men or unto God? either go I about to please . . . 1540. Do I now persuade men or God? either do I seek to please .... (Vulgate: Modo enim horainibus suadeo, an Deo? an quaero ho minibus placere ?) I TIM. III. 16. 1539 was beleued on erth .... 1540 was beleued on in the worlde. (Vulgate: creditum est in mundo). In addition to the influence of Erasmus, that of the Com plutensian Polyglot was very great. In Revelation alone ninety textual changes were made on its authority; e. g. , X. 6. 1539 omits the entire clause, which in that of 1540 reads (and the earth and the things that therein are). xxi. 16. 1539. measured the city with the reed. 1540. measured the city with the (golden) reed. xxii. 9. 1539. the sayings of this book. 1540. the sayings of (the prophecy of) this book. In addition to these, the following changes are very re markable, and to be explained on the same principle: IS39 (Cromwell) . ^S40, April (Cranmer). Joshua xiv. A. gaue them their enherit- distributed to them. By aunce by lotte, as the Lord lotte they receaued their commaunded. possessions as the Lorde commaunded. The Great Bible. 219 Psalra xxviii, B. For they regarde not the worckes of the Lorde. Prov. xviii. A. Who so hath pleasure to sowe dyscorde, pycketh a quarell in euery thynge. Ecclesiastes xi. A. Isaiah ii. B. iii. D. xxxviii. B. Jeremiah xi. D. Joel i. D. Nahum ii. A. Romans i. A. C. xvi. B. Ephesians iii, C. James i. B. 2 Peter ii. C. Sende thy vitayles ouer the waters, and so shalt thou fynde them after many dayes. they go farre beyonde theyr fathers. brusshes, and headbandes. glasses and smockes. in my beast age. I am (as a meke lambe). O what a syghynge make the euell ? His archers are well deck- te and trimmed. that are called of Jesu Christ. which is blessed for euer. whych weraen labour in the Lorde. all generacyons frora tyme to tyme. for God cannot tempte vn to euyll, because he tempt eth no man. exercysed with couetous- nes. For they regarde not in ther mynde the worckes of the Lorde. He accompanieth hym selfe with all steadfast & helthsome doctryne, that hath a feruent desyre to it and is sequestrate from companye.Lay thy brede vpon weate faces, & so shalt thou finde after raany dayes. they go farre beyond the east countries. brooches and headbandes. glasses and cypresses. when myne age was short ened. I ara (as a raeke lambe an oxe). O what a syghynge make the kyne ? and his spere shaftes are soked in venira. the electe of Jesu Chryst. which is to be praysed for euer.whych labour in the Lorde. all ages worlde without ende. for as God can not be tempted with euill, so ne ther he hymselfe tempt the eny man. exercysed with robrie." * Francis Fry, A Description ofthe Great Bible, etc., London, 1865. 220 The English Versions. Coverdale was doubtless also the editor of the Great Bible of 1540 (Cranmer's), for Fulke in his Defence ofthe Transla- sions of the Bible (Parker Soc. ed. p. 68) distinctly calls the Bible of 1562, which was a reprint of 1540, "Master Cover- dale's Bible. " The prologue written by Cranmer, is marked by great sagacity and earnestness. It begins: "Concerning two sun dry sorts of people, it seemeth necessary that something be said in the entry of this book, by way of a preface or prologue; whereby hereafter it may be both the better accepted of them which hitherto could not well bear it, and also the better used of them which heretofore have misused it. For truly some there be which be too slow, and need the spur; some other seem too quick, and need more of the bridle. Some lose their game by short shooting, some by overshooting. Some ivalk too much on the left hand; some too much on the right. In the former sort be all they that refuse to read, or to hear read, the Scripture in the vulgar tongue; much worse they that let also, or discourage the other from the reading or hearing thereof. In the latter sort be they which, by their inordinate reading, indiscrete speaking, contentious disput ing, or otherwise by their licentious living, slander and hin der the word of God most of all other, whereof they would seem to be the greatest furtherers. These two sorts, albeit they be most far unlike the one to the other, yet they both deserve in effect like reproach. Neither can I well tell, whether of them I may judge the more offender, him that doth obstinately refuse so godly and goodly knowledge, or him that so ungodly, and so ungoodly abuseth the same." After a defence of the English translations; and a long ex tract from Chrysostom favoring the reading of the Bible, Cranmer resumes thus: "Therefore, in few words, to com prehend the largeness and utility of the Scripture, how it containeth fruitful instruction and erudition for every man. The Great Bible. 221 if anything be necessary to be learned, of the Holy Scripture ¦we may learn it. If falsehood shall be reproved, thereof we may gather wherewithal. If anything is to De corrected and amended; if there need any exhortation or consolation, ofthe Scripture we may well learn. In the Scriptures be the fat pas tures of the soul; therein is no venomous meat, no unwhole some thing: they be the very dainty and pure feeding. He that is ignorant shall find there what he should learn. He that is a perverse sinner shall there find his damnation to make him to tremble for fear. He that laboureth to serve God shall there find his glory, and the promise of eternal life, exhorting nim more diligendy to labour Wherefore I would advise you all, that come to the reading or hearing of this Book, which is the Word of God, the most precious jewel, and most holy relic that remaineth upon earth, that ye bring with you the fear of God, and that ye do it with all reverence, and use your knowledge thereof not to vain glory of frivolous disputation, but to the honor of God, increase of virtue, and edification both of yourselves and others " After a long extract from Gregory Nazianzen on those who do not considerately read and study the word of God, he concludes thus: "Every man that cometh to the reading of this Holy Book ought to bring with him first and foremost this fear of Almighty God; and then, next, a firm and stable purpose to reform his own self according thereunto; and so to con tinue, proceed, and prosper from time to time; showing him self to be a sober and fruitful hearer and learner. Which if he do, he shall prove at length well able to teach, though not with his mouth, yet with his living and good example; which is sure the most lively and effectuous form and manner of teaching. He that otherwise intermeddleth with this Book, let him be assured that once he shall make account therefore, when he shall have said to him, as it is written in the prophet David, 'Peccatore dicit Deus,'" etc. 222 The English Versions. This edition of the Great Bible, which is properly Cran mer's Bible, is a further revision of Coverdale of the edition of 1539, and has the following title: " The Byble in Englyshe, that is to saye the content of al the holy scrypture, both of the olde, and newe testament, with a prologe therinto, made by the revermde father in God, Thomas, archbysshop of Cantarbury. This is the Byble apoynted to the use of the churches. Prynted by Richard Grafton. * Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum, M. D. XL. " The colophon reads: "The Ende of the newe Testa ment, and of the whole Byble, fynisshed in Apryll, anno M. CCCCC. XL. A Domino factum est istud. " Although a revision, the changes introduced by Coverdale chiefly from Munster in the Old Testament, and from Erasmus in the New, are not always improvements, as may be seen by reference to the examples already given above. This seems to be the proper place for stating that this Bible, of which six editions were published between April, 1 540, and December, 1 54 1 (see above), was the Authorized Version for twenty-eight years, — and, according to Eadie, ' ' in the strict sense it is the only Authorized Version still, for the Bishops' Bible and the present" [161 1] "never had the formal sanction of royal authority." It is unquestionably inferior to Matthew's Bible as to trans lation, and objectionable, on account of numerous paraphrastic and supplementary clauses drawn from the Vulgate, of which the following are specimens: Gen. iv. 8, Cain spake with Abel hys brother [let us go furth]. Josh. ii. II, As we hearde these thynges [we were sore afraied, &] our heartes dyd fainte. Judg. ix. 49, so that [with smoke and fyre] all the men of the tower of Sichem were slayne. * Another edition (April, 1540,) vith the same title has the name of Edward Whit- cliurche as the printer. The Great Bible. 223 Psalm xxk. i, Syng unto the Lorde, O ye mightie [brynge younge rarames unto the Lorde] ascrybe unto the Lorde wor shippe and strengthe. This is a most remarkable rendering, as the reader will perceive by perusing the following translations: The Hebrew original reads: "Give unto the Lord, ye sons of the gods [i. e. ye angels], give unto the Lord glory and might," translated by the LXX: "Bring unto the Lord, ye sons of God, bring unto the Lord the sons of rams, bring unto the Lord glory and honor,'' and in the Vulgate: "Bring unto the Lord, ye sons of God, bring unto the Lord the sons of rams, bring unto the Lord glory and honor. " Psalm cxxxii. 4, nor mine eye lyddes to sloraber [nether the temples of my heade to take anye rest] . Acts v. 15, That the shadow of Peter myght shadowe sorae of them [and that they myght all be delyuered from their iu- firmytyes] . Roraans v. 2, The glory [of the chyldren] of God. Galatians v. 13, but by loue [ofthe sprete] serue one another. The whole of the Book teems with these curious and ob jectionable additions, showing very plainly the indecision and dependence, that is to say, the want of independent scholar ship on the part of Coverdale. Sometimes whole verses, e. g. two long ones at the end of Prov. v. are added; here is one added to Prov. x. 4 [whoso regardeth leasynges fedeth the wynde, and doth but followe byrdes that have taken their flyght] ; and another to Acts xiv. 7 [& all the multitude was moued at their doctryne, but Paul and Barnabas taryed styll at Lystra], after a gloss which crept into the Vulgate, where it continues in the Sixtine edition of 1590. The Great Bible (Cranmer's) has given to the Book of Common Prayer its Psalter, which in some respects is better adapted to liturgical uses than that in the Authorized Version. The latter follows more closely the Hebrew, while the former. 224 The English Versions. from the eclectic character of its composition, and the free dom of its arrangement was considered "to be more smooth and fit for song." Proctor {Hist of Common Prayer, p. 215), from whom the last citation is taken, commits three errors in one sentence, alleging that the version used in the Psalter is the old translation of the Bible, that of Tyndale and Cover- dale (1535) and Rogers (1537) which was revised by Cran mer (1539), there being no such Bible in 1535, and the re vision being made not by Cranmer but by Coverdale, and that not in 1539 but in 1540. A note added to "the order how the Psalter is appointed to be read " in the English Book of Common Prayer says that "the Psalter foUoweth the Division of the Hebrews, and the Translation of the Great English Bi ble, set forth and used in the time of king Henry the Eighth, and Edward the Sixth. " This selfsame translation is referred to in the first Prayer Book of Edward the Sixth (1549), and it has never been changed. When at the last revision of the Prayer Book in 1662 the Epistles and Gospels were taken from the New Version, the hold which Coverdale's version of the Psalter had upon the public mind was found to be too strong to venture upon the innovation. "It was found," says Westcott {History, p. 294), "it is said, smoother to sing; but this is not a full account of the matter, and it cannot be mere familiarity which gives to the Prayer Book Psalter, with all its errors and imperfections, an incomparable tenderness and sweetness. Rather we may believe that in it we can yet find the spirit of him whose work it mainly is, full of humil ity and love, not heroic or creative, but patient to accomplish by God's help the task which had been set him to do, and therefore best in harmony with the tenour of our own daily lives. " As in the Prayer Book Version the Titles of the Psalms and other matters are omitted, a few curiosities of that Version in Cranmer's Bible may here be supplied: Michtham (Ps. xvi. The Great Bible. 225 and elsewhere) is rendered "the badge of armes of David," Maschil, "instructyon in the chauntes or melodyes." The chief musician is called The Chaunter; or the psalm is in scribed to him as "to him that e-xcelleth in songs of musick, or on Gittith," etc., or "to him that excelleth among the lyl ies," Ps. xiv. The inscription of Ps. xxvi. reads: "A Psalm of David [afore he was embalmed] "; and the title of Ps. xxix: ' 'A Psalm of David at the perfourmynge of the Tabernacle. " A synoptical presentation of a few passages from the Prayer Book Version and that of the Authorized Version will be found interesting and suggestive. Prayer Book. Authorized Version. Ps. xix. 2. One day telleth another; and Day unto day uttereth speech; one night certifieth another. . 4. Their sound is gone forth into all lands: and their words into the ends of the world. ¦ 7. the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom un to the simple. ¦ 12. Who can tell how oft he of fendeth: 13. so shall I be undefiled and in nocent from the great offence. II. Serve the Lord in fear: and re joice unto him with rever ence. 5 . Now for the comfortless troub les' sake of the needy : and because of the deep sigh ing of the poor, 6. I wiU up, saith the Lord: and I will help every one I will set him in safety frora frora hira that swelleth against lum that puffeth at him. hira, and will set hira at rest. P and night unto night sheweth knowledge. Their line is gone out through all the earth: and their words to the ends of the world. the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the siraple. Who can understand his er rors? Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Serve the Lord with fear: and rejoice with trembling. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now wUl I arise, saith the Lord ; 226 The English Versions. xxvii. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord, which Iwill require : even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and to visit his tera ple. xiv. 5. Good luck have thou wilh thine honour: ride on, because of the word of truth, of meekness, and righteousness; and thy right hand .shall teach thee terrible things. Ixii. 9. As for the children of men, they are but vanity: the children of men are de ceitful upon the weights, they are altogether lighter than vanity itself. Ixxviii. 17. He brought water out of the stony rock: so that it gushed out like the rivers. cxxvii. 2. It is but lost labour that ye ha.=te to rise up early, and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. cxlvii. 8. Who covereth the heavens with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth: and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men; ~—— g. who giveth fodder unto the cattle: and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him. One thing have I desired ofthe Lord, that will I seek after: that I raay dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.And in thy majesty ride pros perously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. Surely raen of low degree are vanity, and men of high de gree are a lie : to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity. He brought streams also out ofthe rock: and caused waters to run down like rivers. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Who covereth the heavens with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the raountains. He giveth to the beast his food, aud to the young ravens which cry. The Great Bible. 227 10. He hath no pleasure in the He delighteth not in the strength of an horse: strength ofthe horse: neither delighteth he in any he taketh not pleasure in the man's legs. legs of a raan. During the eventful years of the closing reign of the most disgraceful monarch that ever sat on the British throne, the fortune of the Bible trembled in the balance, for the dean of Chichester truly says* that "when Henry wished to in timidate the clergy, he threatened them with an authorized version," and "when he would ruin their favour he pre scribed it." The four last editions of the Great Bible, namely those of November 1540,^ and of May, November and December 1541, exhibit in the frontispiece, fully described above, the space occupied with the heraldic shield of Cromwell in the first three editions, as a blank, and state in the title-page (of those of November 1540, May and November 1541) "oversene and perused at the commaundemente of the Kynges Hyghnes, by the ryght reverende fathers in God, Cuthbert bysshop of Duresme, and Nicolas bisshop of Rochester. Printed by Ed ward, Whitchurch "; and on that of the last edition of De cember 1 54 1, " The Byble .... with a prologe thereinto, made by the reverende father in God, Thomas archebisshop of Canterbury. — This is the Byble appoynted to the use of the Churches. — Printed by Richard Grafton : Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum An. do. MDXL." The colophon is — "The ende ofthe Newe Testamente, and ofthe whole Bible, Finysshed in December MCCCCCXLI. -|-. A domino fac tum est istud. This is the Lordes Doynge." The omissions and changes are highly significant. The disappearance of Cromwell's arms denotes his fall and behead ing which took place between the publication of the third and • Lives of tlie Archbishops ef Canterbury, Second Series, I. p. 334, sq-]. 228 The English Versions. fourth editions of the Great Bible. The editions of 1540 and 1 54 1 with the official reference to a strictly nominal revision by the two bishops, Tonstal and Heath, indicate that they were published agreeably to the provisions of the Act of 1538 commanding that all published books should have the sanc tion of the king, a privy councillor, or a bishop. They were compelled to give their names to the work; and the title-page of those editions of the Bible is simply an imposture, for there is no evidence whatever that they had revised the version, and is a curious illustration of the mutations of human affairs, for this Tonstal is the self-same man who burned so many of Tyndale's Bibles, and was constrained finally to father a ver sion, of which so great a portion was T}ndale's work. It is instructive to supplement the preceding paragraph by a passage from The Supplication of the Poor Commons to the King, published not later than 1546, in which the bishops are referred to thus: "When your Majesty appointed two of them (Tonstal and Heath) to overlook the translation of the Bible, they said they had done your Highness' com mandment therein: yea, they set their names thereunto: but when they saw the world somewhat like to wring on the other side, they denied it, and said they never meddled therewith, causing the printer to take out their names, which were erst set before the Bible, to certify to all men that they had diligently perused it, according as your Highness had commanded."* This would seem to account for their names being 'Iropped from the title-page of the last edition of this series, printed by Grafton. He had risked ;^5oo, in the first edition of 1539, and the capital invested in the subsequent editions must have been very considerable, it being remembered that a pound sterling at that time had the value of about fifteen pounds now; in * Strype, vol. i. pt. i. p. 612. The Great Bible. 229 other words, the purchasing power of money then was fifteen times greater than of money now. A penny a day {i, e., fif teen pence, or thirty cents) was a farm laborer's daily wages; and ten pounds a year {i, e., £1^0, or $750) was the salary of Udal, the head-master at Eton. The extent to which Grafton was pecuniarily interested in these editions cannot be accurately determined, for it appears that Anthony Marler, a London haberdasher, had supplied a large amount of money, and it was, with a view to reimburse him that the Privy Coun cil "agreed that Anthony Marler of London, merchant, might sell the Bibles of the Great Bible unbound for x. j. sterling, and bound, being trimmed with bullyons, for xii. s. sterling," and that royal proclamations were issued on May 7, 1540, ordering all churches to provide themselves with a Bible of the largest volume, and on May 6, 1541, which latter after com menting upon the failure of many towns and parishes to pro vide Bibles, declared that "the curats and parishioners of every town and parish within this realm of England, not having already Bibles provided within their parish churches, shall on this side the Feast of All Saints next coming, buy and provide Bibles of the largest and greatest volume, and cause the same to be set and fixed in every one of the said parish churches; there to be used as is aforesaid, according to the said former injunctions, upon pain that the curat and inhabitants of the parishes and towns, shall lose and forfeit to the King's Majesty, for every month that they shall lack and want the said Bible, after the same feast of All Saints, 40 s., the one half of the same forfeit to be to the King's Majesty, and the other half to him or them which shall first find and present the same to the King's Majesties Council. And finally, the King's Royal Majesty doth declare and signily to all and singular his loving subjects, that to the intent they may have the said Bibles of the greatest volume, at equal and reason able prices, his Highness, by the advice of his Council, hath 230 The English Versions. ordained and taxed that the sellers thereof shall not take for any of the said Bibles unbound, above the price of ten shil lings; and for any ofthe said Bibles well and sufficiently bound, trimmed and clasped, not above twelve shillings, upon pain the seller to lose, for any Bible sold contrary to his High- ness's proclamation, four shillings; the one moiety thereof to the King's Majesty, and the other moiety to the finder and presenter of the defaulter, as is aforesaid. . . . God save the King." CHAPTER IX. THE ENGLISH BIBLE DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS OF HENRY VIII. AND UNDER TIIE REIGNS OF EDWARD VI., AND MARY. The period indicated in the title is one of retrogression rather than of advance. At a meeting of Convocation in 1542, at the instance of Gardyner, a motion prevailed that the Great Bible should be revised "according to that Bible which is usually read in the English church." That Bible was the Vulgate, and the work of revision was assigned to the bishops as far as the New Testainent was concerned, while that of the Old was left in the hands of members of the Lower House. After sundry meetings, and the appointment of Joint Committees, Gardyner presented a list of about a hundred Latin words which he wished either retained in their original form "for their genuine and native meaning, and for the ma jesty of the matter in them contained," or "fitly Englished with the least alteration. " It is very curious and significant; the words are these: "Ecclesia, poenitentia, pontifex, ancilla, contritus, holocausta, justitia, justificare, idiota, elementa, . From Henry VIII. to Mary. 231 baptizare, martyr, adorare, dignus, sandalium, simplex, te- trarcha, sacramentum, simulacrum, gloria, conflictationes, ceremonia, mysterium, religio, spiritus sanctus, spiritus, mer- ces, confiteor tibi pater, panis propositionis, communio, per- severare, dilectus, sapientia, pietas, presbyter, lites, servus, opera, sacrificium, benedictio, humilis, humilitas, scientia, ge'ntilis, synagoga, ejicere, misericordia, complacui, incre- pare, distribueretur orbis, inculpatus, senior, apocalypsis, satisfactio, contentio, ¦ conscientia, peccatum, peccator, ido- lum, prudentia, parabola, magnifico, oriens, subditus, di- drachma, hospitalitas, episcopus, gratia, charitas, tyrannus, concupiscentia, cisera, apostolus, apostolatus, egenus, stater, societas, zizania, christus, conversari, profiteor, impositio ma- nuum, idolatria, inenarrabilis, infidelis, paganus, commilito, virtutes, dominationes, throni, potestates, hostia."* What sort of an English version that would have been which gave these words either unchanged or englished, the reader may determine. The proposition was simply preposterous, and Cranmer killed it by influencing the king to refer the matter to the universities, which did nothing. The reaction, however, continued, for Parliament in 1543 passed an Act for the "Advancement of true religion," f from which the following are extracts: "That all manner of books of the Old and New Testament of (Tyndale's) translation should by authority of this Act clearly and utterly be abol ished and extinguished, and forbidden to be kept and used in this realm or elsewhere, in any of the king's dominions. " " That no manner of persons .... should take upon them to read openly to others in any church or open assembly, within any of the king's dominions, the Bible or any part of the Scripture in English, unless he was so appointed thereunto * Fuller, Church History, ii. p. io8. t 34 and 35, Henry VIII. i. 232 The English Versions. by the king, or by any ordinary, on pain of suffering one hundred months' imprisonment." .... "eveiy nobleman and gentlewoman, being a householder, may read or cause to be read, by any of his family, servants in his house, or chard, or garden, to his own family, any text of the Bible; and also every merchantman, being a householder, and any other persons, other than women, apprentices, etc., might read to themselves privately the Bible." Three years later (in 1546), doubtless in consequence of numerous evasions of that ridiculous act, it was renewed in more relentless terms, and extended to the works of Cover- dale, Frith, Wyclif, Joye, Roye, Turner, Tracy, etc., which were to be surrendered and burned. To this period belongs the destruction of the earlier bibles and testaments, and the rigorous enforcement of the last named act accounts for the few copies that have been preserved, and the mutilated form in which they are met with, for the removal of the obnoxious title page was the simplest way to save the book from the flames. Thus stood the case when Henry died (Jan. 28, 1547). The story of the Bible, given by Strype (on the authority of Bal. de viris illustr. ) in connection with the coronation of Ed ward VI. deserves repetition: "When three swords were brought, signs of his being king of three kingdoms, he said, there was one yet wanting. And when the nobles about him asked him what that was, he answered, the Bible .... That book is the Sword of the Spirit, and to be preferred be fore these swords .... and he commanded the Bible with the greatest reverence to be brought and carried before him. " * One of the earliest acts of Edward VI. was the repeal of the obnoxious measures against the English Bible, and the order for a royal visitation with injunctions, by which " the parsons, vicars, and curates were required to provide, within three '^ Eecles. Mem., ii. 35. From Henry VIII. to Mary. 233 moneths next after this visitation, one book of the whole Bi ble of the largest volume in English," and "within one twelve-monethe next after the said visitation the paraphrasis of Erasmus also in English, upon the Gospels and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church, etc." .... The parsons were likewise required "to dis courage no man, authorized and licensed thereto, from the reading of any part of the Bible, so set up in churches, either in Latin or English, but rather to comfort and exhort every person to read the same as the very lively word of God, and the special food of man's soul that all christian persons are bound to embrace, believe and follow, if they look to be saved " The injunctions further required the bish ops to examine whether parsons, vicars, curates, chauntery priests, and stipendiaries, under the degree of a bachelor of divinity, had of their own the New Testament both in Latin and English, with the paraphrase of Erasmus upon it, and how far they had profited in the Holy Scripture; also that the Epistle and Gospel were read in English in the time of high- mass, and a chapter of the New Testament in English at mat- tins, and one of the Old Testament at evening, and that when the priest read the Scripture, no manner of persons, without a just and urgent cause, should depart out of the church. * There was published in 1547 an edition of the New Testa ment in English and Latin "of Mayster Erasmus Translacion, with the Pystles taken out of the Old Testament; " there ap pear to have been published in this reign altogether thirty-five editions of the New Testament and thirteen of the whole Bi ble, distributed as follows: 3 of Coverdale (2 in 1550, i in 1553); 7 of Cranmer's Bible, and 8 of his Testament, 5 of Matthew's Bible; 2 of Taverner (1549, 1551); 24 editions of Tyndale's or Matthew's New Testament; there was also an edi- * Cardwell, Doc. Annals, i. 8. Lewis, History, etc., pp. 157, 158. 234 The English Versions. tion of the New Testament at Worcester (1550) sold by royal order at 2 2d; and besides the Latin-English Testament of 1547, two others with the paraphrase of Erasmus, translated by Nicholas Udall (1548, 1549). The edition of 1548 con cludes with the Epistle to the Hebrews, and Udall states in fulsome language in the Preface to St. John that the Princess Mary did part of the translation thus: "It male never bee halfe enough to praise and magnifie hir Grace for takyng suche greate studie, peine and travaill in translatyng this paraphrase of Erasmus upon the ghospell of Jhon, at your Highnesse special contemplacion, as a noumbre of right well learned men would both have made courtesie at, and also would have brought to wurse frame in the dooyng " . . . . and further on, after adverting to the fact that owing to her sickness Dr. Malet (her confessor) had finished it, he proceeds to say that if she had put the finishing touch to it, ' ' have put her fyle to the polishing thereof, where it is nowe alreadie veraye abso lute and perfect, it would then, emong the rude and homelye dooynges of myself, and such as I am, none otherwise have glittered then clothe of gold empowdered emong patches of canvesse, or perles and diamonds among pebblestones. " The edition of 1549 which brought the Revelation in a translation of Leo Judas's Paraphrase on the Revelation, has this curious colophon; "The ende of the Revelacion of St. John, thus brefely expounded by the seruaunt of Christ, Leo Jude, a minister in the church of Tigury, and translated of the High Duche by Edmond Allen. " Tigury means Ziirich, and High Duche the Swiss dialect of German. The fragment of an original translation from the Greek, which until 1843* remained in Manuscript, by Sir John * The Gospel according to Saint Matthew and part qf the first chapter of the Gospel according to St. Mark, translated into English fro7n the Greek, ¦with orig inal notes. By Sir John Cheke, Kt., etc. Edited by James Godwin, B.D., Cam bridge- 1843. From Henry VIII. to Mary. 235 Cheke, at one time professor of Greek at Cambridge, and tu tor to Edward VI. , belongs to this period (1550). It con tains St. Matthew's gospel, all but the last ten verses of the last chapter, and the first twenty verses of the first chapter of St. Mark's gospel. It is divided into chapters, but not into verses. His object seems to have been to saxonize the Eng lish version and to expel from it every vestige of Latin, for which purpose he used a number of words, either obsolete or coined, e. g., wizards (wise men); toller (publican); tobler (money-changer) ;/r(?«»/ (apostle); biword (parable); gainbirth (regeneration); uprising and gainrising (resurrection); yv'^j;^- men (proselytes); hu?idr eder {centurion) \ " beggars be gospelled" (Matth. xi. 5), and " brood gards and large welts" (xxiii. 5) are specimens of his curious phrases, and crossed (crucified), devild {y'lii. 25), »zoo«^(/ (lunatic), ^nd groundwrought {ioMndsA) samples of his participles. A few examples giving several con secutive verses and his antiquated spelling follow. MATTHEW I.* 17. Therefor from Abraham unto David, there wer fourteen degrees; and from David unto the out-peopling to Babylon, fourteen degrees; and from the out -peopling to Babylon unto Christ, fourteen degrees. * Strype, Life of Sir John Cheke, pp. 163, 164. Sir John Cheke studiously carefiil to reduce English writing and spell ing to fixed principles, recommended the oraission of e at the end of words, as needless and unexpressive, where it is mute, and proposed to write; excus, giv, deceiv, prais, commun; and to double the letter where sounded, e. g., necessitee; a long, he proposed to mark by doubling the letter, thus: maad, straat, daar; I long, likewise to be writ with a double letter, thus : desiir, liif; y to be thrown out of the alphabet as useless, and to be supplied with i, as mi, sai, awai; « long he wrote with a long stroke over it, as in presHm; the other vowels to be written with double letters, as weer, theer, noo, noon, adoo, thoos, loov; letters without sound to be thrown out, as frutes, wold, faut, dout, again for against, hole, meen for fnean; he also wrote : gud, britil, praisabil, sufferabil. — He like wise favored what is now called the Continental method of pronouncing Greek; and there is a good story, which Richard Cheiiy told Sir William Cecil in connection with it. Cheny took part at Oxford in a conversation on the subject in favor of the Continental against the then prevalent Eng- 236 The English Versions. j8. And Jesus Christs birth was after this sort. After his raother Mari was ensured to Joseph, before thei weer cupled together, she was preived to be with chUd; and it was indeed by the Holi Ghoost. 19. But Joseph her husband, being a just man, and loth to use exlremi- tee toward her, entended privili to divorse hiraself frora her. 20. And being in this mind, lo the angel of the Lord appeired bi dream, etc. MATTHEW n. 16. Then Herod seeing that he was plaid withal by the wise-heards, etc. ST. MATTHEW VII. 1 4-22: And Jesus cam in to Peters hous, and saw his moother in law laid down and sick of ye a;|;ess, and he touched her bi y« hand and ye a;i;es left her, and sche roos and served them. And late in ye evening yei brought him mani yt was devilled, and with his word he cast out ye sprits, and healed al yt weer il at ease, yt Jsale ye popheets wordes which he spaak might be fiilfiUed. He hath taken our weaknes on hira, and hath born our sickness. And Jesus seeing rauch resort about hira cdraandera yem to go to y" fur side of ye water. And on of y' scribes cam and said vnto him. Master J wil folow ye whiyersoever you goost. and Jesus said vnto hira. Foxes hath dens, and y' birds of y'aier hath nests, but y" son of man hath not wheer he mai lai his hed. And an oyer of his disciples said vnto him. Sir suffer me first to depart, and buri mi fayer. And Jesus said vnto him folow me and let y' deed buri_yeer deed. YE GOSPEL BI SAINT MARK.* The first chapter, ver. g-i3- And it happend at that time Jesus cam from Nazareth of Galilai, and was wasched of Joann in Jordaan. And as soon as he cam vp frora y" lish raethod, saying: "Beware my masters that whilst you wilfully go about to defend an untruth in this matter, you fall into such an inconven ience as I once knew a bishop do." That bishop, he said, upheld as you do the untrue pronunciation of the letters rjra [that is as e in the word me], and being desired to read a few words from Matth. xxviii., read mong others these [pronouncing them as marked] " e-lie, e-lie " ; where upon Cheny said: "Making false Greek, but true English, pronouncing plainly, I ly, I ly." Strype's Cheke, p. 161. * A fragment, closing abruptly: "and thei cam into Capemaura, and " (I- 2I)- From Henry VIII. to Mary. 237 water, he saw y» heavens departed,* and y" ghoost to come down lijk a doov on him. And theer cam a voice from y" heavens, thou art mi wet beloved son, bi whoom I am wel contented. And bi and bi y' ghoost threw him in to y» wildemes, and he was theer in y" wildemes foorti daies tempted of y' devd, and he was among wild beestes, and gods mefsen- gers ministerd vnto him. kvEvetO. thoos thinges, which god doth bi his povidence, who ruleth and order- eth al thinges, and ye cause theerof is vnseen and vnknowen vnto vs, we cal hap and chans, although in deed theer be nothing doon without his councel, no not ye falling down of a litil bird or a heer of oons hed, who worketh al thinges in al men. Under the reign of that "most vertuous, most wittie and most studious Ladie Marie," as the sycophantic Udall called her, or of that ' ' bloody Mary " as she lives and is execrated in the memory of the people, no edition of the Bible was printed in England, but Rogers and Cranmer were martyred, and Coverdale, as has been narrated before, escaped to the Continent, What she did for the Bible may be gathered from the tenor of the following mandate issued by Bonner, bearing date Oct, 25, 1554 " Because some children of in iquity, given up to carnal desires and novelties, have by many ways enterprised to banish the ancient manner and order of the church, and to bring in and establish sects and heresies; taking from thence the picture of Christ, and many things be sides instituted and observed of ancient time laudably in the same; placing in the room thereof such things, as in such a place it behoved them not to do; and also have procured, as a stay to their heresies (as they thought), certain Scriptures wrongly applied to be painted upon the church-walls; all which per sons tend chiefly to this end — that they might uphold the lib erty of the flesh, and marriage of priests, and destroy, as much as lay in them, the reverent sacrament of the altar, and might extinguish and enervate holy-days, fasting-days, and other laudable discipline of the Catholic Church; opening a * For a similar use of depart see the Liturgies of 1549, 1552, 1559, and the Scotch Liturgy. Keeling, Liturgiee Britannicte, Form of Solemnization of Matrimony. 238 The English Versions. window to all vices, and utterly closing up the way unto vir tue: wherefore we, being moved with a Christian zeal, judg ing that the premises are not to be longer suffered, do, for discharge of our duty, commit unto you jointly and severally, and by the tenor hereof do straitly charge and command you, that at the receipt hereof, with all speed convenient, you do warn, or cause to be warned, first, second and third time, and peremptorily, all and singular churchwardens and parish ioners whosoever, within our aforesaid diocese of London (wheresoever any such Scriptures or paintings have been at tempted), that they abolish and extinguish such manner of Scriptures, so that by no means they be either read or seen; and therein to proceed, moreover, as they shall see good and laudable in this behalf And if, after the said monition, the said churchwardens and parishioners shall be found remiss and negligent, or culpable, then you, jointly and severally, shall see the foresaid Scriptures to be razed, abolished, and extin- quished forthwith. " This was of course directed against the very ancient usage (it was observed in the days of Ambrose, see Bingham, Orig. Eccl. vol. iii. ), introduced in the preced ing reign, of writing texts of Scripture on the church walls, and as one of the favorite texts used is said to have been I John v. 21, in the version of Tyndale and the Great Bible: "Babes, kepe youre selues from ymages," it would seem' that the sentences chosen bore more especially on Romish super stitions, and that may account for the savage mandate of Bon ner. The public or open reading of the Scriptures had been prohibited already by a proclamation, dated Aug. 18, 1553; a second issued, June 13, 1555, prohibited the importation of the works of twenty-five authors, such as Tyndale, Cover- dale, Cranmer, Latimer, etc. : and a third, published only five months before the happy death of Mary, ordered wicked and seditious books to be given up without delay, on pain of death by martial law. But though there is no record of an The Genevan Bible. 239 edict against the Bible by name, there is no doubt that with Arundel's Constitution in full force, whereby any one was to be punished as a fautor of heresy who read any of the Scrip tures of Wiclif's translation, or of the translation of any one after his time, no special edict was needed, and the spirit of the period may be gathered from an address of the Lower House of Convocation to the Upper that all suspect transla tions of the Old and New Testament, the authors whereof are recited in a statute made the xxxiv. Henry VIII. , might be destroyed and burnt throughout the realme (Burnet, Hist, of the Reformation, vol. ii. ). But though Mary and her instigators and minions sought to stamp out the Word of God in the English tongue in Eng land, and to destroy its lovers with fire and sword, it had free course abroad, and presently arose in a new translation, of which we shall now give the history. CHAPTER X. THE GENEVAN BIBLE. Probably not less than eight hundred persons, including five bishops, five deans, fifty distinguished divines, and several persons of high rank sought refuge on the continent from the impending storm of persecution. Quite a number of them had repaired to Geneva, where, mainly through the influence of Calvin, they met with hospitable reception, were accorded the privileges of citizenship, and allowed to worship God ac cording to their religious convictions in a church specially granted them for that purpose. Conspicuous among the English exiles at Geneva were William Whittingham, Thomas Sampson, Anthony Gilby, 240 The English Versions. Thomas Bodleigh, Miles Coverdale, John Knox, Christopher Goodman, Thomas Cole, and John Pullain, who are repre sented by different writers as engaged in the prodr.ction of the Genevan version of the Bible. They may all have had some share in it, but it seems established that the great bulk of the work was done by three of their number, Whittingham, Gilby, and Sampson, and that the lion's share of it devolved on the first of these, William Whittingham. He had been educated at Oxford, had travelled in France, been chosen minis ter of the English congregation at Geneva, and had married the sister of John Calvin's wife. * It is important to distinguish the New Testament of this version published in 1557, from that which appeared in the whole Bible, published in 1560. The former is a duodecimo volume, entitled: The Newe Testament of ovr Lord fesus Christ. Conferred dilegently with the Greke, aud best approued translations. With the arguments, as wel before the Chapters, as for euery Boke &" Epistle, also di ner sities of readings, and moste proffitable annotations of all harde places: wherunto is added a copious Table. At Geneva, Printed by Conrad Badius. M. D. LVII. In the colophon the same words are repeated with the addition, "this X day of June." A singularly quaint woodcut of Time with wings, scythe, and hour-glass, engaged in helping Truth out of the grave, appears likewise on the title-page accompanied by the motto: "God by Tyme restoreth Trvth, and maketh her victoriovs. " After the Table of Contents follows "The Epistle, declaring that Christ is the end of the law, by John Calvin"; which is succeeded by an Address to the Reader, in which the reviser, * The notice found in many books that he married Calvin's sister is false, although it was inscribed on a tombstone in Durham Cathedral, The official entry in the ar chives of the English exiles at Geneva reads: " William Whittingham of Chester in England, and Catherine Jaquemaine of Orleans in France, were married Nov. is, »556: presented a son for baptism August 17, 1557." The Genev'an Bible. 241 ¦without giving his name, speaks in the first person singular, and claims the authorship, and says concerning the revision, "As touching the perusing of the text it was diligently revised by the most approved Greek examples, and conference of translations in other tongues, as the learned may easily judge both by the faithful rendering of the sentence, and also by the propriety of the words and perspicuity of the phrase. Further more that the reader might be by all means profited, I have divided the text into verses* and sections according to the best editions in other languages. " The use of supplemental words necessary to bring out the sense of the original in the English idiom is indicated "in such letters as may easily be discerned from the common text. " Concerning the marginal notes he says: "To my knowledge I have omitted nothing unexpounded whereby he that is anything exercised in the Scriptures of God might justly complain of hardness: and also .... I have explicate all such places by the best learned in terpreters as either were falsely expounded by some or else absurdly applied by others. . . . Some time, where the place is not greatly hard, I have noted with this mark (") that which may serve to the edification of the reader. Moreover, the diverse readings, according to diverse Greek copies, which stand but in one word, may be known by this note ("), and if the books do alter in the sentence, then is it noted with this star (*), as the quotations are." Before giving a few extracts from this the first Genevan New Testament of 1557, I cannot but deplore the mistaken judgment of the reproduction of the text of that edition in Bagster's Hexapla in lieu of that of 1560, first because the latter, on account of its intrinsic superiority possesses a critical value in which the first is deficient, and secondly, because the critical importance which the version of 1557 does possess is • First introduced in Robert Stephens' edition (of 1551) of the Greek Testament. 242 The English Versions. derived from the annotations, which in Bagster's reprint are omitted. The Genevan New Testament of 1557 is Tyndale's version, collated with the Great Bible, which in the New Testament is likewise based on that version, and a strong leaning on Beza, with the result of a substantial agreement with Tyn dale, a less frequent difference from him and agreement with the Great Bible, and an occasional difference from both and agreement with Beza. The two examples which follow are taken from this version: ST. LUKE I. 1-4. I . For asmuch as raany haue taken in hand to write the historic of those thynges, whereof we are fully certified, 2. Euen as they declared them vnto us, which from the begynnyng saw thera their selues, and were ministers AT the doyng (margin: or, of the thing); 3. It seemed good also to me (moste nooble Theophilus) as sone as I had learned per fectly all thynges from the beginnyng, to wryte vnto thee thereof frotn poynt to poynt; 4. That thou mightest acknowlage the trueth of those thinges where in thou hast bene broght vp. The words in italics are new renderings, with the exception of "the trueth" (verse 4), which had been used by Wiclif (1380); the words printed in small capitals agree with Tyn dale's version of 1534, the rest with the Great Bible of 1539. After noting these agreements, the differences between the version of the Genevan New Testament and the Great Bible of 1539 will be found very instructive. These are: verse i, to set forth the declaracion .... which are most surely to be beleued amonge us; verse 2, . . . delyuered . . . them(selves); verse 3, I determined . . . good (Theophilus) . . . searched out dyligently; verse 4, knowe the certente .... whereof thou hast bene informed. — Of these again, " I determined, searched out dyligently, and, knowe the certente," agree liter ally, as well as, ' ' whereof thou hast bene informed " (for which Tyndale reads, whereof thou art informed), with the latter. The Genevan Bible. 243 GALATIANS L I-IO. I. Paul an Apostle (not of men, nether by man, but BY Jesus Christe, and by God the Father which raysed HIM from death) 2. And all the brethren which are with me, vnto the Churches of Galatia: 3. Grace (be) to YOU and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Iesus Christ. 4. Which gaue him selfe for our synnes, to deliuer vs from this present euil world ac cording to the wyl of God our Father. 5. to whom (be) prayse for euer and euer. Amen. 6. I marueyle that ye are so sone tourned vnto another Co'&y'el, forsak ing him that called you vnto the grace of CHRIST. 7. Se ing there is no nother: BUT THAT THERE BE SOME which TROUBLE YOU, AND INTEND TO PERUERT THE GOSPEL OF Christ. 8. But thogh that we, or an Angel from heuen, preache vnto you, otheriuaies, then that which we haue preached vnto you, holde him as accursed. 9. As we SAYD BEFORE, SO SAY I NOW AGAYNE, YF ANY MAN PREACHE VNTO YOU otherivaies, then that ye haue receaued, holde him ACCURSED. 10. For nott/ preache I mans (doctrine) or God's ? other go I about to please men ? for if I studied yet TO please men, I were not the seruant of Christe. Here again the words in italics are new renderings, those in small capitals agree with Tyndale of 1 534, the rest with the Great Bible. Of the new renderings the first, ' ' churches, " is evidently influenced by Beza {ecclesiis); the rest are in so far original that they had never before appeared in English, but Luther has in verse 7, " sa doch kein anderes ist, " and in verse 8, "aber so auch wir," and "anders," and in verse 10, "denn itzt." The differences between the Genevan Bible and the Great Bible of 1539 are: verse i, (raysed him) vp; verse 2, congregacyons of Galacia; verse 3, with (you); verse 6, (turned) from Christ which called you by grace (vnto another gospell) ; verse 7, which is nothynge els ... ; verse 8, Neuerthelesse though we oure selues . . . eny other gospell vnto you . . . 244 The English Versions. let hym be (acursed); verse 9, . . . (preache) eny other gos pell vnto you ... let him be accursed; verse 10, Do I now speake vnto men or unto God ? . . . . (yO I had hitherto studyed. These two examples show very clearly, what any one may verify by examination of other passages, that the Genevan ver sion of 1557 is substantially a revision of Tyndale. Among some of its peculiar readings are the following: St. Matth. ix. 16, " No man peceth an olde garment with a pece of new clothe and vndressed. For that same piece taketh away some thing from the garment, and the cutte is made worse; " xi. 17, "we haue songe mourning songes vnto you; " xviii. 8, 9, "cause thee to offend;" 17, "if he will not vouchsafe to hear;" 18, "and if he refuse to hear.' St. Mark xii. 14, " for thou considerest not the personne of men. " St. Luke xviii. 3, " do me iustice against myne adversarie." St. John vi. 9, "there is a little boy here;" viii. 33, "ye shalbe re stored to libertie?" xxvii. 9, "because also the tyme of the Fast was passed" (compare Wiclif: "for that fastynge was passid"); 13, "lowsed nearer" (compare "Asson"in Wic lif, Tyndale, and Great Bible); etc. Most of the passages cited display not only independent judgment, but advanced scholarship, and the general execution of the work, as well as the notes to be considered at some length below, account for the great popularity of the different editions of the Gen evan version. Copies of the first edition of the Genevan New Testament had found their way into England before the death of Mary, as is evident from the declaration of John Living, a priest under arrest, that he had been robbed in the jailor's house in Paternoster Row of his purse, his girdle, his psalter, and a New Testament of Geneva. The accession of Elizabeth in November, 1558, enabled the exiles to return to England, and when, in their own The Genevan Bible. 245 language, "the Lord had showed mercy unto England by the removal of Queen Mary by deathe, and placing the Queen's Majesty that now is, in the seate," the more im portant work of the revision of the whole Bible, on which several were engaged "for the space of two years and more day and night," had already progressed to a certain extent, but "Whittingham with one or two more did tarry at Ge neva an year and a half after Q. Elizabeth came to the crown, being resolved to go through with the work. " * These two were in all probability Anthony Gilby, and Thomas Sampson. Some account has already been given of Whittingham; of Gilby, it is known that he was educated at Christ's College, Cam bridge, and received on his return to England the vicarage of Ashby-de la Zouch. In a recommendation on his behalf, occurs the statement, ' ' that it is doubtful whether he is a greater linguist, or a more competent scholar, and profound divine. " Sampson was an Oxford man, and on his return from exile, was made dean of Christ's Church, Oxford, in 156 1. As he was an intimate friend of Tremellius, the great oriental scholar, who published in 1569 a Latin version of the Syriac New Testament, with a Chaldee and Syriac grammar, and in 1579, a Latin Bible translated from the Hebrew, we can hardly err in pronouncing him a Hebrew scholar. The Genevan Bible was finished and published in April, 1560, and bears the title: The Bible and Holy Scriptures con teyned in the Olde and Newe Testament, translated according to the Ebrue and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languages. With most profitable annotations vpon all the harde places, and other thinges of great importance, as may ap- peare in the Epistle to the Reader. At Geneva, printed by Raul- and Hall-f'M.D'LX. Beneath is a woodcut of the Israelites passing through the * Wood, Athente, Oxon., a. v. Whittingham. t He also was a refugee. 246 The English Versions. Red Sea, with a double motto, the one above and below the cut being: "The Lord shall fighte for you, therefore hold you your peace," Exodus xiv. 14; and that on the sides: "Feare ye not, stand still, and beholde the salvation of the Lorde which he will shew to you this day. Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth them out of all," Psalm xxxiv. 19.* Then follow, A dedication to the Queen; And an Epistle to the Reader. In the tide to the Newe Testament the same woodcut and mottoes are repeated. After the Book of Reve lation is: — A Brief Table of the interpretation of the proper names which are chiefly founde in the Old Testament, etc. — The order of the yeres etc. — The end. Joshua i. 8 : " Let not the boke of the Law depart out of thy mouth, but med itate therein daye and night. " The expense of this first edition of the Genevan Bible was borne by the English congregation at Geneva, of which John Bodleigh or Bodley, the father of Sir Thomas Bodley, the founder of the Bodleian Library at Oxford, was a generous member; and to him was granted, on his return to England, the patent of printing that edition for seven years; the exten sion of the same for twelve years longer, alleged by some, appears to be a mistake. The original edition of the Genevan Bible was a quarto volume, and is often called the "Breeches Bible" from its rendering of Gen. iii. 7: "They sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves breeches. " f The Dedication to the Queen is free from flattery, and singularly outspoken. It runs: "The eyes of all that fear * Probably an allusion to the deliverance from exile by the accession of Elizabeth. t The same term is used in the Wiclifite versions for " perizomata," and in the Gold en Legends, printed by Caxton in 1503, the passage is rendered: " And thenne they toke fygge levys, & sewed them togyder for to cover their membres in the manner of breches." It is therefore not an original rendering of the Genevese translators. The Genevan Bible. 247 God in all places behold your countries, as an example to all that believe, and the prayers of all the godly at all times are directed to God for the preservation of your majesty. For, considering God's wonderful mercies towards you at all sea sons, who hath pulled you out of the mouth of lions, and how that from your youth you have been brought up in the Holy Scriptures, the hope of all men is so increased that they cannot but look that God should bring to pass some wonder ful work by your Grace to the universal comfort of his Church. This Lord of Lords, and King of Kings who hath ever de fended his, strengthen, comfort, and preserve your majesty, that you may be able to build up the ruins of God's house to His glory, the discharge of your conscience, and to the comfort of all them that love the coming of Christ Jesus our Lord. ..." In an Epistle, addressed "To our Beloued in the Lord the Brethren of England, Scodand, Ireland," etc., they say, ". . . we thought we could bestow our labours and study in nothing which could be more acceptable to God, and comfortable to His church, than in the translating of the Scriptures into our native tongue; the which thing, albeit that others heretofore have endeavored to achieve; yet, considering the infancy of those times, and imperfect knowledge of the tongues, in respect of this ripe age and clear light which God hath now revealed, the translations required greatly to be perused and reformed. " And then in an address ' ' To the Christian Reader " they describe the nature of the work, and explain its distinctive features: ". . . Yet lest either the simple should be dis couraged, or the malicious have any occasion of iust cauilla- tion, seeing some translations reade after one sort, and some after another, whereby all may serue to good purpose and edification, we haue in the margent noted that diuersitie of speech or reading which may also seeme agreeable to the minde ofthe Holy Ghost, & proper for our language with this marke {{. 248 The English Versions. Againe, whereas the Ebrewe speech seemed hardly to agree with ours, we haue noted it in the margent after this sort |, vsing that which was more intelligible. And albeit that many of the Ebrew names be altered from the old text, & restored to the true writing & first originali, whereof they haue their signification yet in the vsuall names, little is changed for feare of troubling the simple readers. Moreouer, whereas the ne- cessitie of the sentence required any thing to be added (for such is the grace & proprietie of the Ebrewe & Greeke tongues that it cannot but either by circumlocution or by adding the verbe or some word, be vnderstood of them that are not well practised therein) we haue put it in the text with another kinde of letter, that it may easily bee discerned from the common letter. As touching the diuision of the verses we haue folowed the Ebrew examples which haue so euen from the beginning distinguished them. Which thing as it is most profitable for memorie, so doth it agree with the best translations, & is most easie to finde out both by the best Concordances, & also by the quotations which we haue diligently herein pe rused & set forth by this *. Besides this, the principall mat ters are noted and distinguished by this marke ^ we haue also indeavoured both by the diligent reading of the best commentaries, & also by the conference with the godly & learned brethren, to gather briefe annotations vpon all the hard places, as well for the vnderstanding of such words as are obscure, & for the declaration of the text, as for the application of the same, as may most appertaine to God's glory, & the edification of his Church, etc. " Of this Genevan version of the Bible more than a hundred and thirty editions were published, and such was its popularity, that it continued to be printed as late as 1644, and the Auth orized Version of 1 6 1 1 with the Genevan notes, as late as 1 7 1 5. The helps at the command of the Genevan revisers were the following. The Genevan Bible. 249 For the Old Testament they had the Hebrew Bibles pub lished at Soncino in 1488, and at Brescia in 1494; Bomberg's, 1 5 1 8, and the same author's Rabbinical Bible 1 5 1 9, and 1525; Pellican's Hebrew Grammar, 1503; Reuchlin's Dictionary, 1506; Miinster's Grammar, 1525. The Latin version of Pagninus, 1528, and his Thesaurus, 1529. The Complu tensian Polyglott, 1517-20. Theyhad likewise Leo Judge's Latin Version, 1542, and Cholin's translation of the Apocrypha, with Gualther's revision of Erasmus' Latin New Testament, 1544, the version of Castalio, 1551; Sebastian Miinster's Hebrew Bible with Latin translation, 1534-6. Although Beza's Greek New Testament did not appear until 1565, they had nevertheless the benefit of his counsel and revision, as is evident from a passage in the History of the Troubles of which Whittingham was probably the author: "There is nothinge more requisite to attaine the right and absolute knowledge off the doctrine of saluation, whereby to resist all herisie and falshod, then to haue the texte off the Scriptures faithfully and truly translated, the consideration whereoff moued them with one assent to requeste 2 off their brethern, to witt, Caluin and Beza, efsonnes to peruse the same not- withstandinge their former trauells;" they had likewise the Greek Testament of Stephens, 1550 and 1551. They were moreover surrounded by men engaged in similar work, one body correcting the French version of Olivetan (1558), and another preparing a Revised Italian Version (Geneva 1562); the French version, the version of Luther and the Zurich, were also used by them. Their critical apparatus, and fa cilities for the execution of their work, were accordingly the very best of the age, and the version they produced ranks in point of scholarship, and for critical purposes, only second to the Authorized Version of 161 1. The following two collations, taken from Professor Eadie's work, convey a faithful picture of the labors of the Genevan Revisers. 2SO The English Versions. NUMBERS XX. I -3. Great Bible. And the children of Israeli came with the whole multitude • vnto the deserte of Sin, in the first moneth. Si. the people abode at Cades; and there dyed Mir lam, and was buried there. 2 But there was no water for the multitude,* & they gathered^ themselues together againste Moyses & Aaron." And the people chode with Moyses and spake, saying: woulde God that we hadde per ished, where our brethren dyed ' before the Lord. Genevan.* Then the children of Israel came I with the whole congregacion 3 to the desert of Zin in the first moneth, & the people abode at Kadesh, where Miriam dyed, and was buryed there. But there was no water for the 2 congregacion,'' & they assembled themselves against Moses and against Aaron.' And the people chode with Moses 3 & spake saying. Wolde God we had perished when our brethren dyed 10 before ye Lord. 1 "Cum universi multitudine," Miinster. 2 " Ibi," repeated in Pagn. and Cov., after Luther, and the " daselbst," Ziirich. 8 " Omnis congregatio," Pagninus [after Luther]. " Universus scilicet coetus," Leo Judse. 4 " Multitudini," Miinster. 6 Preserved in the Bishops' and A. V. 6 Second " againste " not repeated in Coverdale [after Lu ther] and the Ziirich [do]. 1 " Congregationi," Pagninus, 8 " Contra .... contra," Pagninus; " adversus adversus," Leo Judse, & according to the Hebrew. 9 Tyndale (Matthew), Pagninus, Leo Judae, Luther, and the Ziirich [after Luther] repeat the same verb; so Coverdale. 10 "In morte fratrum nostrorum." MUnster. ,0®* The matter in [ ] is not in Eadie. MALACHI VI. 1-3. Great Bible. For mark^ the daye commeth that shall burne as an oven: ' * & all the proude, yea, and all such as do wyckednesse, shal be strawe ' & the daye that '¦\&for to come,'' shall burne theym vp saith the Lorde of hostes, so that * it shall leave them nether rote nor braunche. Genevan. ' For beholde s the day cometh that I shall burne as an oven, and all the proude yea & all that do wick edly, shall be stubble,^ & the day that cometh ' shal burne thera up saith the Lord of hostes & shall leave them neither roote nor branche. * The passages havmg this mark agree with the edition of 1560, though the spelling nas been modernized. The Genevan Bible. 251 2 But unto you that feare my name shall the sonne of ryghteous- ness aryse, and health shal be vnder hys wynges; ye shal go forth and multiplie" as the fat calves .9 3 Ye shal treade downe the un godly, for they shalbe lyke the asshes " under the soles of youre fete in the day '^ that I shall make, sayeth the Lorde of hoostes. But unto you that feare my narae 2 shall the Sunne of righteousnes arise, & health shal be under his wings, and ye shal go forthe, & growe '" up as fat calves. And ye shal treade downe the 3 vricked, for they shal be dust^^ under the soles of youre fete in the day that I shall '< do this saith the Lord of hostes. 1 Coverdale. [1 * Qi^fB, Luther], a [SroA, Luther], "strouw," Ziirich. « "Dies venturus," Pagninus \kunftige Tag, Luther]. 4 Coverdale, " Adeo ut," Leo Juda:. 6 " Ecce enim," Pagninus; " Quoniam ecce," Miinster \Denn siche, Luther]. 6 " Sti- pula," Pagninus and Vulgate. 1 " Dies veniens," Vulgate. 8 " Multiplicabimini," Pagninus \Zunehmen, Luther]. 9 Mastkdlher. Luther. 10 Pinguescetis. But the meaning is, "shall leap in wanton joy." See Hab. i. 8. "And" in the last clause omitted in Luther and Ziirich, and after them by Coverdale. 11 " Cinis," Vulgate \Asche, Luther]. 12 Des Tages den zch jnachen will, Luther, is " Pulvis," Miinster. 14 " Die quo ego agam," Leo Judae. The next example from the Apocrypha is taken from Pro fessor Westcott, who shows how the French translation, through the influence of Beza, affected the Genevan version of 1560, and how conversely the French version of 1588 (Geneva) was influenced by the English, Great Bible (ISS°J- God hath granted me to talk widely and conveniently to handle the things that he hath graciously lent me; for it is he that leadeth unto wisdom, and teacheth to use wisdom aright. WISDOM VII. 15. Genevan (1^60).* God hath granted me to speak according to my mind and to judge worthily of tlie things that are given me : for he is the lead er unto wisdom and the director of the wise. Lyons (15 5b). Et Dieu m'ha donne de par ler ma volunt/, et de presumer choses dignes de celles qui me sont donnees: car ces tui est le conducteur de sapience et le correct- eur des sages. 252 The English Versions. Lyons (iSS^)- I'estoye aussi vn en fant ingenieux et auoye d'auenture trovuue vne bonne ame. Mais estant vn peu meilleur ie vins a vn corps sans souillure. WISDOM VIII. ig, 20. Genevan (1^60).* For I was a witty child, and was of a good spirit. Yea rather being good, I came to an un defiled body. Geneve (isSS). Or estoy-ie aussi vn enfant ingenieux, et m'estoit escheute vne bonne ame: Ou plutost, estant bon, Vestoye venu en vn corps sans souillure. These brief examples, which may be multiplied indefinitely, afford abundant evidence of the nature of the Genevan ver sion in the Old Testament. It is based on the Great Bible, revised by the helps enumerated, and a comparison of the different versions with the original. E.xamples from the New Testament of 1557 having already been furnished, it remains to state here that while that of 1560 is altogether distinct from the former, the greatest changes in troduced into the text, and mostly from Beza, occur in the revised edition of 1576, executed by Lawrence Tomson, sec retary to Sir Francis Walsingham, and one of the best linguists of the day. In a general way it may be said that the New Testament of the Genevan version of 1560 and 1576 is that of Tyndale revised by Beza. Professor Westcott says that in the First Epistle of St. John two thirds of the new renderings in the revision of 1560 are derived from Beza, and two thirds of these then for the first time; that the rest are mainly due to the revisers themselves, and that only two of their number occurred in the edition of 1557, and that Tomson adds only five or six closer approxi mations to Beza, of which one is important (v. 4, "hath over come "); and once he definitely goes against him (iv. 9, "herein was that love of God made manifest amongst us "). Tomson has the characteristic of rendering the emphatic character of the Greek article consistently by "that" or "this" with an The Genevan Bible. 253 effect by no means conducive to edification; e. g., " He that hath that Son hath that life: and he that hath not that Son of God hath not that life" (i John v. 12), The subjoined collation of Rev. ii. 8-1 1, transcribed from Westcott, marks with great precision all the peculiarities of the different revisions of the Geneva version. The text is Tyndale's (1534); 1557 indicates the first revision; G., that of 1560; and T., Tomson's; B. denotes Beza's renderings. REVEL. II. 8-1 1. 8. And unto the angel of the congregation of Symrna write: These things saith he that is first and t/ie last, which was dead and is alive. 9. I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich; and I know the blasphemy of them which call themselves Jews and are not, but are the congregation of Satan. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold the devil shall cast of you into prison to tempt you, and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto the death and I will give thee a crown of life. 1 1 . Let him that hath ears hear what the spirit saith to the congrega tions; he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. v. 8. Smyrna: the Smymians 1557. G. T. (Sraymseorum B.) (i). — the: omits 1537. G. T. (2). V. 9. call themselves 1557: say they are G. T. (se dicunt . . . esse B.) (3). — congregation: synagogue 1557. G. T. (synagoga B.) (4). V. 10. the devil: it shall come to pass that the d. 1557. G. T. (futurum est ut . . . B.) (5).— -e/'.' sotne of (so Great Bible) 1557. G. T. ((>).— io . . . you: that ye may be tried 1557 G. T. (ut exploremini B.) (7). — be 1557: be thou G. T. (Z).—a: the 1557. G. T. (9). v. II. ears: an ear 1557. G. T. (aurem B.) (10). — congregations: churches 1557. G. T. (ecclesiis B.) (li). Comparison shows that Tomson's text agrees with 1560; 1557 differs from it twice (3, 8) while in both 1560 agrees with Beza. The remaining nine cases answer to Beza, and 5 is due to him. The influence of Beza on the Genevan versions is further apparent from their adoption of false readings, as pointed out by Westcott: 254 The English Versions. I. Matth. i. II. Josias begat Jakim, and Jakim begat Jechonias. 2. Luke ii. 22. When the tirae ol Mary's purification .... was corae. 3. iii. 36. (Sala) which was the son of Arphaxad. .... 4. Rev. xi. I. There was given rae a reed like unto a rod, and the angel stood by saying 5. Hebr. x. 38. But if any withdraw hiraself. .... 6. Mark xvi. 2. Whence the Sun was yet rising. Of these, 2, 4 and 5 stand in the Authorized Version; i, was dropped by Beza in his third edition, 6 was suggested by his note that "not" may have been dropped by accident. From this false reading, or rather bold conjecture of Beza, the Geneva has the rendering 6, and afi;er it, the A. V. " at the rising of the sun, " corrected in the Westminster Version into "when the sun was risen." The Genevan version, like the Great Bible, introduces many supplementary clauses with the margin, printed in italics; e. g., Acts xi. 17: "who was I that I could let God?" II Not to give them the Holy Ghost; xiv. 7: "and there was preach ing the gospel,'' || insomuch that all the people were moved at the doctrine; 19: " which when they had persuaded the people, " II and disputing boldly persuaded the people to forsake them, for , said they, they say nothiiig true, but lie in all things. These clauses are all suggested by Beza. Beza's text was, of course, incomparably inferior to that now available to scholars, but his version far better than that of his predecessors, and the Genevan revisions made by it, are likewise superior to the previous English versions. Many of the felicitous renderings of the Authorized Version are directly drawn from the Genevan, which has very largely influenced it. Its language, though on the whole intelligible to modern readers, is nevertheless marked by antiquated forms and expressions, and terms of a Latin signification. Of the first maybe instanced: "stale" (stole) 2 Kings xi. 2; "pight" (pitched) Heb. viii. 2, and "wanne" (past of win) i Mace, The Genevan Bible. 255 i. 20; ofthe second: "garde" (girdle) Ex. xxviii. 8; to "dis ease" (to trouble) Mark v. 35; "grieces" (steps) Acts xxi. 35; "harberous" (hospitable) Titus i. 8*; and ofthe third: "more bright a.nd puissant" Fs. Ixxvi. 4; " commoditie " (well-doing) Rom. xiv. 16; "pastour" Eph. iv, 11. and "prevent" i Thess. iv. 15. Per contra there are also expressions that look quite modern, e. g, excommunicate, amity, hurly-burly, surgeon and empire. Much of the spelling is obsolete and inconsistent, as will have been noted in the extracts, to which are added: brasl (burst), /«/ (fetch), roume {room), perfite (perfect), kowe (cowe), gheste (guest); yere, yeere, yeer, and year; eie and eye; thei and they; shal and shall; anie and any; mice and mise. Of the famous marginal notes, which constitute a sort of running commentary and account, in part, for the great pop ularity of the Genevan Version, a few specimens from both Testaments are added to indicate their drift and character. Exod. iv. 14. Though we provoke God justly to anger, yet he will never reject his. Ruth i. 9. Hereby it appeareth that Naomi by dwelling among idolaters was waxen cold in the true zeal of God, which rather hath respect to the ease of the body than to the comfort of the soul. Psalm Ixxxbc. 12. Tabor is a mountain westward from Jerusalem, and Hermon eastward ; so the prophet signifieth that all parts and places of the world shall obey God's pow er for the deliverance of his Church. Jerem. xxi. 34. If the sun moon and stars cannot but give light ac cording to mine ordinance, so long as this world lasteth, so shall ray church never fail, neither shall anything hinder it : and as sure as I will have a peo ple so certain is it that I will leave them my wo-d for ever to govern thera with. * In English Retraced, etc. Cambridge, 1865, may be seen many more examples. 2s6 The English Versions. Romans vi. 5. The Greek word meaneth, that we grow up together with Christ, as we see moss, ivy, mistletoe or such like grow up by a tree, and are nourished with the juice thereof. ix. 15. As the only will and purpose of God is the chief cause of election and reprobation, so his free mercy in Christ is an inferior cause of salvation and the hard ening of the heart an inferior cause of damnation. Revelation ix. 3. Locusts are false teachers, heretics and worldly subtil prelates, with monks, friars, cardinals, patriarchs, archbishops, bishops, doctors, bachelors and masters which forsake Christ to maintain false doctrine. Eadie (/. c, ii. p. 29) says, that the Apocrypha are distin guished from the Canonical Scriptures by the significant omission of the names of the books, and headings, the word "Apocrypha" alone occurring on the top of the right hand page. However much the distinction noted may ap ply to later editions, it does not apply to the edition of 1560, which has the name of the book on the left top margin, throughout the volume. A peculiar heading is that of a page in St. Mark, giving the story of Herodias, which reads: "The inconvenience of dancing." "The first Bible printed in Scotland in 1579 entitled: The Bible and Holy Scripture conteined in the olde &" Newe Testa ment, tramlated according to the Ebru (Sf Greeke, (Sr* conferred with the beste translations in divers languages. With most profi table annotations upon all the hard places of the Holy Scriptures ' &" other things of great importance, mete for the godly reader. Printed in Edinburgh, Be Alexander Arbuthnot, Printer to the Kingis Majestie, dwelling at ye Kirk of Field, 1579. Cum gratia ^privilegio regice majestatis; was an exact reprint of the Genevan edition of 1561, with all the notes and fac similes of the cuts and maps, and the French terms attached to them, as Aquilon, midi, orient, Occident" (Eadie). In addition to the examples given, those which follow are The Genevan Bible. 257 designed to exhibit the versions as they stand. The first in parallel columns, shows the differences between the New Tes tament of 1557 (from Bagster), and that of 1560 in the Bible (from the original). The others, which follow, present the text of 1560 with the annotations. The small capitals show the changes, the italics supplied matter. I, ROMANS V. 12-15. I5S7- ^s6o. 12 Wherfore, as by one man sinne Wherfore as by one man sinne 12 entred into the world, and death entred into the world, and death by THE MEANES OF Synne: and by sinne, and so death went ouer so death went ouer all men, in all men, for ASMUCHE as all so much as all men haue sinned, men haue sinned. 13 For EUEN vnto the tyme of the For vnto the time ' of the Law 13 Lawe was synne in the worlde, was sinne in the worlde, but but synne is not imputed, as long sinne is not imputed while there as there is no law. is no Law. 14 Neuertheles death raigned from But death reigned from Adam to 14 Adam to Moses, euen ouer them also that sinned not with like transgression AS DID Adam. which IS the similitude of liim that was to come. Moses, euen ouer them also that sinned not after* the like MANER OF THE transgression of Adam,3 which WAS the FIGURE of him 4 that was to corae. 15 But the gyft is not LYKE as the But yet the gift is not so, as IS 15 offence, for if through the SINNE the offence: for if through the of HIM ALONE, many be dead: offence of one, many be dead, much more PLENTEOUS VPON muche more the grace of God, many WAS the grace of God and and THE gift by grace, which IS gift by grace: which grace was by one man Jesus Christ, HATHE geuen by one raan Jesus Christ. abunded vnto many. 1 From Adam to Moses. 2 He meaneth young babes, which nether had the knowledge of the Law of nature, nor any motion of concupiscence, much lesse com mitted any actual sinne: & this may also comprehend the Gentiles. 8 Yet all man- kinde, as it were sinned when thei were as yet inclosed in Adames loynes. 4 Which was Christ. R 258 The English Versions. II. (1560). GEN. ni. 1-7.* I. Now the serpent was more subtil ' then anie beast of the field, whicli ye Lord God had made: and he said = to the woman. Yea, hathe God in dede said. Ye shaU not eat of euerie tre of the garden? 2. And the woman said vnto the serpent. We eat of the frute of the trees of the garden, 3. But of the frute of the Ire, which is in the middes of the garden, God hathe said, Ye shal not eat of it, nether shal ye touch it, lests ye dye. 4. Then the serpent said to the woman. Ye shal not dye 4 at aU, 5 . But God doeth knowe, that when ye shal eat thereof, your eyes shal be opened, & ye shalbe as gods, knowing good and euil.' 6. So the woman (seing that the tre was good for meat, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, & a tre to be desured to get knowledge) toke of the frute thereof, and did eat, and gaue also to her housband with her, and he did eat.s 7. Then the eyes of them bothe were opened, & they knewe ' that they were naked, and they sewed figtre leaues together, and made them selues "breeches. 1 As Satan can change him selfe into an Angel of light, so did he abuse the wisdome of the serpent to deceaue man. 2 God suffered Satan to make the serpent his instru ment and to speake in him. 8 In douting of Gods threatning she yelded to Satan. 4 This is Satans chiefest subtiltie, to cause vs not to feare Gods threatenings. 0 As thogh he shulde say, God doeth not forbid you to eat of the frute, saue that he know eth that if you shulde eat thereof, you shoulde be like to him. 6 Not so muche to please his wife, as moued by ambicion at her persuasion. 1 They began to fele their mis- erie, but they sought not to God for remedie. "-Ebr. thinges to girde about them to hide their priuities. JOB XIX. 25-27. 25 . For I am sure, that ray Rederaer > liueth, and he shall stand the last on the earth. 26. And thogh after ray skin wormes destroy this bodie, yet shal I se God in my flesh.* * Among the curiosities of this volume are the cuts; e. g., the one on page z is en titled " The Sitvacion of the garden of Eden," and displays a number of French words, with marginal renderings in English: cut. La grand Armenie, margin, " Or, Armenia the great": Terre de Havilah, " Or, land of Hauilah"; La chute d' Euphrates, '*0r, the fall of Euphrates " etc. The Genevan Bible. 259 27. Whom I ray self shal se, and raine eies shal beholde, and nonother for me, thogh my reines are consuraed within me. 1 I do not so iustifie my selfe before the world, but I knowe that I shal come before the great iudge, who shalbe my deliuerer & Sauiour. 2 Herein Job dedareth plainely that he had a ful hope, that bothe the soule and body shulde enioye the presence of God in the last resurrection. ISAIAH XXVI. 19-21. ig. Thy dead men' shal liue: euen with ray bodie shal thei rise. Awake, & sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dewe' is as the dewe of herbes, & the earth shal cast out the dead. 20. Come, my people : entre ^ thou into thy chambers, and shutte thy dores after the: hide thy self for a very litle while, vntil the indignacion passe ouer. 21. For lo, the Lord cometh out of his place, to visite the iniquitie of the inhabitants of the earth vpon them: and the earth shal disclose her blood, 4 and shall no more hide her slayne. 1 He comforteth the faithful in their afflictions, shewing them that euen in death they shall haue life: and that they shulde moste certeinly rise to glorie: the contrarie shulde come to the wicked, as v. 14. a As herbes, dead in winter, flourish againe by the raine in the spring time: so they that lie in the dust, shal rise vp to ioye when they fele the dewe of Gods grace. 8 He exhorteth the faithful to be pacient in their afflictions, and to waite vpon Gods worke. 4 The earth shal vomit and cast out the innocent blood, which it hath drunke, that it may crye for vengeance against the wicked. The Apocrypha in this version, with the exception of ver bal explanations, and summaries, have very few notes, but those that occur, are excellent. The following passage re tains the original spelling: ECCLESIASTICUS XIX. 1-6. I. A laboring man that is giuen to drunkenness, shal not be riche: & he that conteraneth sraale things, shall fall by litle and litle. 2. Wine and woraen leade wise men out of the way, and put men of vnderstanding to reprofe. 3. And he that companieth adulterers, shal become impudent: rot tenness and wormes shal haue him to heritage, and he that is to bolde, shalbe taken away, and be made a publitke exaraple. 4. He that is hastie to giue credit, is light minded, and he that erreth, sinneth against his owne soule. 5. Whoso rejoyceth in wickednes, shal be punished: [he that hateth 26o The English Versions. to be reformed, his life shal be shortened, and he that abhorreth babling of wordes, quencheth wickednes:] but he that resisteth pleasures, crown eth his own soule. 6. He that refraineth his tongue, raay liue with a troublesome man, and he that hateth babbling shal haue lesse euil. 2 MACCABEES XII. 44, 45. 44. For if he had not hoped, that thei which were slaine, shulde rise againe, it had bene superfluous, and vaine, to pray for the dead.' 45. And therefore he perceiued, that there was great fauour laid vp for those that dyed godly. (It was an holie, & a good thoght.) So he raade a reconciliation for the dead that they might be deliuered frora siime. 1 From this verse to the end of this chapter the Greke text is corrupt, so that no good sense, muche lesse certeine doctrine can be gathered thereby: also it is euident that this place was not written by the holie Gost, bothe because it dissenteth from the rest of the holie scriptures, and also the autor of this boke acknowledging his owne inflrmitie, desireth pardon, if he haue not attained to that he shulde. And it semeth that Jason the Cyrenean, out of whome he toke his abbridgement, is Joseph Ben Gor- ion, who hathe written in Ebrewe fine bookes of these matters, and in treating this place, maketh no mencion of this prayer for the dead, lib. iii. ch. 19, for it is contrary to the custome of the Iewes, euen to this day, to pray for the dead. And thogh lu das had so done, yet this particular example is not sufflcient to establish a doctrine, no more than Zipporahs was to proue that women might minister the sacraments, Ex. iv. 25, or the example of Razis that one might kil him selfe, whome this autor so muche commendeth, 2 Mace. xiv. 41. JOHN X. 14-16. 14. I ara the good shepherd, and knowe ' mine, and am knowen of mine. 15. As the Father2 knoweth' me, so knowe I the Father: and I lay downe ray life for my shepe. 16. Other'' shepe I haue also, which are not of this folde: them also must I bring, and they shal heare my voyce: and there shall be one shepefolde, and one shepherd. 1 Christ knoweth his because he loueth them, careth and prouideth for them. 2 As the Father can not forget him, no more can he forget vs. 3 In that he loueth and ap- proueth me. 4 To wit, among the Gentiles, which then were strangers from the Church of God. 2 COR. V. II-15. 1 1 . Knowing therefore the terror ' of the Lord, we persuade ' men, & we are made manifest 3 vnto God, & I trust also that we are made mani. fest in your consciences. The Genevan Bible. 261 12 For we praise not our selues againe vnto you, but giue you an oc- ' casion to reioyce of us, that ye raay haue to answere against thera, which reioyce in the face,4 and not in the heart. 13. For whether we be out of our wit,6 we are it to God: « or whether we be in our right minde, we are it vnto you. 14. For the loue of Christ constraineth vs: because we thus iudge, that if one be dead for all, then were all ' dead, 15. And he dyed for all, that they which liue,8 shulde not hence forthe liue vnto them selues, but vnto hira which dyed for them, and rose againe. 1 His feareful iudgement. 2 He proueth the dignitie of his ministerie by the frute and effect thereof, which is to bring men to Christ. 3 By imbracing the same faith which we preache to others. » As they who more estemed the outwarde shewe of wisdome and eloquence, then true godlines. o As the aduersaries said, who colde not abide to heare them praised. 6 Our folic serueth to Gods glorie. 7 Therefore who- soeuer giueth place to ambition or vaine glorie, is yet dead, and liueth not in Christ. 8 As the onely faithful do in Christ. I PETER III. 1-7. I. Likewise let the wiues be subject to their housbands that euen thei which obey not the worde, raay without the worde be wonne by the con- uersacion of the wiues, 2. While they beholde your pure conuersacion, which is with feare. 3. Whose apparelling let it not be outwarde, as with broyded heere, and golde put about, or in putting on of apparel. 4. But let the hid man of the heart be vncorrupt, with a meke and quiet spirit, which is before God a thing muche set by. 5. For euen after this raaner in time past did the holie women, which trusted in God, tier them selues, and were subiect to their housbands. 6. As Sarra obeied Abraham, and called hira "Syr: whose daughters ye are, whiles ye do wel, not being afraid 1 of anie terror. 7. Likewise ye housbands, dwel with them as raen of knowledge,^ gluing honour' vnto the woraan, as vnto the weaker vessel, euen as they which are heires* together of the grace of life, that your prayers * be not interrupted. " Or, master. 1 But willingly do your duetie: for your condition is not the worse for your obedience. s By nether keping them to streite, nor in gluing them to much libertie. s Taking care and prouiding for her. 4 Man oght to loue his wife, because they lead their life together, also for that she is the weaker vessel, but chiefly because that God hathe made them as it were felowe heires together of life euerlasting. 6 For they cannot pray when they are at dissention. 262 The English Versions. This Bible contains likewise, after the New Testament, I. A brief table of the interpretation of the proper names which are chiefly found in the Old Testament, etc. II. A table of the principal things that are conteined in the Bible, after the order of the alphabet. III. A perfite supputation of the yeares and times frora Adam unto Christ, proued by the Scriptures, after the collection of diuers autors. Specimens of each are here supplied. I. Ab^l, mourning, the name of a citie, but Habil, the name of a man, doeth signifie vanitie. Gen. iv. ^. Bacchides, one that holdeth of Bacchus, or a dronkard, i Mace. vii. 8. Clemens, meke, Phil. iv. 3. Cleopatra, the glorie of the coun trie, I Mace. x. 57. Elymds, a corruptor, or sorcerer, Acts xiii. 8. lob, sorowful or hated, Job i. 1. Shamgdr, desolation ofthe stran ger, Judg. iii. 31. Shimshon, there the second time, because the Angel appeared the second tirae at the prayer of his lather, Judg. xiii. 24. II. F. Olde wiues Fables, i tim. iv. 7. euerie one oght to proue his Faith, 2 Cor. xiii. 5. continuance in the Faith, Col. i. 23. the shield of Faith, Eph. vi. 16.Christ prayeth for Peters Faith, Luke xxii. 32. the definition of Faith, I Ebr. xi. I. faith cometh by hearing, rom. X. 17. the apostles praye to haue their Faith increased, luk. xvii. 5. ... IT the Feareful must absent them selues from warre, deut. XX. 8. H paul neuer vsed Flatterie, i thess. ii. 5. IT by the Folde is vnderstand the Church, ioh. x. 16. our Forerunner, Christ, ebr. vi. 20. Christ deliuered by the deter- minat counsel & Foreknowl edge of God, acts ii. 23. we are elect according to the The Genevan Bible. 263 Foreknowledge of god, I pet. I, 3. euerlasting Fyre prepared for the deuil, raat. xxv. 41. III. From the reedifying of the citie vnto the coraraing of Christ, are 483 yeres, after this supputation or norabring. It is mentioned in the 9 of Daniel that lerusalem shulde be buylt vp againe, and that from that time vnto the comming of Christ are 67 weekes, & euerie weeke is reckoned for seuen yeres. So 67 weekes amount to 483 yeres. For from the 32 yere of Darius vnto the 42 yere of Augustus, in the which yere our Sauiour Christ was borne, are iust and complet so many yeres, whereupon we recken, that from Adam vnto Christ are 3974 yeres, six moneth and ten dayes, and frora the byrth of Christ vnto this present yere, is 1560. Then the whole summe and nomber of yeres from the beginnmg of the worlde vnto this present yere of our Lord God 1560 are iust 5534, 6 moneths, and the said odde ten dayes. THE END. Joshua, chap. i. vers. 8. I,et not this boke of the Law departe out of thy mouth, but medi- date therein daye and night, that thou mayest obserue and do according to all that is written therein: so shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and then shalt thou haue good successe. The subjoined extracts are also very instructive: THE FIRST BOKE OF MOSES, CALLED GENESIS.* The Argument. Moses in effect declareth the things, which are here chiefly to be con sidered: First, that the worlde & all things therein were created by God, & that man being placed in this great tabernacle of the worlde to beholde God's wonderful workes, & to praise his name for the infinite graces, wherewith he had endued hira, fel willingly from God through disobe dience: who yet for his owne mercies sake restored him to life, & con firraed hira in the same by his promes of Christ to come, by whome he shulde ouercome Satan, death and hel. Secondely, that the wicked, vn- * This worde signifieth the beginning and generacion of the creatures. 264 The English Versions. mindful of Gods moste excellent benefites, remained stil in their wicked nes, & so falling moste horribly frora sinne to sinne, prouoked God (who by his preachers called thera continually to repentance) at length to de stroye the whole worlde. Thirdly, he assureth us by the exaraple of Abraham, Izh4k, Iaak6b, & the rest of the Patriarkes, that his mercies neuer faile them, whom he chuseth to be his Church, and to professe his Name in earth, but in all their afflictions and persecutions he euer assist- eth them, sendeth coraforte and deliuereth them. And because the be ginning, increase, presentation and successe thereof might be onely attri buted to God, Moses sheweth by the examples of Kdin, Ishraafl, Esau and others, which were noble in mans iudgement, that this Church de pendeth not on the estimacion and nobilitie of the worlde : and also by the fewenes of them, which haue at all times worshiped him purely ac cording to his worde, that it standeth not in the multitude, but in the poore and despised, in the sraal flocke and litle nomber, that man in his wisdome might be confounded, & the Name of God euer more praised. THE REVELATION OF lOHN * THE DIVINE. The Argument. It is manifest that the holie Gost wolde as it were gather into this most excellent booke a summe of those prophecies, which were writen before, but shulde be fulfilled after the comming of Christ, adding also suche things, as shulde be expedient, as wel to forewarne vs of the dangers to come, as to admonish vs to beware some, and encourage vs against oth ers. Herein therefore is liuely set forthe the Diuinitie of Christ, & the testimonies of our Rederaption: what things the Spirit of God aUoweth in the ministers, and what things he reproueth: the prouidence of God for his elect, and of their glorie and consolation in the day of vengeance: how that the hypocrites which sting like scorpions the raembers of Christ, shalbe destroyed, but the Lambe Christ shal defende them, which beare witnes to the trueth, who in despite of the beast and Satan wU reigne ouer all. The liuelie description of Antichrist is set forthe, whose time and power notwithstandmg is limited, and albeit that he is permitted to rage against the elect, yet his power stretcheth no further then to the hurt of their bodies; and at length he shal be destroyed by the wrath of God, when as the elect shal giue praise to God for the victorie: neuertheles for a eeason God wil permit this Antichrist, and strompet vnder colour of faire speche and pleasant doctrine to deceiue the worid: wherefore he ad- * Or, declared to John. The Bishops' Bible. 265 uertiseth the godlie (which are but a sraale portion) to auoide this harlots flateries, and bragges, whose mine without mercie they shal se, and with the heauenlie companies sing continual praises: for the Lambe is marled: the worde of God hathe gotten the victorie: Satan that a long time was vn- tied, is now cast with his ministers into the pit of fyre to be tormented foreuer, where as contrariwise the faithful (which are the holie citie of le rusalem, & wife of the Lambe) shal enioye perpetual glorie. Read dili gently: iudge soberly, and call earnestly to God for the trae vnderstand ing hereof.* CHAPTER XI. THE bishops' bible. For some time after the accession of Elizabeth the Bibles in circulation were chiefly the Great Bible and the Genevan. The latter being decidedly superior to the former, and partly on account of its intrinsic excellence, partly on account of the interest connected with its production, it was unquestionably popular, and while its size was more handy, and its cost mod erate, the Great Bible fell into neglect. But the annotations of the Genevan version with their onesided theological bias and general tendency rendered its adoption as an Authorized Version an impossibility. The general concession of its su periority to any English version extant at the time, and the equally general dissatisfaction with the Great Bible, impera tively demanded action in the direction of a new translation or revision. The initiative in the matter seems to have been taken by Matthew Parker, archbishop of Canterbury. "The arch bishop took upon himself the labour to contrive and set the whole work agoing, in a proper method, by sorting out the * In all these passages the spelling conforms to the original edition, Geneva, Printed by Rouland Hall, 1560. 266 The English Versions. whole Bible into parcels, as was said, and distributing those parcels to able bishops, and other learned men, to peruse and collate each of the book or books allotted them, sending withal his instructions for the method they should observe; and they were to add some short marginal notes for the illus tration or correction of the text. And all these portions be ing finished, and sent back to the archbishop, he was to add the last hand to them, and so to take care for printing and publishing the whole. " * Concerning these instructions all that I have been able to learn is embodied in the subjoined memorandum, sent by the archbishop to Cecil, on Oct. 5, 1568, entided: "Observations respected of the Translators. " First — To follow the common English translation used in the churches; and not to recede frora it, but where it varieth manifestly from the Hebrew or Greek original. Item — To use sections and divisions in the text as Pagnine in his transla tion useth, and for the verity of the Hebrew to follow the said Pagnine and MUnster especially, and generally others learned in the tongues. Item — To make no bitter notes upon any text, or yet to set down any determination in places of controversy. Item — To note such chapters and places as contain raatter of genealogies, or other such places not edifying with some strike or note, that the reader may eschew them in his public reading. Item — That all such words as sound in the old translation, to any offense of lightness or obscenity, be expressed with more convenient terms and phrases. . It does not appear that these observations were issued with the first invitations to co-operation; if they were, they were strangely misunderstood by at least one ofthe bishops invited; to wit, the following passage from a letter of bp. Guest to whom the book of Psalms had been sent for revision: * Strype, Parker, I. 414, The Bishops' Bible. 267 I have not altered the translation but where it gave occasion to an er ror. As at the first Psalm at the beginning I tum the prseter-perfect tense irito the present tense, because the sense is too harsh in the prjeter- perfect tense. Where in the New Testament one piece of a Psalm is re ported, I translate it in the Psalms, according to the translation thereof in the New Testament, for the avoiding of the offence that raay arise to the people upon divers translations * As the Book of Psalms in the Bishops' Bible bears the in itials T. B. (probably Thomas Becon, prebendary of Canter bury) the archbishop seems to have disapproved of the extra ordinary notions of the episcopal reviser. Another of the revisers, bp. Sandys, who had charge of 3, 4 Regum and i, 2 Paralipomenon, wrote: In mine opinion your grace shall do well to make the whole Bible to be diligently surveyed by some well learned before it be put to print .... which thing will require a time. Sed sat cito si sat bene. The setters forth of this our common translation followed MUnster too much, who doubtless was a very negligent man in his doings and often swerved very much from the Hebrew f Sandys's views of Miinster clearly did not harmonize with the archbishops', or he would not have singled out his ver sion as a standard of reference; he knew, what every scholar knows, that Miinster's fault is diametrically opposite to that charged by Sandys: his translation is extremely literal, though his Latin is not over-elegant; it is also perspicuous, though his renderings are more influenced by Rabbinical than by patris tic interpreters. The high estimate of his version in Eng land, in spite of Sandys, is evident from the circumstance that the version of the Psalter in the Latin Book of Common Prayer (editions 1572, 1574, 8vo) was with the exception of Psalm xiv. (supplied from the Vulgate) Munster's. Bp. Cox, of Ely, also recommended: "The translation of * Strype, /. c. 416. t Strype, /. c. 413, 416. ¦ M. Cant. [abp. Parker.] 268 The English Versions. the verbs in the Psalms to be used uniformly in one tense. " The archbishop accordingly gave him Acts and Romans. The following list of the revisers of the different books of the Bible is enclosed in a letter to Cecil, dated Oct. 5, 1 568, preserved in the State Paper Ofiice: The Sum of the Scripture. The Table of Clnrist's line. The Argument of the Scriptures. The first Preface to the whole Bible. The Preface into the Psalter. The Preface into the New Testament. . Exodus" l^-^-'- [-I'P-P-ker.] Leviticus. ) „ . ¦ r . . .„. [¦ Cantuanae. [Andrew Pierson, prebend ?] Deuteronium. W. Exon. [bp. Alley.] Josuae. 1 Ruth I ^' ^™^'*'^"- [^P- Davies.] Regum, I, 2. J ?ar^J;me^;„, i, 2. f '^^^ ™gorn. [bp. Sandys.] Job. 1 ^ Proverbia f *--*°'"''"*- [Andrew Pierson, prebend ?] £)ccl6S13St6S \ Cantica f *^^"'*^"g'^- [Andrew Perne, canon of Ely.] Ecclesiasticus. -i Susanna. .,.,.. Barac. I -^^ °''"'^" [^P- P^fkhurst.] Maccabeorum. ' Esdras. ¦. Judith. I 1, , . VW. Cicestren. [bp. Barlow.] Sapientia. J Esaias. \ Hieremias. |- R. Winton. [bp. Home.] Lamentationes. 1 t*zccnid \ Daniel \ ^' ^''^''' ^"'^ Covent. [bp. Bentham.] . M. Cant. [abp. Parker.] The Bishops' Bible. 269 Prophetae minores. Ed. London, [bp. Grindal.] Matthaeus. 1 ,, „ , , „ , j^ j- M. Cant. [abp. Parker.] Lucas. ) Johannes. [ ^' ^^^"^- V^P- Scambler.] Act a Apostoloram. 1 „ „,. AdRoraanos. [R-Ehensis. [bp. Cox.] I Epistola Corin. D. Westmon. [Gabriel Goodman, deaa.j 2 Epistola Corin. "i Ad Galatas. Ad Ephesios. Ad Phillippenses. Ad Collossenses. Ad Thessalon. Ad Timotheum. Ad Titum. Ad Phileraon. Ad Hebraeos. .... I- N. Lincoln, [bp. Bullingham.] Apocalipsis. J I. r o J The initials, which at the archbishop's suggestion, were placed at the end of the books, that the revisers "might be the more diligent as answerable for their doings," do not agree with this list The initals occur as follows: At the end of — The Pentateuch, W. E. W. Exon. WiUiam Alley, bp. of Exeter. 2 Sarauel, R. M. R. Meneven. Richard Davies, bp. of St. David's. 2 Chronicles, E. W. E. Wigornen. Edwyn Sandys, bp. of Worcester. Job, A. P. C. Andrew Pearson, canon of Canterbury. Psalms, T. B. Thomas Becon [?] . Proverbs, A. P. C. Andrew Pearson, canon of Canterbury. The Song of Soloraon, A. P. F. Andrew Perne, canon of Ely. Laraentations, R. W. R. Winton. Robert Horne, bp. of Winchester, Daniel, T. C. L. Thoraas Cole, bp. of Lichfield and Coventry. Malachi, E. L. E. Londin. Edraund Grindal, bp. of London. 2 Maccabees, J. N. J. Norvic. John Parkhurst, bp. of Norwich. Acts, R. E. R. Elien. Richard Cox, bp. of Ely. Romans, R. E. R. Elien. Richard Cox, bp. of Ely. I Corinthians, G. G. Gabriel Goodman, dean of Westminster. 270 The English Versions. The list is doubtless defective, for it is known that Law rence, whose initials do not occur anywhere, took a large share in the revision. According to Lewis, he and other critics were employed by the archbishop to peruse the old translation and diligendy to compare it with the original text. The revision, which occupied about four years, was fin ished in 1568, and because the greater number of the revisers were bishops, it became known as the Bishops' Bible. In a letter to the queen, bearing date Oct. 5, 1568, the archbishop says: Among divers observations which have been regarded in this recogni tion, one was, not to make it vary rauch from the translation which was commonly used by the public order, except where either the verity of the Hebrew and Greek raoved alteration, or where the text was, by some negligence mutilated from the original. So that I trust your loving sub jects shall see good cause in your majesty's days to thank God and to rejoice, to see this high treasure of His holy word to set out as may be proved (so far forth as man's raortal knowledge can attain unto, or as far forth as God hath hitherto revealed) to be faithfiilly handled in the vul gar tongue, beseeching your highness that it raay have your gracious favour, license, and protection, to be coraraunicated abroad, as well for that in many churches they want their books, and have long time looked for this, as for that in certain places be publicly used some translations which have not been laboured in your realm, having inspersed diverse prejudicial notes, which might have been also well spared. I have been bold in the furniture with few words to express the incoraparable value of this treasure. It is vain to speculate on the reasons for which the royai authority was not accorded to the Bishops' Bible, which not until 1577 was "set forth by authoritie"; i. e,, by episcopal authority. Convocation however, whose action Westcott ob serves, could hardly have been "in opposition to the royal will, " took the matter up. In the Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical of 1 571 it was ordered: That every archbishop and bishop should have at his house a copy of the Holy Bible of the largest volume, as lately printed at London .... The Bishops' Bible. 271 and that it should be placed in the hall or large dining room, that it might be useful to their servants or to strangers. The order was likewise extended to cathedrals, and to all churches as far as it could be conve niently done (si commode fieri possit) . (Cardwell, Synodalia, i. 115, 123)- The injunctions of Convocation appear to have been more or less disregarded, for abp. Whitgift, writing under date July 16, 1587, to the bishop of Lincoln, says: Whereas I am credibly informed that divers as well parish churches as chapels of ease are not sufficiently furnished with Bibles, but some have either none at all, or such as be torn and defaced, and yet not of the translation authorized by the synods of bishops, these are therefore to re quire you strictly in your visitations or otherwise to see that all and every the said churches and chapels in your diocese be provided of one Bible or more, at your discretion, of the translation allowed as aforesaid And for the performance thereof I have caused her highness' printer to imprint two volumes of the said translation of the Bible aforesaid, a big ger and a less .... both which are now extant and ready.* The first edition of the Bishops' Bible was published in 1568 in folio, the second in 1569 in 4to, the third ofthe Bible, and an edition of the New Testament in 1570, 157 1. A re vision of the New Testament, and a double version of the Psalms, the one being that from the Great Bible, and the other that belonging to the version itself, appeared in the edidon of 1572. The last edition of the Bible was printed in 1606. An imperfect folio copy in the Astor Library, New York, has in the colophon at the end of the Epistles and Gospels that it was "Imprinted at London by Newgate Market, next unto Christes Churche, by Richard lugge. Printer to the Queens Maiestie. The fifth of July, Anno 1574. Cum priui legio Regies Maiestatis." The New Testament contains the corrections ofthe revised edition of 1572, but the Old Testa- * Cardwell, Documentary Annals, ii. 31. sq. 272 The English Versions. ment and the Apocrypha appear to have been printed in 1570, that date being plainly given in the initial letter I of Gen esis. The cuts are different from those mentioned by Cotton and others; and the absence of the double version of the Psalms (which is in the edition of 1572) points to the follow ing conclusions: That this copy contains the text of the ver sion of 1568 in the Old Testament and the Apocrypha, and the text of 1572 in the NewTestament. John Marbecke's The lyues of holy Sainctes, Prophets, Patriarchs, etc. , edition of 1574, is bound up with this copy ofthe Bishops' Bible. Turning now to the book itself, a large folio, printed in noble type on superb paper, displays the simple title: The Holie Bible, containing the Old Testament and the New: The New Testament of our Saviour fesus Christ, 1568. Rich ard fugge. Cum Privilegio Regies Majestatis. On the top of the page appears in an oval an engraving of Elizabeth, seated in a royal pavilion, with the emblems of re ligion and charity in the margins; above her are the arms of France and England quartered within the garter, the helmet and crest above. At the bottom of the page, guarded by the lion and the dragon, is a scroll with the legend: "Non me pudet Evangelii Christi. Virtus enim Dei est ad salutem omni credenti." Rom. i. Then follows on another leaf: I. The summe of the whole Scripture of the bookes of the Old and NewTestament. 2. Christ's Line, * five leaves and a half. The initial letter T. contains the archbishop's paternal arms impaled with those of Christ Church, Canterbury. 3. A Table of the books of the Old Testa ment. 4. Proper Lessons, etc. 5. Lessons proper for Holidays. 6. Proper Psalms for certayne days. 7. The order how the rest of the holy Scripture, beside the Psalter is appointed to be read. 8. A brief declara- • Professor Plumptre states that the genealogical tables were prepared by Hugh Bronghton, but ostensibly by Speed the antiquary, and cites Strype, Parker, iv. 20, Lightfoot, Life of Bronghton. The Bishops' Bible. 273 tion when every term begins and ends. 9. An Almanack for xxix years, beginnitig 1561. 10. To find Easter foreuer. 11. What days to be obserued for Holidays, and none other. 12. A Table of the order of the Psalras, to be said at Morning and Evening Praier. 13. The Kalen dar. 14. A Preface into the Byble folowyng, by the archbishop, printed in Roman type. The initial letter O contains the archbishop's paternal coat of arms, with his initial, and motto. 15. A Prologue by Cranmer, printed in Gothic letters, with his arms in the initial letter C. 16. The order of the Book of the Old and Newe Testament. At Leviticus xviii. 10, are two tables entitled: I. Degrees of kinrede which let matrimonie as it is set forth in the xviii. of Leviticus. II. Degrees of affinitie or alliance which let matrimonie as it is set forth, etc. After Deuteronoray, on a spare leaf: The second part of the Byble, conteyning these bookes, The book of Joshua, etc. The booke of Job. The third part of the Byble, conteyning these bookes. The Psalter, etc. Malachi, At the beginning of Joshua is an engraving of the Earl of Leicester, and at the beginning of the first Psalm, an engraving of Cecil. After Malachi, on a spare leaf: The volume of the bookes called Apocrypha, conteyning these bookes following. The thirde booke of Esdras, etc. At the end of this volurae is a description of the Holy Lande, with letter press giving the geograph ical situation of the places by degrees of longitude and latitude. Theu follows the New Testament, as above, etc. On the reverse of the Title Page is a Preface into the Newe Testaraent, by the archbishop, with his coat of arras in the initial letter T. The gospels have cuts of the Evangelists. Before St. Paul's Epistles is a Cart or Cosmographie of the perigrinatiou or journey of St. Paul, with the distance of the myles; and underneath. The order of tymes. Cuts of St. Paul are placed before the Epistles to the Romans and to Titus. Revelation contains twenty wood cuts. After Revelation stands: Finis, and then, A Table to find the Epistles and Gos pels read in the Churche of England on Sundays, and another of Epistles, etc., which are used to be read on divers Saints days in the yere. After which comes: Imprinted at London in Powle's Church-yarde, by Richard Jugge, Printer to the Queen's Majestie. Cum privilegio Regia majestatis. This is followed by the Printer's mark: A Pelican feeding her young with her own blood, with the Latin couplet: Matris ut hcec propria stirps est satiata cruore Pascis item propria, Christe, cruore tuos. In the second edition, of which more hereafter, of 1572, the typographical outfit is as sumptuous as in the first, but it is disfigured not only by the introduction of portraits of states- 274 The English Versions. men, etc., but by ornamental initial letters of reprehensible taste, e. g., those of Jonah, Micah, and Nahum contain wood cuts of Neptune, and that of the Epistle to the Hebrews one of Leda and the Swan. The classification of the Books of Scripture in the Bishops' Bible is peculiar, though not ver}' felicitous, for the terms "le gal, historical, sapiential and prophetic " may pass as far as the Old Testament is concerned, but it is certainly phantastic to designate the Gospels, the Catholic Episdes, and those to Titus, Philemon, and the Hebrews as "legal, "the remaining Pauline Episdes as "sapiential,'' while "Acts" is the only historical book, and Revelation the only prophetic one. * The division into verses is preserved uniformly in all edi tions of the Bishops' Bible. An edition printed in 1574, has at the end of the summe of the whole scripture this note: "Suche parts and chapters which be marked and noted with semi-circles C at the head of the verse or lyne, with such other Textes, may be left un read in the publick reading to the people, that thereby other chapters and places of the scripture making more to their ed ification and capacitie may come in their roomes, etc.," e. g,. Gen. X. and xi. 10-30; xxxviii. i-ii; Lev. xii. -xxiv. ; i Chron. i.-ix. and Neh. viii. and x. i Sam. xxv. 22, 34, was not marked. * The order of the Books is as follows: Part I. containing the Pentateuch. " II. " Josuah, Judges, Ruth, ., 2 Samuel, 3, 4 Kings, t, 2 Chronicles, t, -a Esdras, Esther, Job. " III. " The Psalter, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Cantica Canticorum, Esai, lere- mie, E4echiel, Daniel, Osee, loel, Amos, Abdi, Jonas, Micheas, Na hum, Habacuc, Sophoni, Aggeus, Zachari, Malachi. The volume of the bookes called Apocrypha, containing: 3, 4 Esdras, Tobia, ludith, the rest of Esther, Wysedome, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, Three Chyldren, Susanna, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasse, i, 2 Machabees. The four Gospels, Acts, Romans, i, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, I, 2 Thessalonians, i, 2 Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, James, i, 2 Peter, ., 2, 3 John, Jude, Revelation, The Bishops' Bible. 275 The archbishop's Preface displays far more scholarly views than those entertained by some of his coadjutors, he advises the reader not to be offended with the diversitie of translators, nor with the ambiguity of translations. Since of congruence, no offence can justly be taken for this new labour, nothing prejudicing any other man's judgraent by this doing; nor yet hereby professing this to be so absolute a translation as that hereafter raight follow no other that might see that which as yet was not under stood. He cites Fisher who wrote that " raany things have been more dil igently discussed, and more clearly understanded by the wits of these lat ter dayes, as wel concerning the gospels, as other scriptures, than in old time they were. . . . For there be yet in the gospels very raany darck places, which without all doubt to posterity shall be raade much raore open. For why should we despair herein, seeing the gospel was deliuered to this intent, that it might be utterly understanded by us, yea to the very inch. Wherefore .... who can doubt but that such things as remain yet unknown in the gospel shall be hereafter raade known to the latter wits of our posterity to their clear understanding." Notwithstanding the expressed purpose of this translation to weed from the older versions erroneous renderings by stricter conformity to the original, and to produce a popular version, the execution of the work fell far short of the intention. It is a work of unequal merit from first to last; there being in the edition of 1568 a very marked difference qualitatively be tween the different books, and a very great improvement in the edition of 1572 over that of 1568. Perhaps the peculiar plan adopted in the preparation, the want of concert and dis cussion of the different parts of the work by all the collabora tors, and the impossibility of the archbishop, with such aid as he could command, to stamp upon the whole the consistent and harmonious unity of spirit, style, and expression which characterizes, e. g. , Luther's version and that of the Genevan revisers, are sufBcient to account for all the faults of the Bish ops' Bible. The edidon of 1572 is a very important one, even at this day, for it is the immediate basis ofthe Authorized Version. 276 The English Versions. The critical apparatus available to the Genevan translators, their version, and the Latin version of Castalio were, of course, the only helps used by the translators or revisers of the Bish ops' Bible. The influence of the Genevan version was very pronounced, although it is only just to say, that evidence of direct and independent use of the original is not by any means wanting. In the Old Testament the Great Bible was not only the basis ofthe Bishops', but to a considerable extent remained un changed. Professor Westcott, who has carefully examined Isaiah liii., reaches the result that of twenty-one corrections, five are due to the Genevan version, five agree with Pagninus, three with Leo Judae, three with Castalio and one with Miin ster; one is simply linguistic, and three are apparently origi nal. These last are: Great Bible, v. 3: ". . . . yea he was despised and therefore we re garded hira not," omitted in the Bishops'. 4: " . . . . taken on him our infirmities . . . ." "infirmity," Bishops'. ". . . . cast down of God a»«r contra Moulton alleges that " a few, perhaps a dozen, of the Genevan annotations are retained." The Bishops' Bible. 283 simply "or." Other notes say: "Beza readeth it," or "the Greek readeth." Gen ii. 19, "Man shewed hiraself lord of the beasts by giving them names." I. 10, " That is, he would not tum that to their shame which God had disposed to their wealth." 23, "born," or "brought up and nourished." Psalm Ixviii. 4, "his name everlasting. Jah, a narae of God that signifieth him to be always and other things be of him." Isaiah Ixvi. 3, "He that killeth a sheep for rae knetcheth a dog." — Margin: "that is, cutteth off a dogge's neck." Gen. i. 26, "one God and three persons." Deut. vii. 12, "This covenant is grounded on his free grace, therefore in recorapensing their obedience he hath respect unto his raercy, and not to their merits." The next two are suggested by, and intended to correct, the Genevan version: Rom. viii, 6, " cppovoijdi, and gipovr/fia, Greek words, do not so much signify wisdome and prudence, as affection, carefulness, and mind ing of any thing." 18, "XoyiZoj-iai, signifieth to weigh or to consider; but because the raatter was certain, and St. Paul nothing doubled there of, it is thus made, I am persuaded." ix. 11, "The will and purpose of God is the cause of the election and reprobation; for his raercy and call ing through Christ are the means of salvation; and the withdrawing of his mercy is the cause of damnation.'" The last note is, with the exception of the words in italics added in the Bishops' Bible, taken from the Genevan which reads at v. 19: "As the onelie wil and purpose of God is the chief cause of election and reprobacion: so his fre mercie in Christ is an inferior cause of salua- cion and the hardening of the heart, an inferior cause of damnacion." PhUip ii. 12, " Our health hangeth not on our works, and yet are they said to work out their health who do run in the race of justice. For al though we be saved freely in Christ by faith, yet must we walk by the way of justice unto our health." iii. 2, Note on "dogs " :— " bark against the true doctrine"; on "concision": — " they who craked thereof." He brews xiii. 10, " They that stick to the ceremonies of the law cannot eat, that is cannot be partakers of our altar, which is thanksgiving and liber ality, which two sacrifices or offerings are now only left to the Christians." 284 The English Versions. Thus far very litde has been said of the Revision of the Apocrypha in the Bishops' Bible for the good reason that practically they were not revised at all, but mostly taken from the Great Bible which is based not on the Greek text but on the Latin. The Prayer of Manasses, dropped from the Gen evan version, occupies its old place between the Story of Bel and the Dragon, and the first book of Maccabees. The Bishops' Bible contains before the Title of the New Testament, "A Table to make playne the difficultie that is found in S. Matthewe and S. Luke, touching the generation of Jesus Christ the sonne of Dauid, and his ryght successour in the kyngdome: whiche discription begynneth at Dauid, and no hygher, because the difficultie is only in his posteritie." Professor Plumptre (in Smith, Did. of the Bible, iii. p. 1674) states: "A most elaborate series of genealogical tables, prepared by Hugh Bronghton, the great Rabbi of the age (of whom more hereafter), but os- tensibly by Speed the antiquary (Broughton's name being in disfavor with the bishops), was prefixed (Strype, Parker, iv. 20; Lightfoot, Life of Bronghton) . ' ' The whole of this paragraph appears to be wrong. The Bishops' Bible was set forth in 1568 (1570) and 1572. Strype, in the chapter referred to, distinctly states that his account related to the edition of 1572, which he describes with considerable minuteness, and that the Ge nealogical Table, bearing the title: "This Table sets out to the eye the Genealogy of Adam ; so passing by the Patriarchs, Judges, Kings, Proph ets, and Priests, and the Fathers of their time, continuing in lineal descent to Christ our Saviour," he conjectures to be the archbishop's own doing. Hugh Broughton did not publish his Concent of Scripture until 1588. Lightfoot, Life of Broughton, says in the preface that these tables were published at the last under the name of Speed, "in the form we have thera before our Bibles." These Bibles are not the Bishops', but certain folio and quarto editions of the Authorized Version. As to Broughton's estimate of the Genealogical Table prefixed to the New Testament a few sentences may suffice. He produces the entire Table, and adds: " Of the faults contained in this Table. " The cockles of the Seashores, and the leaves of a Forest, and the granes of the Popy may as well be nurabered as the grosse errours of this Table, disgracing the ground of our own hope ..." (p. 591). The Bishops' Bible. 285 " Of Acts xiii. 20, perverted to ruinate many books, "our Translation thus speaketh: He gave unto them Judges about the space of 450 yeares. Here Beza said the text was corrupted : to deny that we had a New Testament: and the Pope's Translation turneth back from Joshua, to Isaaks birth, without all reason. S. Paul meant, after a sort 450 years. Properly 339 from Joshuahs death to Elies. Within which times Judges of punishment oppresse an hundred and eleven years: so arise 450. And 19 texts belong to that text of Saint Paul. Which anon shall be laid down. Our Bishops absurditie thus appeareth: Years are frora the coraing from Egypt unto the building of Salomon's Temple, I K. vi., 480. Now if the Judges had 450. Thirty of the Wil- demesse would make up the number: that the stories of Joshua, Sarauel, Saul and David should be all fables: and no time for David to be in the world. So our Bishops' Bible might well give place to the alkoran, pestred with lyes " (p. 597). "Thus shameful king Joas lyeth in the holy scripture; and yet our right reverend Fathers would make him Father after the flesh to the King of glory; who was to make his true Fathers the Patrons of vertue in their ages: and the Scripture well understood, shewed that in all places. But weak is the heart of our teachers: to make him father to our Lord, who was a Cain to the Prophet that taught of our Lord his kingdom " (p. 592, Life of Broughton). Comparison of the subjoined passages with the same pas sages in the Genevan version will show the influence of the latter; the words in small capitals indicate the changes made on the Great Bible of 1539. JOHN X. 14-16. 14. I am the good shephearde, and knowe my sheepe, and ara knowen of myne. 15. As YE father knoweth me, euen so knowe I also the fa tiier; and I geue ray lyfe for the sheepe. 16. And other' sheep I haue, which are not of this folde: thera also I must' bryng, and they shal heare my voyce, and there shalbe one folde, (and) one sheaphearde. 1 Transposition. 2 Cor. v. ii-ij. II. KNOWYNG therfore the feare of the lord, we PERSUADE men, for we are knowen f wel yenough vnto God: I trust also that we are * To wit, they among the Gentiles, where they were strangers from God's churche, t By imbracing the same fayth whiche we preache to others. 286 The English Versions. knowen in your consciences. 12. For we commende not our selues agayne vnto you, but geue you an occasion to GLORY ON OUR behalfe, that ye may haue somewhat agaynst them whiche (Jlory in the face, and not in the hart. 13. For yf* we be to feruent, to God are wc (to feruent:) Or yf we keepe measure, for your cause (keepe we measure.) 14. For the loue of Christe constrayneth vs, because we thus iudge, that yf one dyed for al, then were al dead. 15. And he dyed for al, that they which liue, shoulde not hencefoorth liue vnto thera selues, but vnto him which dyed for them, and rose agayne. l I peter III. 1-7. I . Lykewyse ye wyues be in subiection to youre husbandes, that euen they which obey not the word, may without the word be wonne, by the conuersation of the wyues: 2. After that they haue beholden your chaste conversation, (coupled) with feare. 3. Whose apparel LET IT not be THAT which is outwarde, with brayded heare, and hangyng on of golde, ey ther in puttyng on of (gorgeous) apparel : 4. But let the hyd man {which is) in the hart be without al corruption, OF A meeke and QUIET SPIRITE; whiche (spirite) is before God a thyng muche set by. 5. For after this raanner in the olde tyrae dyd the holy women also, which trusted in God, tyre them selues, beyng obedient VNto theyr hus bandes. 6. Euen as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling hyra Lorde, whoss daughters ye are as long as YE do wel, and are not afrayde for any ter. rour. 7. Like wise ye husbandes, dwel with them accordyng to knowl edge, geuyng honour vnto the wife, as unto the weaker vefsel, and as vnto thera that are heyres also of the grace of lyfe, that your prayers be not hyndered. The subjoined examples are designed to illustrate the conservative character of the Bishops' Bible, the first four from the Old Testament having been collated with Matthew's Bible, the differences being indicated in small capitals. Psalm ex. and Ecclus. xxiv. 14-18 with Matthew's and the Vulgate, the words in small capitals, indicating the differences in Mat thew's and the Bishops' and those in italics representing what has been taken from the Vulgate, while Luke xii. 49-52 gives * The greke soundeth thus: Whether we be out of wit, to God we be out of wit: Whether we be wyse, to you we be wyse. t No account is taken of the difference in spelling. The Bishops' Bible. 287 the text of the Bishops' compared with the Great Bible and the Genevan version. The text in all the extracts is that of the Bishops' Bible of 1570 and 1572, described on pages 272-274. 2 SAM. XXIII. 3, 4. 3. The God of Israel spake TO ' me, euen the moste myghtie of Israel ' sayde, A ruler 3 ouer men, beyng iust, ruling < in the feare of God. 4. And AS s the mornyng lyght, when the sunne IS vp,6 a ' morn- yng in whiche are no cloudes (so shal my house be, but not ») as the grasse of the earth is by brightnesse and rayne.8 1 unto; 2 AND THE STRENGTH; 3 HE THAT BEARETH RULE; 4 HE THAT RULETH lUST- ly; 5 AND HE shalbe; 6 shvneth; 1 insert in; 8 to lette the bryghtnesse, and; 9 BY THE vertue OF THE RAYGN. JOB XIX. 25-27. 25. For I ara sure* that my redeemer lyueth, and he shal rayse vp at the latter day them that lye in the dust: 26. And though after my skin the {formes) destroy this body, yet shal I see God in my fleshe: 27. Whom I mee selfe shal see, and mine eyes shall beholde, and none other for rae, though ray reynes are consuraed within me. — AND THAT 1 SHAL RYSE OUT OF THE EARTH IN— DAY, THAT I SHAL BE CLOTHED AGAINE WYTH THYS SKYNNE, AND SE — FLESHE, YEA I MY SELFE SHAL BEHOLDE HYM, NOT WYTH OTHER, BUT WYTH THESE SAME EYES. MY REYNES ARE — . ISAIAH XXVI. 19-21. 19. Thy dead men shal lyue, euen as ray body shal they ryse agayne: Awake and syng ye that dwel in dust i for thy deawe is euen as the deaw of hearbes,2 and the earth shall cast out them that be vnder her.s 20. Come ¦• my people, enter thou into thy chaumbers, and shut thy DOORES ABOUT THEE,6 HYDE THEE SELFE FOR A LITLE WHYLE, VNTYLL THE INDIGNATION* be ouerpast. 21. For beholde the Lorde is COM- myng OUT OF HIS PLACE,' TO VISITE 8 the wickednesse of suche' as dwel vpon earth: THE EARTH also shal disclose her bloods,'" and SHALL NO MORE " hyde them that ARE slayne in her. '2 1 The whole first clause reads: But as for .... and oures that be departed, THEY ARE IN LYFE AND RESURRECCION. THEY LYE IN THE EARTHE, THEY WAKE, AND HAUE ioy: ... 2 is a DEW OF LYFE AND LIGHT, 3 BUT THE PLACE OF THE MALYCYOUS TyRAUNTES is fallen AWAY. 4 So GO NOW .... INTO — CHAMBRE; fi THE DORE TO thee: 6 AND SUFFRE NOW THE TWINCKLYNGE QF AN EYE TYLL THE WRATHE. 7 WYLL GO OUT OF HIS HABITACYDN; 8 AND VPSET: 8 THEM THAT; 10 HE WYL DYSCOUER THE DLOUD THAT SHE HATH DEUOURED; 11 SHE SHAL NEUER; 12 SHE HATH MURTHERED. * Here is an euident confessing of Jobs fayth, with the assured hope of resurrection. 288 The English Versions. ISAIAH LII. 1-3. I. Vp Sion, vp, take thy strength vnto thee, put on thine honest ray. ment, O Hierusalem, thou holy citie ': for from this tyme foorth theie shal no vncircumcised nor vncleane person come in thee. 2. Shake thee from the dust, arise and stand vp, o Hierusalem: Plucke out thy necke from the bonde, o thou captiue daughter Sion. 3. For thus sayth the Lorde, Ye are sold for nought, therefore shall ye be redeemed also with out any money. 1 Thou citie of the holye one. PSALM ex. I . The Lorde sayde vnto my Lord: sit thou on my right hand vntyl I make thyne enemies thy footstool. 2. The Lorde shal send the rodde of thy power out of Sion: be thou ruler euen in the middes among thyne enimies. 3. In the day of thy power shall the' people offer tiiee' freewyl offerings with an holy worship ; a the deawe of thy birth b is the 3 wombe of the moming. 4. The Lorde sware, and wyll not repent: thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedech. 5 . The Lorde vpon thy right hande: shal wouNDE^c euen kings in the day of his wrath. 6. He shalbe iudge among the Heathen,^ he shall fill the places with the dead bodies,e and smite in sunder the heades ouer diuers countries.f 7. He shalt drinke of the brooke in the way: therefore shal he lyft vp his head. 1 thy; 2 the; a of thee; i smite; fi them (Matthew, Day and Seres, 1549). a. splendoribus sanctitatis. b. ros natiuitatis tua. c. vulnerabii. d. judicabit in gentibus. c. implebit loca cadaveribus. i. percutiet caput super terram multam. Pagninus. The numerical references in this Psalm show the differences between the Bishops' and Matthew, the alphabetical refer ences the influence of Pagninus, and the italicized portions what has been taken from the Vulgate. The rest may be re garded as independent scholarship; e. g., the rendering /r^^- wyl offerings (v. 3), appears in the famous version of Tremel lius (1579) as oblationes voluntaries. ecclus. xxiv. 14-18. 14. / tooke roote in an honorable people, euen in the portion of the Lorde, and in his heritage, and kept me in the fulnesse of the saintes. 15. 1 am set vp an hygh, lyke a Cedar vpon Libanus, and as a cipers tree vpon the mount Hermon. 16. I am exalted lyke a Palme tree in The Bishops' Bible. 289 Cades, and as a Rose plant in Jericho, as a fayre Oliue tree in the f eelde, and am exalted like ' a Plantane tree by the water syde. 17. I haue giuen a smell in the streetes, as the Cynamon and Balme that hath so good a sauour, yea a sweete odour haue I geuen, as it were myrre of the best, I haue made my dwellynges to smell as it were of Rosin, Galbanum, of Cloues,2 Insense, and as Libanus when it is not hewen downe, and myne odour is as the pure Balme. 18. As the Terebint* haue I stretched out my branches, and my branches are the branches of honour and louyng fauour. Collated with Matthew, Day and Seres, 1549, ^i^h the result that excepting two ad ditions (1 insert as; 2 insert and;) the Bishops' is in literal agreement with it. The italicized portions of this extract show what has been taken from the Vulgate. ST. LUKE XII. 49-52. 49. I ara come to send' fyref on the earth, and what is my desyre, yf ^ it be already kindled ? 50. Notwithstanding I raust be baptised with a baptisrae,§ and howe am I payned^ till it be ended? 51. Suppose ye that I am corae to send' peace on earth? I tel you, nay, but rather || diuision.4 52. For from hencefoorth there shalbe fine in one house di- uided, three agaynst two, and two agaynst three. The twtf words in italics are the only changes (and in the latter only a change of tense) from the text of the Great Bible of 1539. The numerical references show the changes in the Geneva version of 1557; 1 to put; 2 grieved; s to give; 4 debate. The following is an extract taken from the edition of 1572, which contains a double version of the Psalms, that of the Great Bible in black letter, and the new version in Roman letter. * Terebint, is a harde tree, spreade abrood with long boughes, where out of com meth the gumme, called a pure turpentine, whiche cleanseth the stomacke of putrified homors, and purifieth the eares: so the wysedome of God declared in his Scriptures, spreadeth abrode her manifold branches of knowledge and vnderstanding, to purge the inwarde eares and corruption of the soule. t That is the Gospel, whiche is as a vehement fyre, and maketh a change of thynges, thorow al the worlde. X That is, but that it be. g He compareth afiliction and his death to baptisme. Matt. 10, d. il Christ is not the cause that there is destruction for the Gospel, but the wycked nesse of worldlynges, whiche by malice contemnyng the Gospel, be at variance with all that professe it, Matt. 16, -a. T 290 The English Versions. PSALM CXXX. Great Bible Version, I . Out of the deepe haue I called vnto thee, 0 Lorde : Lorde heare my voyce. z. Oh let thine eares con- syder wel: the voice of my cora- playnt. 3. If thou Lord, wilt be extrerae to marke what is donne amisse: oh Lorde who raay abyde it? 4. For there is raercy with thee; therefore shalt thou be feared. 5 . I looke for the Lorde, ray soule dooth wayte for him: in his woorde is my trust. 6. My soule fleeth vn to the Lorde: before the mornyng watche (I say) before the morning watche. 7. O Israel trust in the Lorde, for with the Lorde there is mercie: and with him is plenteous redemption. 8. And he shal re- deerae Israel: frora al his sinnes. The New Version. I . Out of the deepe I haue called vnto thee, O God: O Lorde heare my voyce. 2. Let thine eares be attentiue: vnto the voyce of my pe tition for grace. 3. If thou, o God, wilt marke what is donne amisse: o Lorde who can abide it? 4. For there is pardon of sinne with thee: that thou mayest be feared. 5. I haue wayted for God, my soule haue wayted for him: and I haue reposed my trust in his woorde. 6. My soule listeth more after God, then watchmen doo after the mom ing, I say more then watchraen doo after the morning. 7. Israel ought to trust in God, for there is mer cy with God: and there is plen teousness of redemption with him. 8. And he wyl redeeme Israel: from all his sinnes. About ten years after the publication of the Revised edition of the Bishops' Bible, Gregory Martin in a work entitled : A Discoverie of the Manifold Corruptions of the Holy Scriptures by the Heretikes of our daies, specially the English Sectaries, and of their foule dealing therein, by partial &' false translations to the advantage of their heresies, in their English Bibles vsed and authorised since the time ofthe Schisme, etc., Rhemes, John Fogny, 1.582, made an indiscrim inate onslaught on all the English versions and adverting to their num ber exclaims "he raust learn what English translation is read in their church (which were hard to know, it changeth so oft) before we raay be held to accuse them of false translation, how shall we be sure that they will stand to any of their translations? From the first read in their Church, they flee to that which is now read and from that again to the later Genevan Bibles, neither read in their churches nor of greater au thority among them, and we doubt not that they will as fast flee from The Bishops' Bible. 291 this to the former again. " • The three translations referred to are, of course, the Great Bible, the Genevan and the Bishops'. Fulke an swered him in A Defence of the sincere and true Translations of the holie Scriptures into the English tong, against the mcmifolde cauils, friuolous quarels, and impudent slaunders of Gregorie Martin, one of the readers of Popish diuinitie in the trayterous Seminarie of Rhemes etc., London etc., isSj. There is much ability displayed by both. though m most instances Fulke gets the better of his adversary; the twi books (which may be read substantially in one, in the Parker's Society edition) shed much light on a large number of passages, as they were un derstood and interpreted at the time, and are very useful. His defence of the translators of the English is very noble, to wit these passages: "We never go from that text and ancient reading which all the fathers used and expounded; but we translate that most usual text, which was first printed out of the raost ancient copies that could be found; and if any be since found, or if any of the ancient fathers did read otherwise than the usual copies, in any word that is in any way raaterial, in annotation, commentaries, readings, and serraons, we spare not to declare it as occa sion serveth We never flee from the Hebrew and Greek in any place, much less in places of controversy : but we always hold, as near as we can, that which the Greek and Hebrew signifieth. But if in places of controversy we take witness of the Greek or vulgar Latin, where the Hebrew or Greek raay be thought arabiguous; I trust no wise man wUl count this a flight from the Hebrew and Greek, which we always trans late aright, whether it agree with the Seventy or vulgar Latm, or no." f The spirit and manner in which controversies were con ducted towards the close of the sixteenth century may be il lustrated by a passage which has a direct connection with an alleged interpolation in the Bishops' Bible, and therefore is not out of place here. Martin says: "Again, Saul confounded the Jews, proving (by confer ring one scripture with another), that this is very Christ." These words "by conferring one scripture with another," are added more than is in the Greek text; in favor of their presumptuous opinion, that conference of scriptures is enough for any raan to understand them, and so to reject both the coraraentaries of the doctors, and exposition of holy councils, and catholic church: it is so much more, I say, than is in the Greek text, * /. c. pp. 9-11. t pp. 99, 100. 292 The English Versions. and a notorious corruption in their bible, read daily in their churches as most authentical. [The only edition of the Bishops' Bible known to have the obnoxious clause is that of 1584, which Martin could not have used, because he wrote in 1582. There are two editions of the Bibve of the year 1577, Jugge's quarto of the Bishops', and Barker's folio of the Genevan. The Genevan has the clause in the margin.] Fulke's answer to the charge is this: " Either you raake a loud lie, or else sorae one print which you have of the Bishops' bible, which you call Bib. 1577, hath put that into the line, that should be the note in the mar gin. For, of four translations that I have, never a one hath that addition. The Bishops' bible hath that, Chapt. ix. 22, thus: " But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, affirming that this was very Christ." The Geneva bible thus: " But Saul increased the raore in strength, and confounded the Jews that dwelt at Daraascus, confirraing that this was the Christ," where the note in the raargin upon the word, "confirming," is this: "proving by the confer ence of the Scriptures." Thomas Matthew's Bible translateth that verse thus: "But Saul increased in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, aflirming that this was very Christ. " Master Cov erdale's bible, 1562, hath it thus: "But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, aflirming that this was very Christ. " Thus are all our translations without that addition, which, although it is not to be borne in the text, yet is no heret ical addition, except you count it heresy to prove a thing by conference of Scripture . The conclusion of the controversy may likewise conclude this chapter on the Bishops' Bible: Martin: "To conclude: are not your scholars, think you, much bound unto you, for giving thera, instead of God's blessed word and his holy Scriptures, such translations heretical, judaical, profane, false, negligent, fantastical, new, naught, raonstrous ? God open their eyes to see, and mollify your hearts to repent of all your falsehood and treachery, both that which is manifestly convinced against you and cannot be denied, as also that which may by some shew of answer be shifted in the sight of the ignorant, but in your consciences is as manifest as the other ! " Fulke: " Happy and thrice happy hath our English nation been, since God hath given learned translators, to express in our raother tongue the heavenly mysteries of his holy word, delivered to his church in the He brew and Greek languages. Who, although they have in sorae raatters, of no importance unto salvation, as men, been deceived; yet have they Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 293 faithfully delivered the whole substance of the heavenly doctrine, con tained in the holy scriptures, without any heretical translations or wUful corruptions; and in the whole bible, among them all, have coraraitted as few oversights for anything that you can bring, and of less importance, than you have done only in the New Testament; where, beside so raany omissions, even out of your own vulgar Latin translation, you have taken upon you to alter that you found in your text, and translate that which is only in the raargin, and is read but in few written copies: as for Italia you say Attalia, noted before Heb. xiii., for placuerunt you translate latuerunt, 2 Pet. II. , for coinquinationis, which is in the text, you trans late coinquinationes, which was found but in one only copy by Hente- nius, as the other but one or two of thirty divers copies, most written." * CHAPTER XII. THE RHEMES TESTAMENT AND DOUAY BIBLE. This is the Roman Catholic Version of the Scriptures exe cuted by English refugees of the Roman Catholic persuasion in the reign of Elizabeth. The three chief promoters of this translation, referred to in the advertisement to the Douay Bi ble as tres diversi ejus nationis eruditissimi theologi, are said to have been, on the authority of Possevin,f William Allen, Gregory Martin and Richard Bristow. William Allen who had been canon of York, and principal of St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, in the reign of Queen Mary, fled to Louvain, was made successively doctor of divinity, a canon of Cambray and of Rhemes, and bore a prominent part in the establishment of the Romish Seminary for English stu dents at the last place. Bp. Andrewe's says of him: "His forehead was surely flint, and his tongue a razor. " J * Defense, etc. p. 591. t Ant. Possevini Apparatus Sacer I. 225. Cologne, 1608, fol. t Tortura Torti, p. 143. 294 The English Versions. Gregory Martin, already referred to in the chapter on the Bishops' Bible (ad finem), was a native of Maxfield in Sussex, one of the original scholars of St. John's College, Oxford, where he took his M.A. in 1564, and reputed the best Hebrew and Greek scholar of his college. Becoming a pervert to Popery, he went to Douay in 1570, and became a divinity reader in the Seminary at Rhemes. He was the chief translator of the entire Bible, an able controversial writer, and died in 1584, his death, it is said, having been hastened by his incessant toil. Richard Bristow, a native of Worcester, successively M.A. of Christ Church, and Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, ab jured Protestantism in 1569, and became a reader of divinity,- first at Douay, and then at Rhemes. The notes in the New Testament are said to have been prepared by him, while, Thomas Worthington, also an Oxford man, and afterwards president of the Seminary at Rhemes, is reported to have pre pared the annotations and tables for the Old Testament The New Testament appeared in 1582, in quarto, and its title page reads thus: THE NEW TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFULLY INTO ENGLISH out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: With Arguments of bookes and chapters. Annotations, and other necessarie helpes,for the better vnderstanding of the text, and spe cially for the discouerie of the corrvptions of diuers late translations, and for cleering the controversies in religion, of these daies: IN THE ENGLISH COLLEGE OF RHEMES. Psalm 118. Da mihi intellectum, &= scrutabor legem tuam, &= custodiam Ulam in tett corde meo. That is, Giue me vnderstandmg, and I wUl search thy law, and will keepe it vvith my whole hart. Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 295 St. Aug. tract. 2, in Epist. Joan. Omnia, quce leguntur in Scripturis Sanctis, ad instructionem &' salutem nostram intenti oportet audire: maximi tamen memorice commendanda sunt, qua aduersus Hcereticos valent plurimiim: quorum insidice, in- firmiores quosque &= negligentiores circumuenire non cessant. That is, Al things that are readde in holy Scriptures, we raust hear with great at tention, to our instruction and saluation: but those things specially must be commended to memorie, which make raost against Heretikes: whose deceites cease not to circumuent and beguile al the weaker sort and the more negligent persons. PRINTED AT RHEMES, BY lOHN FOGNY. 1582. Cum Privilegio. The Preface, which is quite lengthy, is a document of con summate skill and ingenious special pleading. It makes no reference to the use of the earlier English translations, and contemporary versions, to which the translators of this version were under very great obligations, as will be shown hereafter. This preface treats of three points: i. Of the translation of Holy Scriptures into the vulgar tongues, and namely into English. 2. Of the causes why this New Testament is trans lated according to the ancient vulgar Latin text. 3. Of the manner of translating the same. "Now since Luther's revolt also," they say, "diuers learned Catho- likes for the more speedy abolishing of a nuraber of false and irapious translations put forth by sundry sectes, and for the better preseruation or reclaime of many good soules endangered thereby, haue published the Bib'e in the several languages of almost al the principal prouinces of the Latin church: no other bookes in the world being so pernicious as heret ical translations of the Scriptures, poisoning the people vnder colour of diuine authoritie, and not many other remedies being more soueraine against the same (if it be vsed in order, discretion, and humilitie) then the true, faithfiil, and sincere mterpretation opposed therevnto; " Which causeth the Holy Church not to forbid vtteriy any Catholic translation, though she aUow not the publishing or reading of any abso- 296 The English Versions. lutely and without exception, or limitation : knowing by her diuine and most sincere wisedom, how, where, when, and to whome these her Mais- ters and Spouses giftes are to be bestowed to the raost good of the faith ful; and therefore neither generally perraitteth that which muste needs doe hurt to the vnworthy, nor absolutely condemneth that which maye do much good to the worthy. Where vpon, the order which many a iust man wished before, was taken by the Deputies of the late famous councel of Trent in this behalfe, and confirraed by suprerae authoritie, that the holy Scriptures, though truly and catholikely translated into vul gar tonges, yet raay not be indifferently readde of al raen, nor of any other then such as haue expresse licence therevnto of their lawful ordi naries, with good testiraonie from their curates and confessors, that they be hurable, discrete and deuout persons, and like to take much good, and no harm thereby . . . . "we must not imagin that in the primitiue church either euery one that vnderstoode the learned tonges wherein the Scriptures were writ ten or other languages into which they were translated, might without reprehension, read, reason, dispute, turne and tosse the scriptures; or that our forefathers suffred euery scholeraaister, scholar, or grammarian that had a little Greeke or Latin, straight to take in hand the holy Testament: or that the translated Bibles into the vulgar tonges were in the hands of euery husbandman, artificer, prentice, boies, girles, mistresse, maide, raan; that they were sung, plaied, alleaged, of euery tinker, tauemer, riraer, minstrel: that they were for table talke, for alebenches, for boates and barges, and for euery prophane person and companie. No, in those bet ter tiraes men were neither so il, nor so curious of them selues, so to abuse the blessed booke of Christ: neither was there any such easy raeanes be fore printing was inuented, to disperse the copies uito the handes of euery man, as now there is. "They were then in libraries, monasteries, colleges, churches, in bish ops', priests, and sorae deuout principal laymens houses and handes; who vsed them with feare and reuerence, and specially such partes as pertained to good life and maners, not medling, but in pulpit and schooles (and that moderately to) with the hard and high mysteries and places of greater dif ficultie. The poore ploughman could then, in labouring the ground, sing the hynmes and psalraes either in knowen or vnknowen languages, as they heard them in the holy church, though they could neither reade nor knowe the sense, raeaning, and mysteries ofthe same." After dwelling on the past glories of that golden age of blissful ignor ance, and the false and corrupt translations of the Protestants, and stating Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 297 that compassion moved thera to supply their beloued countrymen with the unadulterated truth in their translation in which they profess to haue kept " as neere as is possible to our text, and to the very words and phrases which by long vse are made venerable, " as well as annotations designed "to shew the studious reader in raost places perteining to the controuersies of this tirae, both the heretical corruptions and false deduc tions, and also the Apostolike tradition, the exposition of the holy fathers, the decrees of the Catholike Church and most ancient Councels," they give the following reasons for their preference of the Old Vulgar Latin text to the common Greek text: I. It is so ancient that it was used in the church above I3(X) years ago 2. It is that .... by all probability, which St. Jerome afterward cor rected according to the Greek 3. It is the sarae which St. Augustine so commendeth 4. Which for the most part ever since hath been used in the Church's service, and used and expounded by the Fathers 5. Which the Holy Council of Trent .... hath declared and defined only of all other Latin translations to be authentical 6. It is the grauest, sincerest, of greatest majestie, and the least partial- Itie 7. It is so exact and precise according to the Greeke, both the phrase and the word, that delicate heretics therefore reprehend it of rudeness. . . . 8. The aduersaries themselues, namely Beza, prefer it before all the rest 9. In the rest there is such diuersitie and discussion, and no end of reprehending one another, and translating every raan according to his fancy 10. It is not only better than all other Latin * translations but than the Greek text itself hi those places where they disagree As to their manner of translating they say: "In this our translation, because we wish it to be most sincerely as be commeth a Catholike translation, and haue endeauored so to make it: we are very Precise and religious in folowing our copie, the old vulgar ap proued Latui: not only in sense, which we hope we alwaies doe, but * Eadie says that a certain cardinal confessed that he had gone over the Vulgate once, but vowed never to read it again, lest his Latmity should be spoiled. 298 The English Versions. sometimes in the very words also and phrases, which may seeme to the vulgar reader and to coraraon English eares not yet acquainted therewith, rudenesse or ignorance : but to the discrete reader that deeply weigheth and considereth the importance of sacred words and speeches .... we doubt not but our consideration and doing therein, shal seeme reasonable and necessarie " The following they call " translations." Amen, Amen I say unto you, and argue if the English retain Alleluia in their versions (though they translate it " Praise ye the Lord " in the Book of Common Prayer), as well as Hosanna, Raca and Belial, why should they not retain Corbana and Par as cue. " Moreover," they continue, " we presume not in hard places to moUifie the speaches and phrases, but religiously keepe them word for word, and point for point, for fear of missing, or restraining the sense of the Holy Ghost to our phantasie, as Eph. vi., 'Against the spirituals of wickedness in the celestials, ' and ' what to rae and thee woman ? ' and I Pet. ii., 'As infant euen now borne, reasonable, milke without guile de- sireye.' We do so place, 'reasonable,' of purpose, that it may be indif ferent both to infants going before, as in our Latin text: or to milke that foUoweth after, as in other Latin copies and in the Greeke. Io. iii., we translate, 'The spirit breatheth where he wil, etc' leaning it indifferent to signifie either the holy Ghost, or winde: which the Protestants trans lating, ' minde, ' take away the other sense raore coraraon and vsual in the ancient fathers " " We adde the Greeke in the margent for diuers causes. Sometime when the sense is hard, that the learned reader raay consider of it and see if he can helpe himselfe better then by our translation. Item we adde the Latin word soraetirae in the margent, when either we can not fully expresse it (as Act. viii., ' They tooke order for Stevens funeral,' and, ' Al take not his word ') or when the reader might thinke, it can not be as we translate, as, Luc. viii., 'A storme of winde descended in to the lake, and they were filled,' and Io. v., 'when lesus knew that he had now a long time,' meaning, in his infirmitie." " This precise folowing of our Latin text, in neither adding nor dirain- ishing, is the cause why we say not in the title of the gospels in the first page, S. Matthew, S. Mar., S. John: because it is so neither in Greeke nor Latin, though in the toppes of the leaues folowing, where we raay be bolder, we adde S. Matthew etc. to satisfie the reader "Item we giue the Reader in the places of some importance, another readmg in the margent, speciaUy when the Greeke is agreeable to the same, c. g. as lohn iv., transiet de morte ad vitam, where other copies have tranijt, as in the Greeke. Rhemes Testament and Dou.\y Bible. 299 " We binde not our selues to the pointes of any one copie, print, or edition of the vulgar Latin, in places of no controuersie, but folow the pointing raost agreeable to the Greeke and to the fathers commentaries, e. g. Coll. i. 10, Ambulantes digne Deo, per omnia placentes, walking worthy of God, in all things pleasing, Eph. i. 17, they pointed: Deus Domini nostri Jesu Christi, Pater glories, as in the Greeke, and St. Chryseostorae and St. Hieorome. "We translate sometime the word that is in the Latin margent, and not that in the text, where by the Greeke or the fathers we see it is a manifest fault of the writers heretofore, that mistook one word for an other. As in fine not in fide, I Pet. iii. %; presentiam not prascientiam, 2 Pet. V. 16; latuerunt not placuerunt, Heb. xiii." Their way of proving on critical grounds the superiority of the Latin translation to the Greek original is certainly very unique. As a rule, they say, the Latin agrees with the Greek; if it differs from the common Greek text, it agrees with some copy, "As may be seen in Stephens' margin," and that the adversaries fre quently concede the superiority of the marginal readings; that where the Greek goes against the Latin, quotations from the Greek fathers are sure to sustain it; and where these faU, conjecture raay come in to adapt the Greek to the Latin; that where conjecture and the Greek fathers fail, the Latin fathers are almost sure to sustain the Vulgate, and if they should have a different reading the cause is to be sought in " the great diuersitie and raultitude " of the Latin copies. Adrait the validity of these critical principles, and the superiority of the text of the Vulgate to the Greek text is established. The notes are siraply furious, and in the words of a Roman Catholic writer, " the translation is accompanied with virulent annotations against the Protestant religion, and manifestly calculated to support a system, not of genuine Catholicity, but of transalpine popery." I am undecided whether the actual translation of the Rhem ish New Testament is inconsistent with the express declaration of the translators, or in agreement with it, for as a matter of fact, their text agrees in some particulars, and especially in the use of the definite article, with the Greek, and in spite of 300 The English Versions. their professed deification of the Vulgate, even as authorized by the Council of Trent, and their perpetual fulminations against heretics and adversaries, especially in the notes, they are under great obligations to the Genevan mouse (Beza), the Genevan version, the Bishops' Bible, and to Wiclif. Most of the characteristics of this translation will appear from a consecutive passage, taken from the edition of 1582, with the text of the Vulgate (taken from Carriere's Commen tary, 1 740) placed over it in Italics. MATTHEW III. I-I2. I. In diebus illis, venit Joannes Baptista pradicaTis in deserto Judas, And in those dayes cometh > lohn the Baptist preaching in the desert of Ievvrie,2 2. Et dicens: Pcenitentiam agile: appropinquavit enim Regnum Cce- lorum. & saying. Do penance : for the Kingdom of Heauen ' is < at hand. 3. Hic est enim qui diclus est per Isaiam Prophetam, dicentem. Vox For this is he that was spoken of ^ by Esay the Prophet, saying: a clamantis in deserto: Parate viam Domini: rectas facite semitas ejus. voyce of one crying in the desert, prepare ye the way of our ^ Lord, make straight his pathes. 4. Ipse autem loannes habebat vestimentum de pilis camelorum, &* And ' the sayd lohn had his ' garraent of camels heare, & a girdle zonam pelliceam circa lumbos suos: esca autem ejus erat locust ce, &= met silvestre.of a skinne about his loynes: and his meat was locustes and wilde honie. 5. Tunc exibat ad eum Jerosolyma &' omnis Judcea, Ss' omnis regio Then went forth ^ to hira Hierusalera & al lewrie, & al the coun- circa Jordanem: trey '<> about Iordan: 6. Et baptizabantur ab eo in Jordane, confitentes peccata sua. & vvere baptized of him in Iordan, confessing their sinnes. 7. Videns autem multos Pharisceorum dr" Sadducisorum, venient es ad And seeing raany of the Pharisees & Sadducees coraing to his bap- baptismum suum, dixit eis: Progenies viperarum, quis demonstravit tisra, he sayd to them: Ye vipers brood," who hath shewed '2 you to flee vobis fugere a ventura ira ? frora the wrath to come ? Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 301 8. Facite ergo fructum dignum pcenitentice. Yeld " therfore fruite worthie '< of penance. 9. Et ne velitis dicere intra vos: Patrem habemus Abraham: dico And delite '^ not to say within your selues, we haue Abraham to our enim vobis quoniam potens est Deus de lapidibus istis suscitare filios father, for I tel '8 you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children AbrahcB. to Abraham. IO. Jam enim securis ad radicem arborum posita est. Omnis ergo For now the axe is put to the roote of the trees. Euery tree ther- arbor, quce non facit fructum bonum, excidetur, &' in ignem mittetur. fore that doth not yeld good fruite, shal be cut downe, & cast into the fyre. 1 1 . Ego quidem baptizo vos in aqua in pcenitentiam: qui autem post I in deede baptize you in water vnto " penance, but he that shal me venturus est, fortior me est, cujus non sum dignus calceam^nta por- come after rae, is stronger than I, whose shoes I am not worthie to tare: ipse vos baptizabit in Spiritu Sancto, et igni. beare, '8 he shal baptize you in the Holy Ghost & fire. " 12. Cujus ventilabrum, in manu sua: &= permundabit aream suam: &' Whose fanne^o is in his hand, and he shal cleane purge 21 his ccngregabit triticum suum in horreum, paleas autem comburet igni in- floore: and he wil gather his wheate into the 22 bame, but the chaffe he extinguibili.wil burne with vnquencheable fire. 1 Cometh, influenced by the Greek, for the Latin may be the present or the per fect 2 Tewrie, influenced by the English versions, Tyndale, Great Bible, Bishops', and Geneva. 3 heaven, departure from the Latin and conforming to the English idiom. 4 is, conforms to the English idiom in all the versions from Tyndale. 6 was spoken of, the past tense in the Great Bible, Genevan (1557) and the Bishops'. 6 of our Lord, a departure from the Vulgate to the place in Isaiah xl. 3, where that ren dering is given. 7 And, the rendering of autem fluctuates; here it is and, in ver. 11 but, where the Greek Si requires it. In ver. 1, where Si is not adversative, they translate and. * his garment, influenced by the English versions after Tyndale and the Greek, but not required by the Latin. 9 went forth, original. 10 " Al the cuntre aboute iordan," Wiclif, in opposition to region, n Brood, original, i! shewed you, Wiclif IS yeld, original. " worthie, Wiclif 16 delite, original. 16 tel, original. n vnto. Great Bible, Bishops'. Wiclif, "in to." 18 "I am not worthi to bere," Wiclif 19 " in the holi goost and fier," Wiclif 20 whose fannc, Tyndale, Great Bible, Bishops'. Ventilabrum docs not necessarily signify y"aK, it may mean any implement for wmnowing grain. 21 cleane purge, after WicliPs " fuUi clense," or the Bishops' " throughly purge." 22 into the bame, eii TIJV d7Co6?/K7JV, Great Bible. 302 The English Versions. The dependence of this version on Wiclifs may be illustrated separately by the presentation of both in parallel columns, the choice of the passage is made at random. MARK XIV. 17-26. Wiclif, 1380. 17 and whanne euentide was come, he cam with the XII. 18 and whanne thei saten at the mete and eten ihesus seide, truli I seye to yhou that oon of yhou that eteth with me schal bitraie me, 19 and thei bigunen to be sory, & to seye to hym ech bi hem silf, where I? 20 which seide to hem, oon of the twelue, that puttith the hond with me in the plater, 21 and sothli ' raannes sone goith as it is writun of hira, but wo to that raan bi whom mannes sone schal be bitrayede, it were good to hyra, if thilke^ raan hadde not be borun, 22 and whUe thei etun, ihesus took breed and blessid and brak and ghaf it to hem and seide, take yhe, this is my bodi, 23 and whanne he hadde take the cuppe he dede thankyngis and ghaf to hem, and alle drunken therof, 24 and he seide to hem, this is my blood of the newe testamente, whiche schal be schedde for many, 25 truli I seye to yhou, for nowe I schal not drynke of this fruyt of vyne in to 3 that day, whanne I Rhemes, 1582. And when euen was corae, he 17 coraraeth with the Twelue. And when they vvere sitting at 18 the table and eating, lesvs said, Araen I say to you, that one of you shal betray me, he 1 that eateth vvith me. But they began to be sad, and to 19 say to him seuerally,^ Is it I ? Who said to them. One of the 20 Twelue, he that dippeth ^ with me his hand in the dish. and the Sonne of man in deede 2i goeth as it is written of him, but wo to that man by whora the Sonne of man shal be betrayed, it vvere good for him, if that man had not been borne. And whiles they were eating, 22 lesvs tooke bread : and blessing < brake, and gaue to them, and said. Take, This is my Body. And taking the chalice,^ giuing 23 thankes he gaue to them, and they al dranke of it. and he said to thera, This is my 24 blovd of the new testament, that shal be shed for raany. Araen I say to you, that now I 25 wil not drinke of the fruite of the vme vntil e that day when I Rhemes Testament and- Douay Bible. 303 schal drinke it new in the rewm* shal drinke it new in the king of god, dom of God. 26 and whanne the ympne 6 was And an hyrane being said,' they 26 seid they wenten out iu to the went forth into Mount-oliuet. hill of olyues. I sothli, aa\y. 1 thilie, that, z in to= ^ 6 i66ia)V. i Singulatim. % dip- until. 4 rewtn, realm. 6 ympne, hymn, peth, the English idiom in all the subse quent versions. 4 henedicens. 6 accepto calice. 6 until, in all the English versions. 1 clearly intended to express pasta action. The following passages giving the characteristics of this version require no comment: a. The use of the definite article in — I Thess. i. 3, the charity, the en during of hope. Matth. iv. 5, the piimacle; xxviii. 16, the mount. Eph. ii. 3, as also the rest. Rev. ii. 13, clothed in the white robes. Its omission, in Luke ii. 9, an angel of our Lord. Matth. ii. 13, an angel. John iv. 27, talked with a woraan. b. Literal renderings: Rom. viii. 21, liberty ofthe glory. 2 Cor. iv. 4, gospel of the glory. Eph. iv. 24, desires of error; 24, holiness of the truth. Phil. iii. 21, body of our humility; body ofhis glory. 2 Thess. i. 7, angels ofhis power. Col. i. 13, Son ofhis love. c. Translations requiring translation. Matth. i. 17, transmigration of Babylon; vi. 11, supersubstantial bread; xvi. 26, what permutation; xxvii. 62, day which is after the parasceue. Mark iii. 6, made a consultation; V. 35, they come to the archsynagogue ; xv. 46, wrapped hira in the sin- don. Luke i. 6, walking in aU the comraaundements and justifications of our Lord; ix. 46, there entered a cogitation into them; xxii. 7, the day of the Azymes .... the pasche should be killed; 12, He will shew you a great refectory adorned; 18, I wiH not drink of the generation of the vine. John ii. 11, What to me and thee woman? v. 2, and there is at Hierusalem upon Probatica a pond; vi. 45, And al shall be docible of God; vii. 5, Scenopdgia was at hand; Acts i. 2, he was assumpted; xxiii. 14, by execration we haue vowed. Rom. i. 30, odible to God; ii. 25, if thou be a preuaricator of the law, thy circumcision is become prepuce. 1 Cor. V. 7, purge the old leaven, that ye raay be a new paste as you are Azyraes; x. 11, written to our correption; xi. 4, dishonesteth his head. 2 Cor. vii. 1, from all inquination ofthe flesh ahd spirit; xi. 2, for I haue despoused you; xiii. i, seek you an experiment of him that speaketh in me. Gal. v. 11, the scandal ofthe crosse evacuated; 21, ebrieties, com- messations. Eph. ii. 6, sit with him in the celestials; iii. 6, concorporat 304 The English Versions. and comparticipant; 14, of whom all patemitie in the heavens; iv. 30, and contristate not the holy Spirit of God; vi. 12, against the rectors ot the world of this darkenes, against the spirituals of wickednes in the ce lestials. Philipp. ii. 7, exinanited himself; iii. 10, the vertue ofhis resur rection, and the society of his passions, configured to his death; iv. 18, an acceptable host. Coloss. iii. 16, spiritual canticles, in grace singing in your hartes to God. 2 Thess. ii. 8, eaten bread of any man gratis. I Tim. ii. 6, not a neophyte; v. 6, For she that is in deliciousenes, liuing is dead. 2 Tim. i. 11, an Apostle and Maister of the Gentiles; 14, keep the good depositura; iv. 4, from the triith certes they will auert. Titus il. 3, old women, in like maner, in holy attire. Philem. 6, evident in the agnition of al good; 24, coadiutors. Heb. ii. 17, that he raight re- propitiate the sinnes of the people; iii. 13, obdurate with the fallacie of sinne; 15, obdurate your hartes as m that exacerbation; iv. 4, left a sab- batisme for the people of God; v. 9, and being consummate; vi. 7, grasse commodious for thera by whora it is tilled; vii. 19, introduction of a bet ter hope; viii. 5, according to the exarapler which was shewed thee; ix. 1, a secular sanctuarie ; 3, Sancta Sanctorum ; 23, examplers of the coeles- tials; 28, to exhaust the sinnes of raany; x. 16, in their raindes will I superscribe them; xii. 2, the consunlmator lesus, who, ioy being pro posed vnto him, sustained the crosse, contemning confusion; xiii. 7, Re member your prelates; 16, For with such hostes God is promerited. James i. 15, sinne when it is consummate, ingendreth death; 17, no transmuta tion, nor shadowing of alteration; 23, countenance of his natiuity; iii. 4, turned about with a litle steme wliither the violence of the director wil; 6, inflameth the wheele of our natiuity. 1 Peter i. 13, not configurated to the former desires; i7j in feare conuerse ye the time of your peregrina tion; 22, in the sincere loue of the fratemitie frora the hart; ii. 13, be subject therfore to euery huraane creature for God ; iii. 7, as vnto the weaker feminine vessel imparting honovr; iv. 12, strange in the feruour which is to you for a tentation; 13, but coraraunicating with the passions of Christ; v. 5, insinuate humilitie one to another; 2 Pet. ii. 13, coinquina- tions and spottes, flowing in delicacies; iii. 13, in which iustice inhabiteth. I John i. 3, our societie may be with the Father, and with his Sonne; ii. 14, 1 write unto you infantes; iii. 1, See what maner of charitie the Father hath giuen vs; * iv. 3, euery spirit that dissolueth lesvs. 2 Jolm 9, Euery one that reuolteth, and persisteth not in the doctrme of Christ. * They render a^a;??^ uniformly "chanty " which lord Bacon thought a mark of " discretion and tenderness " of this version. Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 305 3 John 9, but he that loueth to beare primacie among them. Jude 4, pre scribed vnto this iudgement .... transferring the grace of God into riot- ousnes, and denying the onely Dominator; 19, which segregate them selues. Rev. i. 10, on the Dominical day; 15, and his feete like to latten (Wiclif); ii. 14, to cast a scandal before the children of Israel; iii. 17, a miser, and miserable; ix. 11, in Latin hauing the name Exterminans; A. 7, shal be coniiummate, as he hath euangelized; xiv. II, take the char acter ofhis narae; xix. 18, the flesh of tribunes (Wiclif); xxi. 6, the foun tain of the water of life, gratis, also xxii. 1 7 ; xxii. 2, tree for the curing ofthe Gentiles; 14, blessed are they that wash their stoles. The last passage shows that the Rhemish translators stopped short at no absurdity however great, as long as it was in the Vulgate; it is impossible to tell what edition they used, but it must have been one of the very worst, for quite a number of copies read Beati qui lavant stolas suas in sanguine Agni. There are nevertheless redeeming features, and it is only fair to point to some renderings less narrow, and even felicitous in spite of the absurdities which often mar otherwise good transla tions. Moreover it should be remembered that the Latin ofthe New Testament is of very ancient date, and that many of its readings, being derived from early documents, are of critical value, and the renderings in the Rhemish New Testament occa sionally, in perfect argreement with the most authentic Man uscripts. Opening the Rhemish version at Mark viii. 22, they render, "and they come to Bethsaida," after Wiclif, and against all the other English versions, the Authorized in cluded. That reading is fully sustained by the best MSS. and the most ancient versions. But in the very next clause ' ' rogabant eum " of the Vulgate, perpetuated in all the Eng lish versions is in defiance of the Greek -jtapaKaXovGiv . In Acts xvi. 7, the Rhemish' rendering: "and the spirit of Jesus permitted them not " is supported by the best MSS. against all the English versions except Wiclif and the Westminster. In John xi. 41, the Rhemish "they tooke therfore the stone away " (Wiclif) is right, and all the other English versions 3o6 The English Versions. except the Westminster have given an interpolation in the clause "from the place where the dead was layd," A. V. The same holds good in Rom, xv. 29, i Pet. iii. 15, i John iii. 14, and a number of other places. Ofthe freer renderings the following are instances: Matth. viii. 29, What is between us ? (quid nobis et tibi) ; ix. 8, haue a good heart (confide) ; xxi. 41 , he will bring to naught (male per det). John xii. 2, thera that sat at the table, (discumbentibus) ; 6, not because he cared for the poor (non quia de egenis pertinebat ad eum). Acts xvii. 5, of the rascal sort (de vulgo). As examples of felicitous renderings of a genuine Saxon ring these six may suffice: Mark v. 39, why raake you this a doe ? Luke xi. 25, swept with a besom and trimmed ; xviii. 2, feared not God and of raan made no ac count. Acts xvii. 18, what is it that this word-sower would say? i Cor. viii. 1, it is a foul thing for a woman to speak in the church. Rev. ii. 17, a white counter. The following list of words in the Authorized Version de rived from the Rhemish has been prepared by Dr. Eadie: Matth. xxvi. 26, blessed; 30, hyran. Luke ix. 31, decease. Rom. i. 28, reprobate; ii. 5> impenitent; v. 8, commendeth. Jaraes i. 5, up braideth not; 21, the engraffed word. 1 John ii. 20, unction frora the holy one. In addition to "confess" for "knowledge"; "propitiation," "seduce," "have confidence," "sturabling," and " understanding," aU in the sarae Epistle. Of whole clauses transferred from the Rhemish, I have noted, merely by turning over the leaves here and there, the following: 2 Tim. iii. 6, lead captive sUly women laden with sinnes; 8, reprobate conceming the faith, i Cor. xv. 34, Evil communications corrupt good manners. Acts xii. 6, the sarae night Peter was sleeping between. John xvi. 16, because I go to the Father. Their want of accurate scholarship, on the principle of lit eral adherence to the text of the Vulgate, appears, e. g., in I Cor. xiii. 12, where they render j/«n^/«OT, "glasse." Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 307 But there is one feature of this version which deserves the highest commendation, namely, the uniformity of their ren derings. To amen, rabbi, charity, already noted, may be added, by way of example, multitude, ¦work, and many more will be supplied when we come to consider the Authorized Version, which is frequently marred by unnecessary and in consistent diversity of renderings of the same word in the original. While the Latin element, and the general opposition to the current idiom combine to make this version probably the least intelligible of all the English versions to the ordinary reader, it will always possess great value for critical purposes, and on all points connected with the theological differences between the Latin Church and Protestant Communions. It is, however, not so much in the text as in the notes accom panying it, where the odium theologicum is expressed. Some idea ofthe animus may be had from the following: A Table of certaine places of the New Testaraent, corruptly translated in favour of heresies of these dayes in the English editions: especially of the yeares 1562-77-79 and 80, by order of the bookes, chapters, and verses of the sarae. Wherein we do not charge out aduersaries for dis agreeing from the authentical Latin text (whereof much is saide in the Preface), but for corrupting the Greek it selfe, which they pretende to translate. St. Matth. chap. i. ig. For "a iust man," they translate "a righteous man," because this word "iust" importeth that a man is iust m deede and not only so reputed. And so generally where "iust " or "iustice" is ioyned with good workes, they say "righteous " and " righteousnes ": yet bemg joined with faith, tbxy keepe the olde termes "iust" and "iustice." Chap. ii. 6, For "rule" or "goueme," they translate "feede," to dirainishe ecclesiastical authoritie, which the Greeke word signifieth; as also the Hebrewe, Mich, v., whence this is cited. Chap. ii. 2, 8, For "do penance" and " fraite worthie of penance" (which signify painful satisfaction for sinne), they translate " repent " and "re pentance," or " araendment of life." Chap. xvi. 18, For " church " they translate "congregation,"' and that so contmuaUy euery where in Tyn- dals Bible, printed againe anno 1562, that the worde " church " is not once 3o8 The English Versions. there to be founde. Which the other editions correcting in other places, yet in this place it remayneth corrupted, reading still, " upon this rocke I wil build my congregation," so loath they are it should appeare how firmly the Church of Christ is founded. ... S. Mark, chap x. 52, For "thy faith hath made thee safe," speaking of corporal sight geuen to the blind, they translate "thy faith had saved thee," to raake it seeme that iustification and saluation is only by faith. S. Luke viii. 48, For "thy faith 'hath made thee safe " (to wit, from corporal infirmitie), they translate "thy faith hath saued thee." viii. 50, For "beleeue only and she shal be safe," they saye "beleeue only and she shal be saued," in fauour ofthe forsaid heresie of only faith: neither marking that this safetie pertaineth to the bodie, nor that it is attributed to the faith of an other, and not of the partie restored. . . . Chap. xxii. 20, Beza (whom the English Protes- tantes herein defend) condemneth the Greeke text (which he confesseth to be the same in al copies) because by it the relatiue, " which," raust needes be referred to the Chalice, and so proueth the real presence of Christs bloude in the Chalice. ... S. John, chap. i. 12, For "he gaue them powre to be made the sonnes of God," Beza and his folowers translate "he gaue them the dignitie " (others say, "the prerogatiue") to be the sonnes "of God": against free-wil. Chap. ix. 22 and 35, For "put out of the synagogue," they translate " excomraunicate " : as though the Catholike Churches excommunication of heretikes, from the societie and participation of the faithful, were like to that exteriour putting out of the synagogue, of such as confessed Christ. Gregory Martin who went so far as to say that the English Bible was ' ' not indeed God's book, worde, or scripture, but the devil's worde," delivers himself thus: Now then to come to our purpose, such are the absurd translations of the English bibles, and altogether like unto these: namely, when they translate "congregation" for "church," "elder" for "priest," "image" for " idol," " dissension " for " schism, " " general " for " catholic," " se cret," for "sacraraent," "overseer" for "bishop," "messenger" for "angel," "ambassador" for "apostle," "minister" for "deacon," and such like, to what other end be these deceitful translations, but to con ceal and obscure the name of the church and dignities thereof, mentioned in the holy scriptures: to dissemble the word " schism " (as they do also "heresy " and "heretic ") for fear of disgracing their schisms and heresies; to say of " matrimony," neither "sacraraent," which is the Latin, not Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 309 "mystery," which is the Greek, but to go as far as they can possibly from the common, usual, and ecclesiastical words, saying, " This is a great secret,." in favour of their heresy that matrimony is no sacrament ? * On the other hand, Fulke, in the Dedication prefixed to his Defence, etc. , expresses his opinion of the Rhemish trans lation thus: In which, that I speak nothing of their insincere purpose, in leaving the pure fountain of the original verity, to follow the crooked stream of their barbarous vulgar Latin translation, which (beside all other manifest corruptions) is found defective in more than an hundred places, as your majesty, according to the excellent knowledge in both the tongues where with God hath blessed you, is very well able to judge; and to omit even the same book of their translation, pestered with so many annotations, both false and undutiful, by which, under colour of the authority of holy scriptures, they seek to infect the minds of the credulous readers with heretical and superstitious opinions, and to alienate their hearts from yielding due obedience to your majesty, and your most Christian laws conceming true religion established; and that I may pass over the very text of their translation, obscured without any necessary or just cause with such a multitude of so strange and unusual terms, as to the ignor ant are no less difficult to understand, than the Latin or Greek itself: yet it is not raeet to be concealed, that they which neither truly nor precisely have translated their own vulgar Latin and only authentical text, have nevertheless been so bold to set forth a several treatise, etc f Of the subsequent editions of this version particulars will be given below. The Old Testament was not published until 1609-10, al though the translation had been prepared many years pre viously, even before the appearance of the New Testament, the delay being occasioned "for lack of good meanes"and ' ' our poor estate in banishment. " It appeared in quarto, the first volume in 1609, the second in 1610 with the dde: The Holie Bible, Faithfully Translated into English out of the Av- thentical Latin. Diligently conferred with the Hebrew, Greeke, and other Editions in diuers languages. With Arguments of the Bookes and • Fulke, pp. 218, 2ig. t Fulke, p. 5. 3IO The English Versions. Chapters: Annotations: Tables: and other helps, for better vnderstand ing of the text; for discouerie of Corruptions in some latter trans lations: and for clearing controuersies in Religion, By the English College of Doway. Spiritu Sancto inspirati, locuti sunt sancti Dei homines. 2 Pet. i: The holie men of God spake, inspired with the Holy Ghost. Printed at Doway by Lawrence Kellam, at the signe of the holie Lambe. M.D. C.X. A brief address on the last page states: We haue already found some faults escaped, but fearing there be more, and the whole volume being ere long to be examined again, we pray the courteous reader to pardon all and araend thera as they occur. From the Preface addressed: To the right ¦wel beloued English reader grace and glory in lesvs Christ Euerlasting, a few para graphs are here given. .... But here another question raay be proposed : why we translate the Latin text, rather than the Hebrew, or Greeke, which Protestants preferre as the fountaine tongs, wherin holie Scriptures were first writ ten ? To this we answer that if indeed those first pure Editions were now extant, or if such as be extant were more pure then the Latin, we would also preferre such fountaines before the riuers, in whatsoeuer they should be found to disagree. But the ancient best learned Fathers and Doctours of the Church, doe much complaine, and testify to vs, that both the He brew and Greeke Editions are fouly corrupted by Iewes and Heretikes, since the Latin was truly translated ont of them, whiles they were more pure; and that the same Latin hath been farre better conserued from cor ruptions. So that the old Vulgate Latin Edition hath been preferred and vsed for most authentical aboue a thousand and three hundred yeares. . . . How wel this is done the learned raay iudge, when by mature confer ence they shal haue made trial thereof. And if any thing be mistaken, we wUl (as stil we proraise) gladly correct it. Those that translated it about thirty yeares since, were wel knowen to the world, to haue been excellent in the tongs, sincere men, and great Diuines. Only one thing we haue done tovching the text, whereof we are especially to giue no tice: That whereas heretofore in the best Latin editions there reraained many places differing in words, some also in sense, as in long process of time the vmters erred in their copies, now lately by the sarae care and dili gence of the Church, those diuers readings were maturely and iudiciously examined and conferred with sundry the best written and printed books. Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 311 and so resolued vpon, that al which before were left in the margent, are either restored into the text, or els omitted, so that now none such remain in the margent. For which cause we haue againe conferred this English translation, and conformed it to the most perfect Latin Edition. Where yet by the way we must giue the vulgar reader to vnderstand, that very few or none of the former varieties touched controuersies of this time. Ss that this recognition is no way suspicious of partiality, but is raeerly done for the more secure Conseruation of the true text, and more ease and satisfaction of such, as otherwise should haue remained more doubtfiil. Now for the strictness obserued in translating some words, or rather the not translating of sorae, which is in raore danger to be disliked, we doirtit not but the discrete learned reader, deeply weighing and considering the importance of sacred words, and how easily the translator may misse the sense of the Holy Ghost, wil hold that which is here done for reasonable and necessary. We have also the example of the Latin and Greeke, where sorae words are not translated, but left in Hebrew, as they were first spoken and written; which seeing they could not, or were not con- uenient to be translated into Latin or Greeke, how much lesse could they or was it reason to turne them into English ? S. Augustin also yieldeth to a reason, exemplifying in the words "amen" and "alleluia for the more sacred authoritie thereof," which doubtless is the cause why some "names of solemne feasts, sacrifices," and other holie things are "re- seraed in sacred tongs," Hebrew, Greeke, or Latin. Againe for neces- sitie, English not hauing a narae or sufficient terrae, we either keep the word as we find it, or only tum it to our English terraination, because it would otherwise require raani words in English to signifie one word of another tongue. In which cases, we commonly put the explication iu the margent. Briefly our Apologie is easie against English Protestants; because they also reserae some words in the original tongues, not trans lated into English, as "Sabbath, Ephod, Pentecost, Proselyte," and some others .... It more importeth, that nothing be wittingly and falsely trans lated for aduantage of doctrine in raatter of faith. Wherein as we dare boldly auouch the sinceritie of this translation, and that nothing is here either vntruly or obscurely done of purpose, in fauour of Catholike Ro man Religion, so we can not but complaine, and challenge English Prot estants for conrupting the text, contrarie to the Hebrew and Greeke, which they profess to translate for the raore shew and maintening of their peculiar opinions against Catholikes; as is proued in the " Discouerie of manifold Cormptions." .... With this then we wil conclude most deare (we speake to you al, that 312 The English Versions. vnderstand our tongue, whether you be of contrarie opinions in faith, or of mundane fear participate with an other Congregation, or professe with vs the same Catholike Religion) to you al we present this worke: daily beseeching God Almightie, the Diuine Wisedom, Eternal Goodnes, to create, illuminate, and replenish your spirits, with his Grace, that you may attaine eternal Glorie, euery one in his measure, in those raany man sions, prepared and promised by our Sauiour in his Fathers house. Not only to those which first receiued and folowed his Diuine doctrine, but to al that should afterwards belieue in him, and keep the same precepts. . . . .... From the English College in Doway, the Octanes of Al Saints, 1609. " The God of patience and comfort giue you to be of one mind, one towards an other in lesvs Christ ; that of one mind, with one mouth you may glorifie God." The conformity of the English text "to the most perfect Latin edition " refers to the Clementine edition of the Vulgate set forth in 1592, which not only differed from but actually contradicted the Sixtine edition of 1590, of which two infalli ble versions the subjoined list of a few passages may not be out of place. SIXTINE. CLEMENTINE SIXTINE. CLEMENTINE. iSgo. IS92- ijgo. IS92- Ex. xvi. a. induxistis. eduxistis. 1 Esd. ix. 7. averteremur. c 0 n v e r tere- tuse. meee. mur. Lev. xxvii. 17. suam. tuam. 2 " iii. 21. ad portam. a porta. Deut. xvii. 6. non lepram. lepram. iv. 16. vobis. nobis. xxiv. 4. apposuit. opposuit. Judith i. ic. altitudinem. latitudiaeai Josh. ii. 14. non fuerit. fuerit. Psal. cxxxvi. 9. suos. tuos. iv. 1 3. nostro. vestro. cxxxviii. 19. suas. tuas. xi. 16. non traderet . traderet. Sap. ii. 9. injustitia; justitise. Judg. xiv. 2. tuo. meo. Ecclus. viii. 7. volumus. nolunmus. I Reg. iv. 10. nobis. vobis. xxi. 15. insipientia. sapientia. XX. 9. me. te. Is. lix. 8. vobis. nobis. xxviii. 20. tua. mea. Ezech. xxxii. 8. SU£. tuae. 2 Reg. ix. 12. tuam. meam. Hab. i. 13. non respicis. respicis. xxii. 37. mea. tua. Soph. iii. 17. tua. sua. 3 Reg. ii. 2. meas. tuas. Joan vi, 55. credentes. non credentes vii. 8. intrinsecus. extrinsecus. Heb. V. 6. interpretabi- • ininterpreta- ? Paral. vi. 8. meas. suas. lis. bilis. xxiv. 5. nostri. vestri. 2 Pet. i. II. indoctas. doctas. After the Preface follows: — The summe and partition of the Holie Bible, with a briefe note of the Canonical and Apocryphal bookes. (After the second book of Mac- Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 313 cabees is read: " The prayer of Manasses, with the second and third books of Esdras, extant in raost Latin and Vulgare Bibles, are here placed after al the Canonical books of the Old Testament: because they are not re ceiued into the canon of Diuine Scriptures by the Catholique Church "). — The summe of the Old Testament, as it is distinguished from the New. — Of Moyses the author of the first fiue bookes. — The argument of the Booke of Genesis. At the end is, — A Table of the Epistles taken forth of the Old Testament vpon cer tayne festival dayes. — An Historical Table of the Times, special persons, most notable things, and canonical bookes of the Old Testaraent. — A particular Table of the raost principal thinges conteyned as wel in the holie Text as in the Annotations of both the Tomes of the Old Testament. — Censuria trium Theologomm Anglorum extra collegium commorantium. The rather lofty pretensions of the Douay revisers as to the sincerity, purity and fidelity of their version, cannot stand the test of comparison with the best, that is the purest Latin text made by Jerome from the Hebrew direct, for the Psalter is made from his revision of the faulty Latin translation made from the Septuagint; it is therefore in reality a faithful trans lation of the revision of a bad Latin version, made from the Greek translation of the Hebrew original. The best Latin text did not form part of the Vulgate from which the Douay Bible is translated. This is quite sufficient to explain the positively unintelligible English of the unintelligible Latin version, of a very uncertain Greek translation of the Hebrew. In the following examples, the juxtaposition of the Vulgate, and the Douay version will be all that is necessary to charac terize the quality of the latter. NUMBERS XX. 26. Vulgate. Douay. Cumque nudaveris patrem veste And when thou hast unvested Candida, indues ea Eleazarura the father of his vesture, thou filium ejus. shalt revest therewith Eleazar his son. 3X4 The English Versions. DEUT XVI. 2. Immolabisque Phase Domino thou shalt immolate the Phase to Deo tuo. our Lord thy God. JOB i.x. 13. . . . sub quo curvantur qui por- under whom they stoop that car. tant orbem. ry the world. JOB XXI. 33. Dulcis fiiit glareis Cocyti ... he hath been sweet to the gravel of Cocytus. JOB XXVI. 13. Spiritus ejus omavit coelos, et ob- his spirit hath adorned the heav- stetricante manu ejus . . . ens, and his hand being the mid wife . . . JOB XXXIV. 18. Apostata ! qui vocat duces im- Apostate, that calleth dukes im pios. pious. PSALM XIX. 8, 9, 13. 8 Lex Domini iraraaculata, con- The Law of our Lord is imraac- 8 vertens animas; testimoniura ulate, converting souls: the testi- Doraini fidele, sapientiam prae- mony of our Lord is faithful, giv- stans parvulis. ing wisdom tp little ones. 9 Justitise Domini rectae, Isetifi- The justices of our Lord be right, 9 cantescorda;pra;ceptumDoraini making hearts joyful: the pre- lucidura, illuminans oculos . . . cept of our Lord lightsorae, il luminating the eyes. 13 Delicta quis intelligit ? Ab oc- Sin who understandeth ? From 13 cultis meis munda me, et ab my secret sins cleanse me: and alienis parce servo tuo . . . frora other raen's spare thy ser vant. PSALM LVII. 9-12. 9 Sicut cera, quse fluit, auferentur; As wax that raelteth shall they 9 supercecidit ignis, et non vide- be taken away ; fire hath fallen runt solem. on them, and they have not seen the sun. 10 Priusquam intelligerent spinse Before your thorns did under- 10 vestrse rhamnum, sicut viventes stand the old briar: as living so sic in ira absorbet eos. in wrath he swallowetl thera. Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 315 II Lsetabitur Justus, cum viderit The just shall rejoice when he II vindictam; manus suas lavabit shall see revenge: he shall wash in sanguine peccatoris. his hands in the blood of a sin ner. 12 Et dicet homo : si utique est fruc- And raan shall say: If certes 12 tus justo, utique est Deus judi- there be fruit to the just: there cans eos in terra. is a God certes judging thera on the earth. PSALM XCI. 6. (Non tiraebis . . .) a negotio pe- (thou shalt not be afraid . . .) of rambulante in tenebris, ab in- business walking in darkness, of cursu et dsemonio meridiano . . . invasion and the midday devil. The following additional specimens may do without the Latin: Psalm xvi. 3, he hath made all my willes raevelous in thera; xxxix. 12, I have fainted in reprehensions; Ixv. 11, inebriate her rivers, in her dropps she shall rejoice springing; Ixviii. 16, » mountane crudded as cheese, a fatte mountane; Ixxii. 16, there shall be a firraaraent in the earth, in the tops of the mountanes. Isaiah xiii. 22, and the Syrach owls shall answer, and mermaids in the temples of pleasure. The Literal Commentary of Carriere (which Bossuet is said to have recommended as preferable to other and fuller works, and which professes to give the mind of Jerome, Estius, Cor- neille de la Pierre, Maldonatus, Menochius, Pererius, and others) explains this starding passage in these words: Les hiboux hurleront a lenvie Tun de I'autre dans ses maisons su- perbes; et les cruelles Syrenes haUteront dans ces Palais de de- lices. Tel sera bientot le sort de Babylone. The next two examples are of Professor Westcott's selection, to the second I have added the Latin. DAN. IX. 18, 24, 26. Vulgate. Douay. 18 Inclina Deus meus aurem tuam Incline my God thine ear and 18 et audi; aperi oculos tuos et vide hear; open thine eyes and see desolationem nostram et civita- our desolation and the city upon tem super quam invocatum est which thy name is invocated; 3i6 The English Versions. nomen tuum; neque enim in jus- tificationibus nostris prosterniraus preces ante faciem tuam, sed in miserationibus tuis multis 24 Septuaginta hebdomades abbre- viatse sunt super populum tuum, et super urbem sanctara tuam, ut consuraraetur praevaricatio et finera accipiat peccatum et dele- atur iniquitas, et adducatur jus titia sempitema et impleatur vi- sio et prophetia et ungatur sanc tus sanctorum 26 Et post hebdomades sexaginta duas occidetur Christus et non erit ejus populus qui eum nega- turus est. Et civitatem et sanc- tuariura dissipabit populus cum duce venturo, et finis ejus vasti- tas et post finem belli statuta desolatio. for nether in our justifications do we prostrate prayers before thy face, but in thy many comrais- erations Seventy weeks are abridged upon 24 thy people, and upon thy holy city, that prevarication may be consummate and sin take an end and iniquity be abolished and everlasting justice be brought; and vision be accomplished and propTiecy; and the Holy one of Holies be anointed And after sixty two weeks Christ 26 shall be slain, and it shall not be his people that shall deny hira. And the city and the sanctuary shall the people dissipate with the prince to come : and the end thereof waste and after the end of the battle the appointed deso lation. ISAIAH IX. 5. 5 Parvutus enira natus est nobis. For a little child is bom to us 5 et filius datus est nobis, et fac- and a son is given to us and tus est principatus super hume- rum ejus: et vocabitur nomen ejus, admirahilis, consiliarius, Deus, fortis, pater futuri sseculi, princeps pacis. principality is made upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Marvellous, Counsellor, Strong, Father of the world to come, the Prince of Peace. The difference between the last passage, which is Jerome's, and the former ones, is apparent in the Latin as in the Eng lish, which in spite of the latinizing proclivities of the trans lators could not veil the sense of the original. A few specimens ofthe notes suffice to show their character and spirit. Luke xii, 21, By goods bestowed upon the poor, he hath store of merit, many alms-men's prayers procuring mercy for him at the day of his death; Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 317 xvi. 28, If the damned had care of their friends .... much more have the saints and saved persons. And if those in hell have means to express their cogitations and desures, and be understood by Abraham, much rather may the living pray to the saints, and be heard of them. Rev. vi.. Saints be present at their tombs and reliques; xvii., putting heretics to death is not to shed the blood of the saints. As connected with the Literature relating to this version, which is quite extensive, among the most interesting publica tions are the following: The text of the New Testament of Jesus Clirist, translated out of the Vulgar Latine by the Papists of the traiterous Seminarie at Rhemes .... whereunto is added the translation out of the original Greeke, ctmmonly used in the Church of England, with a confutation of all such Arguments, glosses and annotations, as contein manifest impietie or her esie, treason and slander against the Catholike Church of God, and the true teachers thereof, on the translations used in the Church of England. Both by the aucthoritie of the holy Scriptures, and by the testimonie of ancient fathers. By William Fulke, D.D., London, 1580, 1589, 1601, 1617, 1633, fol. A view of the marginal notes of the Popish Testament, translated into English by the English fugitive papists resident at Rhemes in France. By George Withers. Printed at London, by Edm. BoUifant for Tho. Woodcocke, 1588. A confutation of the Rhemists^ Translation, Glosses, and Annota tions of the New Testament. By Thomas Cartwright, London, 1618, fol. The New Testament was printed in a second edition in 1600, in a third in 1621 at Douay, and in a fourth in 1633, probably at Rouen. There are also editions of it printed at Antwerp, 1600, and 1630 in l2mo, and at Paris in 4to, 1633. The Old Testament appeared in a second edition in 1635. Dr. Eadie on the authority of Za Mart de la Reyne d'Escosse, Douairiere de France, reprinted in Jebb's Collection, ii. p. 616, relates that Mary on the evening before her execution in Fotheringay Castle laying her hand solemnly on a copy of the Rhemish Testament took an oath of innocence, and that the earl of Kent interposing that as the book on which she had sworn was false her oath was of no value, she promptly 3iS The English Versions. answered: " Does your lordship suppose that my oath would be better, if I swore on your translation in which I do not believe ? " The actual relation of the text of different Roman Catholic editions of the Holy Scriptures to that of the Authorized Ver sion may be gleaned from the subjoined specimens. * I. OLD TESTAMENT. Gen. iv. 7. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall bt his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Authorized Version. I. If thou do well, shalt thou not receive again: but if thou doest ill, shall not thy sin forthwith be present at the door ? but the lust thereof shall be under thee, and thou shalt have dominion over it, Edd. 1609, 1635. 2. omit: again, thou doe.st, thy — Edd. 1750, 1763, 1791, 1796, 1805, 1813, 1816, 1825, 1834. 3. Doth not one, if he have done well, look up, but look down if he hath not done well ? Hast thou sinned ? Be quiet ? He (thy brother) is still subordinate to thee, and thou hast do minion over hira. Dr. Geddes. Job xxvi. 13. By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens: his hand hath forraed the crooked serpent. Authorized Version, i. His spirit hath adorned the heavens, and his hand being the midwife, the winding serpent is brought forth, 1609, 1635. 2. And his artful hand hath brought forth the winding serpent, 1750, 1764, 1796, 1805, 1813, 1816 (Liver pool). 3. And his obstetric hand brought forth .... 1791, 1816 (Dub lin), 1825, 1834, Glasgow. Psalra Ixvii. 16 [Ixviii. 15]. The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan. Why leap ye, ye high hills ? Author ized Version, i. The mountane of God: a fat mountane. A moun tane crudded as cheese, a fat mountane. Why suppose you crudded mountanes? 1609, 1635.! ¦!¦¦ The mountain of God is a fat mountain: a. curdled mountain, a fat mountain. Why suspect ye curdled moun tains? 1750, 1791, 1796, 1813 (Haydock) 1813 (Syers) 1816. 3. Why * From Cotton, Rhemes and Doway, pp. 183-196, Oxford, 1855, t The Douay editors say: " Ye that are not of this church do in vaine and errone ously imagine, that anie other mountaines are united." Challoner: " Why do you suppose or imagine there may be any other such curdled mountains t You are mis taken: the mountain thus favored by God is but one." Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 319 suspect, ye curdled raountains? 1825, 1834, Glasgow edit. 4. The raouu tain of God is a fertUe mountain. A mountain that flows with railk; a rich mountain. Why have you a suspicion of mountains that flow with mUk ? Caryl, 1700. 5. Ye lofty hiUs, ye hills of Bashan ! Ye swelling hUls, ye hills of Bashan ! Why are ye jealous, ye swelling hills, of the hills where God is pleased to reside ! Dr. Geddes, 1807. Mal. ii. 15. And did not he make one? and yet had he the residue ' of the spirit. Authorized Version, i . Did not one make and the residue of the spirit is his ? 1609, 1635. 2. Did not one make her, and she is the residue of his spirit? 1750, 1791, 1796, 1805, 1813, 1816, 1825, 1834, Glasgow edit. IL NEW TESTAMENT. Matth. xii. 4. The shewbread. Authorized Version, I. The loaves placed there, Witham, 1730. 2. The shew-breads, A'a*^, 1718. 3. The loaves of the presence, Lingard, 1836. 4. The loaves of presence, Ken rick. 5. The loaves of proposition. Att other editions (examined by Cotton. M.). John ii. 4.* Woraan, what have I to do with thee? Authorized Ver sion. I. What is to rae and thee, Woraan? 1582-1633, 1738, 1788. 2. Woraan, what is to rae and to thee? 1749, 1750, 1752, 1772, 1813. (Syers), 1815, 1818, 1825 (Bible), 1826, 1834 (Bible), 1838, 1839, 1846, Glasgow edit. 1851. 3. What is it to me and to thee ? 1797, 1804. New castle, 1812, 1814, 1816 (Bible), 1825. 4. What is that to rae and to thee ? 1783, 1791 (Bible) 1803, 1810, Haydock, Richardson' s %-vo. 5. What is that to me and to thee? Nary. 6. What hast thou to do with me? Witham, Lingard, Kenrick. 7. Woraan, what business have ypu with me? Quesnel, 1709. * Cardinal Wiseman {Dublin Review, April, 1837, pp. 475-492; reprinted in his Essays. I., London, 1853) upholds the original rendering of the Rhemists as given above, and goes out of his way to denounce the alterations introduced by Dr. Chal loner as being " so far as simplicity and energy of style are concerned, ... in general for the urorse." In this particular instance, as the collation shows, Challoner follows the Rhemists. Here are some of the cardinal's criticisms: he densures the rendering Heb. xiii. g, "and do not forget to do good and to impart," and 2 Tim. ii. 16: "But shun profane and vain babblings, for they grow much towards ungodliness." This, he says is taken verbatim from the A. V. except " grow towards," and censures vain bab blings as an absurd tautology, since babbling covers the whole oi vaniloquium. He likewise fa«.Uts Challoner for rendering The Lord instead of Our Lord, which latter according to him is a correct rendering of Dominus, and supported by the Syriac Sforan importing Our Lord. 320 The English Versions. Hebr. xiii. i5. But to do good and to coraraunicate forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Authorized Version, i. Benefi cence and communication do not forget; for with such hostes God is pro- merited, 1582 to 1738. 2. Do not forget to do good and to impart: for by such sacrifices God is promerited, 1788, l%ib (Bible). 3. Forget not the works of charity, and the comraunion; for by such sacrifices God is appeased. Nary. 4. Forget not the doing of good, and coraraunication to others: for with such sacrifices God is proraerited, Witham. 5. Do not forget to do good and to impart, for by such sacrifices God's favour is obtained, 1749, 1752, 1772, 1791 (Bible), 1803, 1810, 1813, 1814, 1825 (Bible), 1834 (Bible), etc. 6. Do not forget beneficence and fel lowship: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased, Kenrick. The subjoined tables exhibit in two longer passages the differences in some of the leading Roman Catholic versions made from the Vulgate; in that from the New Testament I have added the remarkable translation of Dr. Lingard. Douay. I A Psalme of Dauid. Our Lord sayd to my Lord : Sit on my right hand, til I make thine enemies, the foot stole of thy feete. 2 Our Lord wil send forth the rod of thy strength from Sion; rule thou in the middes of thine en emies. 3 With thee the begin ning in the day of thy strength: in the brightnes of holie things: frora the PSALM CIX. Challoner. (1750) 1840. A psalm of David. The Lord said to my Lord: Sit thou at my right hand: i/Btil I make thy en emies thy footstool. The Lord will send forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy en eraies. With thee is 'Cne prin cipality in the day of thy strength; in the brightness of the saints: from the Haydock. (1848). A psalra for David. I The Lord said to my Lord : Sit thou at my right hand: Until I make thy en emies thy footstool. The Lord will send 2 forth the sceptre of thy power out of Sion: rule thou in the midst of thy en emies.With thee is the 3 principality in the day of thy strength; in the brightness of the saints: from the Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 321 wombe before the day starre I begat thee. 4 Our Lord sware, and it did not repent him ; Thou art a Priest foreuer according to the order of Mel chisedech. 5 OurLordonthyrighthand hath broken kings in the day of his wrath. 6 He shal iudge in na tions, he shal fil mines, he shal crush the heads in the land of manie. 7 Of the torrent in the way he shal drinke: therefore shal he ex alt the head. womb before the day- star I begot thee. The Lord hath sworn, and he will not repent: thou art a priest for ever ac cording to the order of Melchizedech. The Lord at thy right hand hath bro ken kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge a/KCKj' nations: he shall fill ruins: he shall crush the heads in the land of many. He shall drink of the torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. womb before the day- star I begot thee. The Lord hath\ sworn, and he will notrepent. Thou art a priest for ever, ac cording to the order of Melchisedech. The Lord at thy S right hand hath bro ken kings in the day of his wrath. He shall judge amoKf 6 nations, he shall fill ruins: he shall crush the heads in the land of many. He shall drink ofthe 7 torrent in the way: therefore shall he lift up the head. 322 The English Versions. II. Rhemish. 26 And in the sixt raoneth, the Angel Ga briel was sent of God into a citie of Gali lee, called Na zareth, 27 to a virgin de spoused to a. man vvhoes ST. LUKE Challoner.* (nso.) And in the sixth month, the angel Ga briel was sent from God into a city of Gali lee called Na zareth,To a virgin es poused to a man whose I. 26-35. Haydock.\ (1812.) And in the sixth month, the angel Ga briel was sent from God in to a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin es poused to a man whose Lingard. X (1S36.) But in the 26 sixth month the angel Ga briel was sent of God into that city of Galilee which is called Na zareth, To a virgin be- 27 trothed to a man called Jo- * Title, 1st edition, 1749, i2mo., in black only: Tlie NewTestament of our Lord and Saviour fesus Christ. Translated out of the Latin Vulgai: diligently com pared with the original Greek: andfirst published by ihe English College of Rhemes, Anno 1382. Newly revised, and corrected according to the Clementin Edition of the Scriptures. With Annotations for clearing up modern Controversies in Re ligion, and other difficulties of Holy IVrit .... 2d ed., 1750, i2mo, precisely like title of the first, but in black and red letters. 3d ed., 1752, same as 1750. Title of the editions of 1750 {first) and 1763-4 {second) in black and red letters, 5 vols., i2mo: The Holy Bible. Translatedfrom the Latin Vulgat: Diligently com pared with the Hebrew, Greek, and other editions in divers Languages, Andfirst published by the English College at Doway, Anno ibog. Newly revised, and cor rected according to the Clementin Edition of the Scriptures, with Annotations for clearing up the principal difficulties of Holy Writ .... Printed in the year I 'jJo {^o place named). t Title: The Holy Bible, etc. With useful Notes, critical, historical, controver sial, and explanatory, selected from the most eminent commentators, and the most able and judicious critics. By ihe Rev. George Leo Haydock, and other divines {Hau rietis aquas, etc.), enriched with superb engravings. Manchester, printed and pub lished by Thomas Haydock, at his original Catholic publication warehouse. No. g Cumberland Street: and at his shop. No. ig Anglesea Street, Dublin, 18 1 3, folio.— Glasgow, 184S-S8, 4to; and often, by various publishers, in Great Britain and the United States. X Title: A New Version of the Four Gospels; with notes, critical and explana tory, by a Catholic, London, foseph Booker, 61 New Bond Street, 183b, 8vo. A reissue with a new title page appeared in 1851. See more on this version, further on. Rhemes Testament and Douay Bible. 323 name was Jo- narae was Jo- name was Jo- seph, of the seph, of the seph, of the seph, of the house of David; houseofDauid: houseofDavid: houseofDavid: sxAthenameof -and the virgins andthenameof i.n&.^enameof the ¦virgin ytas narae was the vurgin was the virgin was Mary. Marie. Mary. Mary. 28 And the An- And the angel And the angel And the angel 28 gel being en- being come in, being come in, going in to tred in, said said to her: said to her: her, said: vntoher,HaUe, Hail, foU of HaU, fiiU of "Hail, thou ful of grace, grace, ihe Lord grace, the Lord favoured (of our Lord is is with thee, is with thee. God^),the'ijixd. vvith thee: Blessed art Blessed art is with thee: blessed art thou thou among thou among blessed art thou among wo- women. women. among wo men, men." 29 VVho hauing And when she And when she But she was 29 heard, was ^a 1763-4; Edinburgh, 1796, 1805 (=Dublin, l8ii); fo. Liverpool, 1816- 17. Challoner' s Revised New Testament: 1749, 1750, 1752, 1764, I772.t Carpenter's New Testament: 1783, 1803, 1810. Troy^s Bible: 4to, 1791, reprinted fol. 1794; 4to, with the Rhemish notes on the N. T., Dublin, 1816, Cork, 1818. Haydock' s Bible: fol. Manchester 1811-12- 13-14; Edinburgh, 4to, 1845-8; New York, 1852; London, 1853. The * See the whole subject fully discussed in Cotton's Rhemes and Doway, Oxford, 1855, p. 168 sq. t The Bible and New Testament, issued in various sizes by Sadlier, New York, profess to be reprints of the edition of 1750. The differences between 1749 and 1750 are trifling, but those between these two and 1752 very considerable, while the edi tions of 1764 and 1772 are exact copies of 1752. 326 The English Versions. Newcastle New Testament: 1812, differs from every other known edition in the Gospels and Acts. Murray's Bible: Dublin, 1825, 8vo (reissued 1829, 1833, 1840, 1844, 1847). II. Caryl's Psalms: 1700 (limited approbation). Nary's New Testament: 1718, 1719 (liraited approbation). Witham's New Testament: 1730, 1733 (limited approbation). Geddes' Old Testament: 1792-97; Psalms, 1807. Lingard's Four Gospels: 1836, 1851. Kenrick's Gospels: 1849; Acts, Epistles, Apocalypse, 185 1. The following notices of some of the most important ver sions, not yet treated of, will be found useful. carvl's psalms, i2mo, St. Gerraain, 1700. The Psalmes of David, translated from the Vulgate. This is a prose version, resting on BeUarmine for the interpretation of the more diffi cult passages. Geddes says that "he has often expressed the meaning of the Vulgate much better than the Douay translators." Caryl was a layman, the author of several dramatic works, and secretary to the queen of James II. SPECIMEN. Camp. Psalm Ixvii. 16 Pxxviii. 15]. The mountain of God is a fertile mountain. A mountain that flows with milk; a rich mountain. Why have you a suspicion of moun tains that flow with m ilk ? NARY'S NEW TESTAMENT, 8vo, I718. 714^ New Testament of our Lord and Saviour "Jesus Christ. Newly translated out of the Latin Vulgat. And with the Original Greek, and divers Translations in vulgar languages diligently compared and re vised. Together with Annotations upon the most remarkable passages in the gospels, and Marginal Notes upon other difficult Texts of the same, and upon the rest of the books of the New Testament, for the bet ter understanding of the literal sense. By C. N. C. F. P. D. [i. e. Cornelius Nary, Consultissirase Facultatis Parisiensis Doctor] . Printed in the year if 18. SPECIMENS. I Cor. i. 25, For the folly of God is wiser than men. And the "weakness of God is stronger than men. Phil. ii. 6, Have the same thought in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus; who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. But demeaned himself, taking upon him the forn of a slave, being made after the likeness of men, and 'vafashion found as a man. The words in italics show that Nary's version was not uninfluenced by the Authorized Version. Rhemes Tesiament and Douay Bible. 327 DR. witham's NEW TESTAMENT, 2 vols, 8vo, I730. Title: Annotations on the New Testament of Jesus Christ in which I . The literal sense is explained according to the Expositions of the an cient Fathers. 2. The false interpretations, both of the ancient and modern writers, which are contrary to the received doctrine of the Cath olic-Church, are briefly examined and disproved. 3. With an account of the chief differences betwixt the Text of the ancient Latin- Version, and the Greek in the printed editions, and MSS. By R. W., D.D. With permission and Approbations, anno 1730. The work bears no name or place, but was printed at Douay, where the author, Robert Witham, D.D., as president ofthe College, lived from 1714-1738, the year ofhis death. SPECIMENS. Matth. xii. 4, The loaves placed there. Luke xi. 41, But of what you have give alms. I Cor. i. 25, Because what in God appeareth foolish is above the wisdom of men: and what in God appeareth weakness, is above the strength of men. 2 Pet. i. 16, For we have not by following artiflciaf fables made known to you Apoc. xiv. 3, Whosoever did receive the character of his name troy's bible, 1791, 4tO. The Holy Bible, etc. with Annotations, etc. The fifth edition, newly revised and corrected according to the Clementin edition of the Scrip tures. Dublin, printed by Hugh Fitzpatrick, for Richard Cross, No. 28 Bridge Street, MDCCXCI. The text of the New Testaraent in this edition differs from Challoner in at least seven or eight hundred places, and some of the variations are considerable; e. g., Matth. ix. 25, when the crowd was turned out. Mark xv. 8, they began to desire what he always done to them. Luke ix. 15, when the days of his assumption; xiv. i, a certain Prince of the Pharisees. John viii. 16, but I and he that sent me, the Father. Acts xiii. 34, Barnabas had a mind to take along with him. 1 Cor. iv. 8, You are sn- tiated; xv. 44, It is sown an animal body. 2 Tim. i. 10, and hath enlightened life and incorruption. James ii. 3, and you cast your eyes upon him that is clothed. Apoc. VI. II, and white stoles were given to each This Bible derives its name frora Dr. Troy, titular archbishop of Dub lin, who gave it the following approbation; the Rev. Bernard Mac- Mahon, naraed in it as editor, edited Carpenter's Bible in 1783, and two other editions in 1803 and 1810; also Alban Butler's Lives of the Saints, from MS. papers left by the author; he died in 1816. — Approbation: No vam hanc Biblioe Sacrse Anglicam Editionera, typis Richardi Cross licen- 328 The English Versions. lia nostra impressam, et cum Vulgata Clementina, necnon Duacena Vet eris Testamenti anni 1609, Novi Testamenti Rhemensi anni 1582; et Londinensi Veteris et Novi Testamenti Rmi. Dni. Challenor, Episcopi Deborensis, anni 1752; Anglicis jam approbatis versionibus, a Rdo. Dno. Bernardo Mac-Mahon diligenter jussu nostro collatam, auctoritate nostra approbamus: eamdemque, debitis servatis conditionibus, a Fidelibus cum fructu legi posse declaramus. Datum Dublinii, die 21 Septembis, I79i' F. Joh. Thomas Troy. A. D. H. P.* Carpenter's New Testament of 1783, and Troy's Bible, 1791, were the first to bring the following Admonition prefixed to a Letter from pope Pius VI. to Antonio Martini (afterwards archbishop of Florence), dated Rome, calends of April, 1778. " The Scriptures, in which are contained the revealed Mysteries of Divine Faith, are undoubtedly the most excellent of all writings: they were written by men divinely in spired, and are not the words of men, but the Word of God, which can save our souls, I Thess. ii. 13, and James i. 21; but then they ought to be read, even by the learned, with the spirit of humility, and with a fear of mistaking the true sense, as many have done. This we learn from the Scripture itself: where St. Peter says, that in the Epistles of St. Paul there are some things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own perdition, 2 Pet. iii. 16. To prevent and remedy this abuse, and to guard against error, it was judged nec essary to forbid the reading of the Scriptures in the vulgar languages, without the ad vice and permission of the Pastors and Spiritual Guides, whom God has appointed to govern his Church, Acts xx. 28. Christ himself declaring: He that will not hear the church, let him be to thee as ihe heathen and the publican, Matth. xviii. 16. Nor is this due submission to the Catholic Church {^he pillar and ground Tiich St. Chrysostom suffi ciently testifies in these words, " He said not, which he freely gave us, but, wherein he made us grateful; that is, not only delivered us from sins, but also made us beloved and amiable, made our soul beautiful and grateful, such as the angels and archangels desire to see, and such as himself is in love withal, according to that in the psalm, the king shall desire or be in love with thy beauty." * St. Hierom speaking of bap tism, says, "Now thou art made clean in the laver: and of thee it is said, who is she that ascends white ? and let her be washed, yet she can not keep her purity, unless she be strengthened from our Lord;"t whence it is plain, that by baptism original sin being expelled, inherent justice takes place in the soul, rendering.it clean, white, and pure; which purity the soul, strengthened by God's grace, may keep and conserve. Ward's Errata was answered by Rev. R. Ryan, Rev. Dr. Kipling, and Rev. Rd. Grier. As the book continues to be published in the United States, it is proper to add that many of the alleged heretical corruptions are embodied in the Bibles authorized, and approved by Archbishop Murray in 1825, and that the censures of Ward's Errata apply as much to Mur ray's Bibles as to the Protestant Bible. For matter bearing on this subject see Cotton, Rhemes and Doway, pp. 27-30. CHAPTER XIII. THE AUTHORIZED VERSION. At the conference held at Hampton Court between the Conformists and the Puritans, January 14th, i6th, and i8th, 1604, presided over by that curious compound of worldliness and theology, king James I., Dr. John Reynolds, leader of * St. Chrys. ad loc. \ St. Hierom, lib. iii. contra Pelagianoe. The Authorized Version. 339 the Puritans, suggested to the king the desirableness of a new translation of the Bible, on the ground that the versions al lowed in the reigns of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. were untrue to the original, and instanced, that Psalm cv. 28, ren- ¦ dered • ' they were not obedient, " read in the original, ' ' they were not disobedient"; Psalm cvi. 30, rendered, "then stood vp Phinees and prayed" ought to be "executed judgment"; and that Gal. iv. 25, the word dvdroixei was incorrectly trans lated "bordereth" as neither expressing the force of the word, nor the Apostle's sense, nor the situation of the place. So Barlow reports the matter, but the account given in the Preface to the Authorized Version is somewhat different, for there it is stated that the Puritans as a last shift submitted, " That they could not with good conscience subscribe to the Commun ion Book, since it maintained the Bible as then translated, which was, as they said, a most corrupted translation. And although this was judged to be but a very poor and empty shift, yet even hereupon did his Majesty begin to bethink himself of the good that might ensue by a new translation, and presently after gave order for this translation which is now presented unto thee." Barlow adds: " My Lord of London well added: that if every man's humour should be followed there would be no end of translating. Whereupon his Highness wished some special pains should be taken in that behalf for one uniform translation — professing that he could never yet see a Bible well translated in English ; but the worst of all his Majesty thought the Geneva to be — and this to be done by the best learned in both the Uni versities; after them to be reviewed by the bishops and the chief learned of the Church ; frora them to be presented to the Privy Council ; and lastly to be ratified by his royal authority; and so this whole Church to be bound imto it and none other. Marry withal he gave this caveat, upon a word cast out by my lord of London, that no marginal notes should be added, having found in them which are annexed to the Ge neva translation, which he saw in a Bible given him by an English lady, some notes very partial, untrue, seditious, and savoring too much of dangerous and traiterous deceits (e. g. those on Exod. i. 19; 2 Chron. XV. 16").* • Barlow, Sum and Substance, in Cardwell's History of Conferences, p. 167. 340 The English Versions. Dr. Eadie very strongly animadverts on the last passage, and holds that the king was either misunderstood, or if his speech is correctly reported, that then he uttered "a bold un blushing falsehood, a clumsy attempt to sever himself from his earlier Scottish beliefs and usages that he might win fa vour with his English churchmen."* Although nothing further was done at the Conference, and Convocation, holden a few months later, took no action in the matter, the king clearly favored it, and the scheme was fast maturing, for by June 30th, a list of the translators was submitted to the king, who approved of the choice. Ban croft wrote that day to Cambridge on the subject and said, "I am persuaded his royal mind rejoiceth more in the good hope which he hath for the happy success of that work, than of his peace concluded with Spain. " In a letter from the king to Bancroft, who was then repre senting the vacant see of Canterbury, dated July 22, 1604, he announces the appointment of fifty-four learned men for the translating of the Bible, and requiring him " To move all our bishops to inform themselves of all such learned men within their several dioceses, as having special skill in the Hebrew and Greek tongues, have taken pains in their private studies of the Scrip tures, for the clearing of any obscurities either in the Hebrew or in the Greek, or touching any difiiculties or mistaking in the former English translations, which we have now commanded to be thoroughly viewed and amended; and thereupon to write unto them, earnestly charging them, and signifying our pleasure therein, that they send such their ob servations either to Mr. Lively, our Hebrew reader in Oxford, or Dr. Andrews, dean of Westminster, to be imparted to the rest of their sev eral companies; that so our said intended translation may have the help and furtherance of all our principal learned men within this our kingdom." In the matter of remuneration of their labor, the transla tors were to be provided for by Church preferment. * The English Bible, ii, pp. 177-8. The Authorized Version. 341 On this last subject Bancroft wrote to the bishop of Norwich: " There are many .... who are to be employed in this translation of the Bible, and sundry of them must of necessity have their charges borne; which his majesty was very ready, of his most princely disposi tion, to have borne, but some of my lords, as things now go, did hold it inconvenient. Wherefore it was left to me, to move all my brethren, the bishops, and likewise every dean and chapter, to contribute to this work." In the discharge of that duty he requested such contributions, asking for speedy action and adding, by way of stimulus: " for I am to acquaint his majesty with every man's UberaUty towards this most godly work." Nothing seems to have been done in the way of subscription, and free entertainment in the CoUeges, until some of them met in Lon don for the final revision of the work, appears to have been aU that was done for them in the way of bearing their charges. In the matter of preferment however, Bancroft communicates a letter from the king to this effect: " Right trusty and beloved, we greet you weU, whereas we have appointed certain learned men, to the number of four and fifty, for the translating of the Bible, and that in this number divers of them have either no ecclesiastical preferment at aU, or else so very smaU, as the same is far unmeet for men of their deserts, and yet, we of ourself in any convenient time cannot well remedy it: therefore we do hereby require you, that presently you write, in our name, as weU to the arch bishop of York, as to the rest of the bishops of the province of Canter bury, signifying unto them that we do wiU, and straitly charge every one of them, as also the other bishops of the province of York, as they tender our good favour towards them, that (aU excuses set apart) when any prebend or parsonage being rated in our book of taxations, the prebend to twenty pounds at least, and the parsonage to the like sum and upwards, shaU next upon any occasion happen to be void, and to be either of their patronage, or of the patronage and gift of any person whatever, they do make stay thereof, and admit none unto it, until cer tifying us of the avoidance of it, and of the name of the patron, if it be not of their own gift, that we may commend for the same some such of the learned men, as we shaU think fit to be preferred unto it; not doubt ing of the bishops' readiness to satisfy us herein, or that of any of the laity, when we shaU in time move them to so good and reUgious an act, wiU be unwilling to give us the like due contentment and satisfaction; we ourselves having taken the same order for such prebends, and bene fices as shaU be void in our gift." * • Wilkins, Concil. iv. pp. 407-8. 342 The English Versions. Of the original translators seven were elevated to the Epis copate and seventeen or eighteen preferred to lower dignities, or livings. Notwithstanding all this earnestness on the part of the king, possibly the want of funds, and the death of Lively and of others, prevented all* the companies to begin their work before 1607. Although the king mentions fifty-four translators, their names are not given, and the lists that have been preserved contain only forty-seven. It seems impossible to explain the discrepancy satisfactorily. The original number was dimin ished by the death of Mr. Lively in 1605, but his place was filled by Dr. Spalding; Dr. Eades died in 1604, and Dr. Aglionby appointed in his place, died in 16 10, and Mr. Dakins died in February 1607. Dr. Reynolds died in the same year, and Dr. Ravis in 1 609. Resignations may have oc curred, and substitutions been made; and it is not impossible that the number of fifty-four included a supervisory body, en trusted with a revision of the translation. The lists appear to have been prepared from the beginning, for they contain the names of some who died before the companies met for work, if they did not meet before 1 607. The subjoined " Order agreed upon for the translating the Bible " is taken from Lewis, who says that it had been compared with a copy one time belonging to Dr. Jegon, bishop of Nor wich. Burnet's list (from which Cardwell's is taken) I had not at hand, but it has been compared with, and the notes prepared from similar lists given in the works of Anderson, Westcott, Eadie and Moulton, and the Brief Account, etc. , pre fixed to Bagster's Hexapla. They were divided into six com panies, two of which met at Oxford, two at Cambridge, and two at Westminster. * See what is stated below The Authorized Version. 343 Pentateuch: The Storie from Josua to the first Book of the Chronicles, exclusive. Westminster. Mr. Dean of Westminster, i. Mr. Dean of Paules. 2. Mr. Dr. Saravia. 3. Mr. Dr. Clarke, Cantuar. 4. Mr. Dr. Layfield. 5. Mr. Dr. Teigh. 6. Mr. Burleigh, Stretford. 7. Mr. Kinge, Sussex. 8. Mr. Thomson, Clare. 9. Mr. Bedwell, io. I. Dr. Launcelot Andrews, successively promoted bishop of Chiches ter, Ely, and Winchester, was president of this company. His learning is said to have been prodigious. " The world wanted learning to know how learned he was." 2. Dr. John Overall, successively promoted bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, and Norwich. "Vir longe doctissimus," Casaubon. 3. Dr. Hadrian Saravia, prebendary of Canterbury. Famed as a Hebraist. 4. Dr. Richard Clarke, one of the six preachers at Canterbury. 5. Dr. John Layfield, renowned for his knowledge of architecture, was speciaUy consulted concerning the tabemacle and the temple. 6. Dr. Richard Teigh (Lewis says " Leigh," but that seems to be in correct), archdeacon of Middlesex, " an exceUent textuary, and profound Unguist," Wood. 7. Mr. (?) Henry Burleigh, said in a Lambeth MS. to have been B.D. in 1594, and D.D. in 1607. S. Mr. Geoffry King, Regius Professor of Hebrew, Cambridge. 9. Mr. Richard Thomson, of Clare HaU, Cambridge, familiarly caUed " Dutch Thomson," having been bom in HoUand, reported to have been a fine phUologer. 10. Mr. WiUiam BedweU, of St. John's College, Cambridge, was the great Arabic scholar of the period. 344 The English Versions. The places and persons agreed upon for the Hebrew, ¦with the particular books by them undertaken. Cambridge. Mr. Livelye. i. Dr. Richardson. 2. Mr. Chaderton. 3. Mr. Dillingham. 4. Mr. Harrison. 5. Mr. Andrews. 6. Mr. Spaldinge. 7. Mr. Binge. 8. From the first of Chronicles, with the rest of the Story, and the Hagiographa, viz.. Job, Psalmes, Proverbs, Cantica, Ecclesiastes. I. Edward Lively, Regius Professor of Hebrew, at Cambridge; next to Pocoeke, " the greatest of Hebraists," was president of this company. He diedm 1605. 2. Dr. John Richardson, Professor of Divinity, "a most excellent linguist," 3. Dr. Lawrence Chaderton, the first master of Emanuel College, was famed for his attainments in the languages, especiaUy the Rabbinical writings. 4. Mr. Francis Dillingham, FeUow of Christ's CoUege, "a great Grecian.'' 5. Mr. Thomas Harrison, Vice ChanceUor of Trinity, noted for "his exquisite skiU in Hebrew and Greek idioms." 6. Dr. Roger Andrews, the bishop's brother, afterwards master of Jesus CoUege. 7. Dr. Robert Spaldinge, Lively's successor as professor of Hebrew. 8. Dr. Andrew Bynge, who succeeded King in the same position. Oxford. Dr. Hardinge. i. Dr. Reinolds. 2. Dr. Holland. 3. Dr. Kilby. 4. Mr. Smith, Hereford. 5. Mr. Brett. 6. Mr. Fareclow. 7. I. Dr. John Hardinge, the president of this company, was Regius Professor of Hebrew, and president of Magdalen CoUege. The fouer greater Prophets, with the Lamentation, and the twelue lesser prophets. The Authorized Version. 345 2. Dr. John Reinolds, was president of Corpus Christi CoUege, and bp. HaU says that " his memory and reading were near to a miracle." 3. Dr. Thomas HoUand, Regius Professor of Divinity, " another Apol los, a most learned divine," Wood. 4. Dr. Richard Kilby, Professor of Hebrew and a great rabbinist. Isaac Walton teUs a good story of him, the gist of which is that he went to church, where a young preacher gave three reasons why a certain word in the recent translation should have been rendered dif ferently. Meeting him afterwards Kilby told him, that he and others of the translators had considered all the reasons, and found thirteen more considerable reasons why it was translated as printed. 5. Dr. MUes Smith, at the time canon of Hereford, and subsequently bishop of Gloucester, "had Hebrew at his fingers' ends "-, he was one of the supervisors, final examiner, and editor along with BUson, and wrote the Preface. 6. Dr. Richard Brett, then feUow of Lincoln CoUege, "skiUed and versed to a criticism in the Latin, Greek, Chaldee, Arabic and Ethiopic tongues." 7. Mr. (?) Richard Fareclow (or, Fairclough), fellow of New CoUege. Westminster. Mr. Dean of Chester, i. Dr. Hutchinson. 2. Dr. Spencer. 3. Mr. Fenton. 4. Mr. Rabbett. 5. Mr. Sanderson. 6. Mr. Dakins. 7. I. Dr. WilUam Barlow, dean of Chester, afterwards bishop of Lincoln. 2. Dr. Ralph Hutchinson, president of St. John's CoUege. 3. Dr. John Spencer, afterwards president of Corpus Christi CoUege, the intimate fi-iend of Hooker. 4. Dr. Roger Fenton, fellow of Pembroke HaU; " never a more learned man hath Pembroke HaU, with but one exception." Bp. Felton. 5. Mr. Michael Rabbett, B.D., Rector of St. Vedast, Foster Lane, London. 6. Dr. Thomas Sanderson, archdeacon of Rochester (?). 7. Mr. William Dakins, B.D., Greek lecturer at Cambridge, "bad great skiU in the original languages." The Epistles of St. Paule, and the Canonical Epistles. 3-46 The English Versions. The Four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, Apocalips. Oxford. Mr. Dean OF Christ Church, i. Mr. Dean of Winxhester. 2. Mr. Dean of Worcester. 3.' Mr. Dean of Windsor. 4. Mr. Savile. 5. Db. Perin. 6. Dr. Ravens. 7.* Mr. John Harmer. 8. I. Dr. Thomas Ravis, afterwards bishop of Gloucester, and London. 2. Dr. George Abbot, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury. 3. Dr. Richard Eades, died in 1604. 4. Dr. Giles Thompson, afterwards bishop of Gloucester, "took a great deal of pains at translating." 5. Sir Henry Savile, tutor in Greek to Queen Elizabeth, provost of Eton, and editor of the works of Chrysostom. 6. Dr. John Perin, professor of Greek. 7. Dr. Ravens, subdean of Wells (?). 8. Dr. John Harmer, Professor of Greek, " a most noted Latinist, Gre cian and divine." Cambridge. Dr. Duport. I. Dr. Branthwaite. 2. Dr. Radcliffe. 3. Mr. Ward, Eman. 4. Mr. Downes. 5. Mr. Boyse. 6. Mr. Warde, Reg. 7. I. Dr. John Duport, afterwards master of Jesus College, Cambridge. 2. Dr. WiUiam Branthwaite, afterwards master of GonviUe and Caius CoUege. 3. Dr. Jeremiah RadcUffe, feUow of Trinity College. 4. Dr. Samuel Ward, afterwards master of Sidney CoUege, and Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity; "skilled in tongues, though slow of speech." The Prayer of Manasses, and the rest of the Apocrypha. * Some of the lists give in place of Dr. Eades and Dr. Ravens the names of Dr. J. Aglionby, principal of St. Edmund's Hall, and Dr. L. Hutton, " an excellent Grecian, and well read in the Fathers and Schoolmen." Dr. Montague, aiterwards bishop of V/inchec^er, is also mentioned. The Authorized Version. 347 5. Mr. Andrew Downes, Greek Professor, one of the revisers, and de scribed as "one composed of Greek and industry," Selden. He cor responded with Casaubon in Greek. 6. Mr. John Boyse (Bois), feUow of St. John's CoUege, was "a pre cocious Greek and Hebrew scholar." 7. Mr. Warde, fellow of King's College, appears as one of the divines sent to Synod at Dort. Dr. Thomas BUson, afterwards bishop of Winchester, and reputed to be " weU skUled in languages," although not one of the original transla tors, had charge with MUes Smith of the final revision, and prepared the summary of contents at the head of each chapter. The nature of the work to be done by the translators is clearly defined in a set of instructions, which read as follows: 1 . The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bi shops' Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the truth of the original will permit. 2. The names of the prophets, and the holy writers, with the other names of the text to be retained as near as may be, accordingly as they are vulgarly used. 3. The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, viz., as the word church not to be translated congregation. 4. When any word hath divers significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most eminent fathers, being agree able to the propriety of the place, and the analogic of faith. 5. The division of the chapters to be altered either not at all, or as little as may be, if necessity so require. 6. No marginal notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek words, which cannot, without some circumlocu tion, so briefly and fitly be expressed in the text. 7. Such quotations of places to be marginally set down, as shall serve for the fit references of one scripture to another. 8. Every particular man of each company to take the same chapter or chapters; and having translated or amended them severaUy by him self where he thinks good, all to meet together, to conferre what they have done, and agree for their part, what shall stand. 9. As any one company hath dispatched any one book in this man ner, they shall send it to the rest, to be considered of seriously and judi ciously; for his majesty is very careful on this point. 10. If any company upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt 34.8 The English Versions. or differ upon any places, to send them word thereof, to note the places, and therewithal to send their reasons; to which, if they consent uot, the difference to be compounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company at the end ofthe work. II. Where any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority to send to any learned in the land, for his judgment in such a place. 12. Letters to be sent from every bishop to the rest ofhis clergie, ad- monishing them of this translation in hand, and move and charge as many as, being skilful in the tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to send their particular observations, to the company either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford, according as it was directed before in the king's letter to the archbishop. 13. The directors in each company to be the deans of Westminster and Chftster, for Westminster, and the king's professors in Hebrew and Greek in the two universities. 14. These translations to be used when they agree better with the text than the Bishops' Bible: Tyndale's, Coverdale's, Matthew's, Whit church's, Geneva." Copies of these orders were sent to Cambridge, and pre sumably to Oxford, but upon doubts arising on the third and fourth rules, the vice-chancellor, Dr. Cowell having referred them to the bishop of London, received the reply that — " To be suer, if he had not signified unto them already, it was his ma jesty's pleasure, that, besides the learned persons imployed with them for the Hebrewe and Greeke, there should be three or fower of the most eminent and grave divines of their university, assigned by the vice-chan- ceUour uppon conference with the rest of the heads, to be overseers of the translations, as weU Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the rules appointed by his Highness, and especiaUy concerning the third and forth rule: and that when they had agreed uppon the persons for that purpose, he prayed them to send him word thereof." In a postscript the bishop added that — "Att the verie writinge thereof a learned epistle was delivered unto him of Mr. Broughton's, which, though it was of an old date, yet he thought good to send it unto them, that Mr. Lively and the rest might have the perusal of it, if before they had not seen it." f * Lewis, from Fuller's Chui'ch History, bk. x. pp. 46-47. t Lewis, p. 310. The Authorized Version. 349 This was probably Broughton's Epistle to the learned nolilitk of England, touching translating the Bible, 1597. The tenor of the last letter seems to have become a by-law, or additional rule, for the text of the instructions given in Burnet, Ex. MS. D. Borlase, adds: 15. Besides the said directors before mentioned, three or four of the most ancient and grave divines in either of the universities, not employed in translating, to be assigned by the vice-chancellour upon conference with the rest of the Heads to be overseers of the translations, as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the fourth rule above specified. The notices of their mode of procedure, beyond what is stated in the Preface, are very scant. As that Preface, written by Dr. Miles Smith, is exceedingly valuable, it is much to be deplored that it is not prefixed to the modern editions of the Bible, while the Dedication, which can hardly be regarded in that light by the unprejudiced, might conveniently disappear. Those parts of the Preface which have a direct bearing on the subject in hand, are here supplied. Some of the marginal notes from the Bible of 161 1 are given in footnotes; those in brackets [ ] are taken from the Cambridge Paragraph Bible. Of their work the translators speak thus: But it is high time to leave them, and to shew in brief what we pro posed to ourselves, and what course we held, iu this our perusal and sur vey of the Bible. Truly, good Christian reader, we never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one; (for then the imputation of Sixtus had been true in some sort, that our people had been fed with gaU of dragons instead of wine, with whey instead of mUk, ) but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against; that hath been our endeavour, that our mark. To that purpose were many chosen, that were greater in other men's eyes than in their own, ^nd that sought the truth rather than their own praise. Again, they came, or were thought to come, to the work, not exercendi causa (as one saith,) but exercitati, that is, learned, not tc 3SO The English Versions. leam: for the chief overseer and ipyoSiwHTTji under his Majesty, f whom not only we, but also our whole Church was much bound,* knew by his wisdom, which thing also Nazianzen taught so long ago, that it is a preposterous o'rder to teach first and to learn after .... As to the manner of their coming together for work, we read : And in what sort did these assemble ? In the trust of their own knowl edge, or of their sharpness of wit, or deepness of judgment, as it were an arm of flesh ? At no hand. They trusted in him that hath the key oi David, opening, and no man shutting; they prayed to the Lord, the Father of our Lord, to the effect that St. Augustine did; O let thy Scrip tures be my pure delight; let me not be deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them. In this confidence, and with this devotion, did they assemble together; not too many, lest one should trouble another; and yet many, lest many things haply might escape them. If you ask what they had before them, truly it was the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the Greek of the Nev/. These are the two golder pipes, or rather conduits,t wherethrough the olivebranches empty them selves into the gold .... If truth be to be tried by these tongues, then whence should a translation be made, but out of them ? These tongues aierefore (the Scriptures, we say, in those tongues) we set before us to translate, being the tongues wherein God was pleased to speak to his Church by his Prophets and Apostles. Neither did we run over the work with that posting haste that the Septuagint did, if that be true which is reported of them,| that they fin ished it in seventy-two days; neither were we barred or hindered from going over it again, havmg once done it, like S. Hierome,^ if that be true which himself reporteth, that he could no sooner write any thing, but presently it was caught from him and published, and he could not have leave to mend it: neither, to be short, were we the first that feU in hand with translating the Scripture into English, and consequently destitute of former helps, as it is written of Origen, that he was the first in a man ner, that put his hand to write Commentaries upon the Scriptures, and therefore no marvel if he overshot himself many times. None of these thmgs: the work hath not been huddled up in seventy-two days, but hath * [Richard Bancroft, archbishop of Canterbury, died Nov. 2, 1610 ] t [Zech. i/. 14.] t Joseph. Antij. xii. a, 13. § Ad Pamntac. pro lib. advers. Jovinian. The Authorized Version. 351 cost the workmen, as light as it seemeth, the pains of twice seven times seventy-two days, and more. Matters of such weight and consequence are to be speeded with maturity: for in a business of moment man fear eth not the blame of convenient slackness. Neither did we think much to consult the translators or commentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek, or Latin: no, nor the Spanish, French, Ltalian, or Dutch; * neither did we disdain to revise that which we had done, and to bring back to the anvil that which we had hammered: but having and using as great helps as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness, nor coveting praise for expedition, we have at the length, through the good hand of the Lord upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see. The captious objections of those opposed to the translation they meet as follows. Many men's mouths have been opened a good while (and yet are not stopped) with speeches about the translation so long in hand, or rather perusals of translations made before: and ask what may be the reason, what the necessity of the employment. Hath the Church been deceived, say they, all this while ? Hath her sweet bread been mingled with leaven, her silver with dross, her wine with water, her milk with lime ? (lade gypsum male mescetur, saith St. Ireney.) We hoped that we had been in the right way, that we had had the oracles of God delivered unto us, and that though all the world had cause to be offended, and to com plain, yet that we had none. Hath the nurse holden out the breast, and nothing but wind in it ? Hath the bread been delivered by the Fathers of the Church, and the same proved to be lapidosus, as Seneca speaketh ? What is it to handle the word of God deceitfiilly, if this be not ? Thus certain brethren. Also the adversaries of Judah and Hierusalem, like Sanballat in Nehemiah, mock, as we hear, both at the work and work men, saying. What do those weak Jews, etc., will ihey make the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust which are burnt ? although they build, yet if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stony wall. Was their translation good before ? Why do they now mend it ? Was it not good ? Why then was it obtruded to the people ? Yea, why did the Catholicks (meaning Popish Romanists) always go in jeopardy for refusing to go to hear it ? Nay, if it must be translated into English, Catholicks are fittest to do it. They have learning, and they know when • This is doubtless Luther's German version. M. 352 The English Versions. a thing is well, they can manum de tabula. We wUl answer them both briefly: and the former, being brethren, thus with Si. Hierome, Damna- mus veteres ? Minime, sed post priorum studia in domo Domini quod possumus labor amus. That is, Do we condemn the ancient ? Jn no case; but after the endeavours of them that were before us, we take the best pains we can in the house of God. hs. if he said. Being provoked by the example of the learned that lived before my time, I have thought it my duty to assay, whether my talent in the knowledge of the tongues may be profitable in any measure to God's Church, lest I should seem to have laboured in them in vain, and lest I should be thought to glory in men (although ancient) above that which was in them. Thus St. Hierome may be thought to speak. And to the same effect say we, that we are so far off from condemning any of their labours that travelled before us in this kind, either in this land, or beyond sea, either in King Henry's time, or King Edward's (if there were any translation, or correction of a translation, in his time), or Queen Elizabeth's of ever renowned memory, that we acknowledge them to have been raised up of God for the buUding and furnishing of his Church, and that they deserve to be had of us and of posterity in ever lasting remembrance. The judgment of Aristotle is worthy and well known: Jf Timotheus had not been, we had not had much sweet musick: But if Phrynis ( Timotheus his master) had not been, we had not had Timotheus. Therefore blessed be they, and most honoured be their name, that break the ice, and give the onset upon that which helpeth forward to the saving of souls. Now what can be more available there to, than to deliver God's book unto God's people in a tongue which they understand ? Since of an hidden treasure, and of a fountain that is sealed, there is no profit, as Ptolemy Philadelph wrote to the Rabbins or mas ters of the Jews, as witnesseth Epiphanius: and as St. Augustine saith, A man had rather be with his dog than with a stranger " (whose tongue is .strange unto him). Yet for all that, as nothing is begun and perfected at the same time, and the latter thoughts are thought to be the wiser: so, if we buUding upon their foundation that went before us, and being holpen by their labours, do endeavour to make that better which they left so good; no man, we are sure, hath cause to mislike us; they, we persuade ourselves, if they were alive, would thank us The Roman Catholic cavil of frequent change they meet as follows: * S. Aug. lib. 19, de civil. Dei, c. 7. The Authorized Version. 353 Yet before we end, we must answer a third cavU and objection of their's against us, for altering and amending our translations so oft; wherever truly they deal hardly and strangely with us. For to whom ever was it imputed for a fault (by such as were wise) to go over that which he had done, and to amend it where he saw cause ? St. Augus tine was not afraid to exhort St. Hierome to a Palinodia or recantation. The same St. Augustine was not ashamed to retractate, we might say, revoke, many things that had passed him, and doth even glory that he seeth his infirmities. If we will be sons of the truth, we must consider what it speaketh, and trample upon our own credit, yea, and upon other men's too, if either be any way an hindrance to it. This to the cause. Then to the persons we say, that of all men they ought to be most sUent in this case. For what varieties have they, and what alterations have they made, not only of their service books, portesses, 'and breviaries, but also of their Jjttin translation ? . . . . They that are less sound themselves ought not to object infirmities to others Nay, doth not Sixtus Quintus confess, that certain Cath olicks (he meaneth certain of his own side) were in such a humour of translating the Scriptures into Latin, that Satan taking occasion by them, though they thought of no such matter, did strive what he could, out of so uncertain and manifold a variety of translations, so to mingle all things, that nothing might seem to be left certain and firm in them, etc. ? Nay further, did not the same Sixtus ordain by an inviolable decree, and that with the counsel and consent of his Cardinals, that the Latin edition of the Old and New Testament, which the Council of Trent would have to be authentick, is the same without controversy which he then set forth, being diligently corrected and printed in the printing house of Vatican ? Thus Sixtus in his preface before his Bible. And yet Clement the Eighth, his immediate successor published another edition of the Bible, contain ing in it infinite differences from that of Sixtus, and many of them weighty and material; and yet this must be authentick by all means. What is to have the faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with yea and nay, if this be not ? Again, what is sweet harmony and consent, if this be ? Therefore, as Demaratus of Corinth advised a great King, be. fore he talked of the dissensions among the Grecians, to compose his do- mestick broils (for at that time his Queen and his son and heir were at deadly feud with him) ; so all the whUe that our adversaries do make so many and so various editions themselves, and do jai so much about the worth and authority of them, they can with no shew of equity challenge us for changing and correcting. . -. » * [2*. ^. manuals of devotion.] 2 354 The English Versions. The use they made ofthe margin is thus referred to: Some peradventure would have no variety of senses to be set in the margin, lest the authority of the Scriptures for deciding of controversies by that shew of uncertainty should somewhat be shaken. But we hold their judgment not to be so sound in this point There be many words in the Scriptures, which be never found there but once (having neither brother nor neighbour, as the Hebrews speak), so that we cannot be holpen by conference of places. Again, there be many rare names of certain birds, beasts and precious stones, etc., concerning which the Hebrews themselves are so divided among themselves for judgment, that they may seem to have defined this or that, rather because they would say something, than because they were sure of that which they said, as St. Hierome somewhere saith of the Septuagint. Now in such a case doth not a margin do well to admonish the Reader to seek further, and not to conclude or dogmatize upon this or that peremptorily ? For as it is a fault of incredulity, to doubt of those things that are evident; so to determine of such things as the Spirit of God hath left (even in the judg ment of the judicious) questionable, can be no less than presumption. Therefore, as St. Augustine saith, that variety of translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the Scriptures: so diversity of significa tion and sense in the margin, where the text is not so clear, must needs do good; yea, is necessary, as we are persuaded And for their variety of rendering the same word in the original they give these reasons: Another thing we think good to admonish thee of, gentle Reader, that we have not tied ourselves to an uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words, as some peradventure would wish that we had done, because they observe, that some learned men somewhere have been as exact as they could that way. Truly, that we might not vary from the sense of that which we had translated before, if the word signified the same thing in both places (for there be some words that be not of the same sense everywhere), we were especially careful, and made a conscience, according to our duty. But that we should express the same notion in the same particular word, as for example, if we translate the Hebrew or Greek word once by purpose, never to call it intent; if one where journeying, never travelling; if one where think, never suppose; if one where pain, never ache: if one where joy, never gladness, etc., thus to mince thf matter, we thought to savour more of curiosity than wisdom, and that rather it would breed scom in the atheist, than bring profit to The Authorized Version. 355 the godly reader. For is the kingdom of God become words or sylla bles ? Why should we be in bondage to them, if we may be free ? use one precisely, when we may use another no less fit as commodiously ? A godly Father in the primitive time shewed himself greatly moved, that one of newfangleness called Kpafipdrov, 6KiiXTCovi* though the difference be little or none; and another reporteth, that he was much abused for tuming cucurbita (to which reading the people had been used) into hedera. Now if this happen in better times, and upon so small oc casions, we might justly fear hard censure, if generally we should make verbal and unnecessary changings. We might also be charged (by scof fers) with some unequal dealing towards a gre.at number of good English words. For as it is written of a certain great Philosopher, that he should say, that those logs were happy that were made images to be worshipped ; for their fellows, as good as they, lay for blocks behind the fire: so if we should say, as it were, unto certain words, Stand up higher, have a place in the Bible always; and to others of like quality. Get you hence, be banished forever; we might be taxed peradventure with St. James, his words, namely, To be partial in ourselves, and judges of evil thoughts. Add hereunto, that niceness in words was always counted the next step to triflmg; and so was to be curious about names too: also that we can not follow a better pattern for elocution than God himself; therefore he using divers words in his holy writ, and indifferently for one thing in na ture; we, if we will not be superstitious, may use the same liberty in our English versions out of Hebrew and Greek, for that copy or store that he hath given us. Lastly, we have on the one side avoided the scrupu losity of the Puritans, who leave the old Ecclesiastical words, and betake them to other, as where they put washing for baptism, and congregation instead of church: as also on the other side we have shunned the obscurity of the Papists, in their azymes, tunike, rational, holocausts, prapuce, pasche, and a number of such like, whereof their late translation is full, and that of purpose to darken the sense, that since they must needs trans late the Bible, yet by the language thereof it may be kept from being un derstood. But we desire that the Scripture may speak like itself, as in the language of Canaan, that it may be understood even of the very vulgar. • The Shepherd Bishop Spyridion of Cyprus is said, about the time of the Council of Nicaea, to have rebuked a celebrated preacher at Cyprus for substituting the more fashionable term dxtfljtovi, couches, for the homely word HpOC^^OtTOy. bed. " What 1 " he interrupted him, " are you better than He who said 'bed,' that you are ashamed tb use his words V Sozom. I. ii, q.xiotcd'h-y Stsadey, History of the Eastern Church, p. X98, Am. edit. 356 The English Versions. The account given by Selden. agrees substantially with that furnished in the Preface; he says: "The English translation of the Bible is the best Translation in the world, and renders the sense of the original best, taking in for the Eng lish Translation the Bishops' Bible as well as King James's. The trans lation in King James's time took an excellent way. That part of the Bible was given to him who was most excellent in such a tongue (as the Apocrypha to Andrew Downs) and then they met together, and one read the Translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either of the learned Tongues, or French, Spanish, Italian, etc. : if they found any fault they spake, if not he read on There is no book so translated as the Bible for the purpose. If I translate a French book into English, I turn it into English phrase, not into French-English. // fait froid; I say, 'tis cold, not makes cold. But the Bible is rather translated into English words than into English phrases. The Hebraisms are kept and the phrase of that language is kept.* " This not improbably refers to the meetings of the several companies, the several members of which had previously prepared a certain portion by themselves ; after such portion had been passed upon by the whole company in concert, it was sent for examination to the other companies, who returned it with their opinion approbatory or otherwise to that com pany with whom it had originated ; in case of approval thus obtained, it was adopted, in case of non-approval it was referred to the committee of final revisers. On the supposition that actual work did not begin until 1607, fully three years (the life of John Bois says four) were spent upon it; but there seems no doubt to remain that one company at least had finished their portion- early in 1607. " Their great work being finished soon after, divers grave divines in the university, not employed in translating, were assigned by the vice-chancellor, upon a conference had with the heads of houses, to be overseers of the translators, as weU Hebrew as Greek. The said translators had recourse once a week to Dr. Reinold's lodgings, in Corpus Christi College, and there, as 'tis said, perfected the work; notwithstand ing the same doctor who had the chief hand in it, was all the while sorely • Selden, Table Talk, Works, III. 2009.— The Hebrew phrase has been naturalized io: God of peace, God of all grace. Father of lights. Sun of righteousness. Son of peace, man of sin, robe of righteousness, song of songs, ways of pleasantness, oil of gladness, trees of Jehovah, Man of Sorrows, Son of man. Rock 0/ Ages, etc. See Kadie, ii. p. 238. The Authorized Version. 357 afflicted with gout." * As Reinolds died May 2ist, 1607, the Oxford company, on the Prophets at least, must have completed their work be fore that period, if this notice can be relied upon. The Life of Bois t contains the notice that upon the completion of the whole work by the different companies, three copies of the whole Bible were sent to London, one from Cambridge, one from Oxford and one from Westminster, and that six persons, two from each place, were chosen to review the whole and prepare a copy for the press. Mr. Bois and Mr. Andrew Downs were the Cambridge members who met with the others daily at " Stationers Hall, and in three quarters of a year fulfilled their task." This does not however seem to be correct, or necessarily to conflict with the account given by the English divines to the Synod of Dort, of whom Mr. Ward one of the translators was one, and who dis tinctly stated there that the board of final revisers numbered twelve per sons, if the first notice be restricted to delegates of actual translators, and the second be made to cover six additional scholars appointed for the purpose-! The MS. Life of Bois says in addition, that " Last of all Bilson, bishop of Winchester, and Dr. Miles Smith who from the beginning had been very active in this affair, again reviewed the whole work, and prefixed arguments to the several books; and Dr. Smith, who, for his indefatigable pains taken in this work, was soon after the printing of it deservedly made bishop of Gloucester, was ordered to write a preface to it, the same which is now printed in the folio editions ofthe Bible. "§ It seems proper to add in this connection that the delegates from Great Britain to the Synod of Dort, held in 1 6 1 8, were * Wood, cited by Todd, Vindication ofthe English Translations. t Lif e 0/ John Bois, by Dr. Walker, Harleian MSS., prmted in Peck, Desiilerata Curiosa. X The only volume, supposed to have been used for the revision, is a copy of the Bishops' Bible, Barker, 1602, exhibiting the text corrected through some books to King James's version, concerning which Professor Westcott gives the following ac count. Certain letters — g,j, t — apparently indicating the sources from which the cor rections were derived, are attached to the following portions: Gen I.-xxv. has g,j, t, and perhaps another letter: Gen. xxvi. to Joshua inclusive has g (y re-appearing from Deut. xxxii. to end); the rest of the books are without letters: there are also two notes on Eph. iv. 8; 2 Thess. ii. 15. The letter^, he says, is certain to refer to the Genevan. May noty and t, confined to the Pentateuch and Joshua, indicate references tn the Biblia Sacra, etc., of 1mm. TremelKus and Fr. Junius, 1579, ^^^ often ? g Lewis, p. 323. 358 The English Versions. George Charlton, bishop of Llandaff, Dr. Joseph Hall, dean of Worcester, Dr. John Davenant, professor and president of King's College, Cambridge, and Dr. Samuel Ward of Sidney College, Cambridge, the last of whom was a member of the Company charged with the translation of the Apocrypha. They presented an account of the making and finishing of the translation in a paper dated Nov. i6, 1618, in response to an invitation for their advice in respect to a new translation of the Scriptures for the use of the Belgian Churches. As it differs in many respects from the Rules, it is here produced as it stands on the Minutes: Modus quem Theologi Angli in versione Bibliorum sunt secuti. Theologi magnse Britanniae, quibus non est visum tantse quaestioni su- bitam & inopinatam responsionem adhibere, officii sui esse judicarunt, praematura deliberatione habita, quandoquidem facta esset honorifica ac- curatissimae translationis Anglicanse mentio, a Serenissimo Rege Jacobo magna, cum cura, magnisque sumptibus nuper editse, notum facere huic celeberrimje Synodo, quo consUio, quaque ratione sacram hoc negotium a Serenissima ejus Majestate praestitum fuerit. Primo, in opere distribuendo hanc rationem observari voluit; totum corpus Bibliorum in sex partes fuit distributum ; cuilibet parti transferendae destinati sunt septem vel octo viri primarii, Linguarum peritissimi. Duae partes assignatae fuerant Theologis, quibusdam Londinensibus; quatuor vero partes reliquae divisie fuerunt ^qualiter inter utriusque Aca- demiae Theologos. Post peractum a singulis pensum, ex hisce omnibus duodecim selecti viri in unum locum convocati, integrum opus recognoverant, ac recensuerant. Postremo, Reverendissimus Episcopus Wintoniensis, Bilsonus, una cum Doctore Smitho, nunc Episcopo Glocestriensi, viro eximio, & ab initio in toto hoc opere versatissimo, omnibus mature pensitatis & examinatis, ex- tiemam manum huic versioni imposuerunt. [Leges Interpretibus praescriptae fuerunt hujusmodi:] Primo, cautum est, ut simpliciter nova versio non adomaretur, sed vetus, & ab Ecclesia diu lecepta ab omnibus naevis & vitiis purgaretur; idque hunc in finem, ne recederetur ab antiqua translatione, nisi originalis textus Veritas, vel emphasis postularet. Secundo, ut nullae anrotationes margin! apponerentur: sed tantum loca rarallela notarentur. The Authorized Version. 359 Tertio, ut ubi vox Hebraea vel Graeca geminum idoneum sensum ad- mittit; alter in ipso contextu, alter in margine exprimeretur. Quod itidem factum, ubi varia lectio in exemplaribus probatis reperta est. Quarto, Hebraismi & Grsecismi difficiliores in margine repositi sunt. Quinto, in translatione Tobit & Judithae, quandoquidem magna discre- pantia inter Graecum contexlum & veterem vulgatam Latinam editionem reperiatur, Graecum potius contextum secuti sunt. Sexto, ut quae ad sensum supplendum ubivis necessario fuemnt, con- lextui interferenda, alio, scilicet minusculo, charactere, distinguerentur. Septimo, ut nova arguraenta singulis libns, and novae periochae singulis capitibus praefigerentur. [Denique, absolutissima Genealogia & descriptio Terrae sanctae, huic open conjungeretur.] * "Never," says Dr. Scrivener, "was a great enterprise like the production of our Authorized Version carried out with less knowledge handed down to posterity of the laborers, thqir method and order of working. '' f The expense of the final revision, according to one account was borne by the company of stationers, and according to an other by Barker, and amounted to a weekly stipend of thirty ihillings (not thirty pounds, as Lewis reports) allowed to each ofthe revisers, as appears from this statement made in 1651: Forasmuch as propriety rightly considered is a legal relation of any one to a temporal good, I conceive the sole printing of the Bible and Tes tament, with power of restraint in others, to be of right the property of one Matthew Barker, citizen and stationer of London, in regard that his father paid for the amended or corrected translation of the Bible ;^3,Soo, by reason whereof the translated copy did of right belong to himself and his assigns. The New Bible was published in 161 1 under the title: The Holy Bible, conteyning the Old Testainent and the New. Newly translated out of the Originali tongues: and with the former Translations, diligently compared and revised by His Majesty's ? Biblioth. Sacra. 1859, vol. xvi., p. 59, quoted from Aeia Synodi Nationalis Dord- rechti habita, anno ibfS. Lugduni Bat., 1620. t Introduction to the Cambridge Paragraph Bible. 360 The English Versions. Speciall Commandement. Appointed to be read in Churches. Im printed at Lmdon by Robert Barker, Printer to the King's most excellent Majesty. Anno Dom. j6ii. There were in the same year two issues in folio, one with a frontispiece engraved on copper, by C. Boel of Richmont, for both of which is claimed priority of appearance; the com mon opinion is in favor of the one with Boel's engraving. "= How the words Newly Translated, etc. , are to be taken is clear from the language of the Preface, and will be further il lustrated in the sequel. Concerning the words Appointed to be read in Churches, Professor Westcott f says: " No evidence has yet been produced to show that the version was ever publicly sanctioned by Convocation, or by Parliament, or by the Privy CouncU, or by the king. It gained its currency, partly, it may have been, by the weight of the king's name, partly by the personal authority of the prelates and scholars who had been engaged upon it, but still more by its own intrinsic superiority over its rivals. . . . The printing of the Bishops' Bible was at once stayed when the new version was definitely undertaken. No edition is given in the lists later than 1606, though the New Testament from it was reprinted as late as 1618 [or 1619]. So far ecclesiastical influence naturally reached. But it was otherwise with the Genevan version, which was chiefly confined to private use. This com peted with the King's Bible for many years, and it was not till about the middle ofthe century that.it was finally displaced." The fulsome Dedication needs no comment here, nor need more be said about the Preface, all the salient features of which, bearing directly on the Translation, have already been given in full above. The other preliminary matter consists of: A Kalendar; An Almanack for xxxix. years, beginning 1603; Of the Golden Number, The Epact, The use of the Epact, To finde Easter for * Those desirous to pursue the inquiry will find both sides of the questions discussed in the following works: A Description ofthe Great Bible, etc., and- of the Authorizett Version, etc., by Francis Fry, F.S.A., London, 1865: Early Editions of King James's Bible in folio (by Mr. Lenox), New York, i36i; Introduction to the Cambridge Para graph Bible (by Dr. Scrivener), 1873. t History ofthe English Bible, p. 123. The Authorized Version. 361 ever. The Table and Kalendar, expressing the order of the Psalmes and Lessons to be said at Morning and Evening Prayer throughout the Yeere, except certeine proper Feasts, as the rules following more plainly declare. — The order how the Psalter is appointed to be read. — The order how the rest of the Holy Scripture (beside the Psalter) is appointed to be read. — Proper Lessons to be read for the first Lessons, both at Morning and Evening Prayer, on the Sundays throughout the Yeere, and for some also the second Lesson . — Lessons proper for Holy-daies. — Proper Psalms on certaine daies. — The Table for the order of the Psalms to be said at Moming and Evening Prayer. — These to be observed for Holy-daies, and none other. — The names and order of all the Bookes of the Olde and Newe Testament, with the number of their Chapters. — The Genealogies recorded in the sacred Scriptures according to every Familie and Tribe, With the Line of our Saviour Jesus Christ observed from Adam to the Blessed Virgin Marie. By J. S.* — Also an engraved Map of Canaan, together with an alphabetical list of the places mentioned in the Scriptures. The Abstract and Epitome of the Bible, occasionally bound up with the early editions of this translation, was written by Richard Bernard, rector of Batecombe, in Somersetshire. The scope of this volume does not admit more than a gen eral account f of the most important editions of the Author ized Version, of which not less than fifty had been issued be fore 1 640 by Barker and his successors. It is difficult to de termine which is the first edition, for not only were two dif ferent issues published in 161 1, with numerous variations, but some of these issues contain the preliminary matter from the folio of 1617. The edition of 1613 contains 412 variations; that of 1616 may be regarded as the first revision; those of 1629 and 1638 are the first Cambridge editions, revised, and • These letters designate John Speed, the historian and antiquary, who rose to great distinction from an obscure beginning on a tailor's bench. The king gave him a patent securing the property of this work to himself and his heirs. He died in 1629, and his epitaph styles him, Terrarum nostrarum Geographus accuratus.fidus An- tiguitatis Britannica Historiographusetgenealogicesacrxelegantissimu^ delineator. t Valuable information may be found in an article on early editions of the Au thorized Version of the Bible by Rev. E. W. Gilman, in Bibliotheca Sacra, Jm. 1859. and in The early editions of King Jame^s Bible in Folio, by James Lenox, a quarto pamphlet of 12 pages. New York, i86i. 362 The English Versions. a number of their errata have been transmitted to modem times; the edition of 1631, in which the word not is left out in the seventh commandment, for which omission the king's .printers, Robert Barker and Martin Lucas were fined /"soo, may be seen in the British Museum, the Bodleian, in Glas gow, and in the Lenox Library; that of 1660, by Hills and Field, a small Svo, introduced additional marginal notes, im proved upon in John Hayes's Cambridge 4to of 1677; 1666, the 4to New Testament (John Field), and 1683, the 4to Old Testament (J. Hayes) known as the Preaching Bible; that of 1 701, 3 vols, folio, brought the dates and index by bishop William Lloyd; that of 1762, printed by Joseph Bentham, Cambridge, in 2 vols. , quarto and folio, is the famous edition wf Dr. Paris. A superb copy of this edition, which I have collated, is in the Library of the American Bible Society. In 1769 appeared the edition of Dr. Blayney, which has long been regarded as a standard; many of the changes in italics, marginal notes, references, dates, punctuation and spelling generally credited to him, were really the work of his prede^ cesser, Dr. Paris, as pointed out by Dr. Scrivener, in the Cambridge Paragraph Bible. It is curious to note that Blay ney not only transferred to his edition all the excellencies of that of Paris, but likewise most of his errors and inaccuracies. The persistency with which errata are perpetuated will be il lustrated in a table I have prepared for the purpose. I shall now furnish, in chronological order, specimens of errata. ibii. In the list of books l and 2 Chronicles are printed i and 2 Corinthians. Exod. be. 13, . . . that they may serve thee; Jerem. xxii. 3, deliver the spoiler; Ezek. vi. 8, . . . that he may have; Hos. vi. 5 . . . shewed them, for hewed them ; i Cor. xiv. 23, . . . into some place, for one place. ibis. Lev. vii. 25, . . . the fast for the beast, for, the fat . . .; Job xxix. 3, . . . shined through darkness, for walked through . . .; Ezek. xxui. 7, . . . she delighted herself, for she defiled herself; i Cor. xi. 17, The Authorized Version. 363 I praise you, for, I praise you >u>t; 1 Cor. ii. 8, . . . continue your love, for confirm your love. Several clauses and verses are left out, e. g., Matth. xiii. 8, and some sixtyfold; John xx. 25, put my finger into the prints of the nails. Eecles. xvi. 13, 14 are omitted. The variations number upwards of three hundred. In one of the issues of 161 1, Ruth iii. 15, reads, . . . and he went into the city, in the other, . . . she went . . .; and so it stands in the folio and smaller editions of 1613. ibzg. . . . take heed to thy doctrine, for, . . . the doctrine. ibjS. (Barker), Gen. xxxvii. 2, Belial, for, Bilhah; Numb. xxv. 18, wives, for, wiles. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 14, . . . had polluted, for, had hal lowed; Is. i. 6, . . purifying sores, for, putrifying . . ; Luke xix. 29, . . ten of his disciples . . , for, two, . . ; I Cor. vii. 34, . . praise her husband, for, please . . etc. ib^S. (Buck and Daniel, the " authentique corrected Bible "), Acts vi. 3, . . . whom ye may appoint . . ,, for, . . . we . . . The error was wrongfully charged to the Independents, as an intentional corruption. ib48. (John Field, London, 4to), flesh for fish, and in the metrical psalms (Ps. Ixvii. 2), worldly wealth, for godly wealth. ibss- Field's Pearl Bible (London, 24mo), is notorious for its omis sions and faults. Among the former are all the dedications and titles * of the Psalms, John x. 21, Or who — know not; Rom. vi. 13, Neither yield — ^righteousness, and among the latter occurs I Cor. vi. 9, shalt in herit . . ., for, shall not inherit. ibsS- (John Field, small i2mo), 91 faults; 2 Cor. xiii. 6 omitted. ibsb. (John Field, l2mo), has Isa. xxviii. 17, owerthrow, for, owerflow. ibjb. (Hills and Field, London), corrected by one Mr. Robinson, "a Scotch Rabbi," is said to have 2000 faults, such as Cod for God, ad vanced for adventured, loves for loaves, ram for lamb, out for soul, and I Pet. ii. 21, . . . leaving us as an example. . . . ib82. (Bill, Newcombe & Hills), is disgraced by flagrant omissions and errors, among the latter, Deut. xxiv. 3, ate her, for hate her; Jerem. xiii. 27, adversaries, for adulteries; xviii. 21, swine, iox famine. Bibles printed in Holland (1638 [?], 1642, 1645, 1683), abounded in blunders, and those in Scotland, according to Dr. Eadie, were as bad. The New Testament was published in 1628, and printed in Edinburgh * The titles of the Psalms are frequently omitted in the Prayer Book version of that Book, and in quite a number of instances confouruitd with the text of the Psalms in the Authorized Version; e. g., in Psalms cxi., cxii., cxiii., cxxxv., where the titles should be expressed by Hallelujah. In Psalms cxiv., cxvi., the omitted titles are dis guised in the " Praise ye the Lord " with which the Psalms preceding them conclude. 364 The English Versions. in 1642 — the entire Bible in 1633. He also mentions editions of the New Testament printed in 1670 and 1691 at Glasgow, and gives a long list of errata in the editions printed by the widow Anderson, which are simply fearful, e. g., he killed, for he is killed; enticed in every thing, for en riched in. . . . In one of her editions the italic a is used 700 times in five columns for the Roman letter exhausted in her fount. An octavo of 1694, accepted by Principal Lee as genuine, has such errors as brackers, for brothers; and, for ask; his eyes, for his ears; longed; for lodged; pub lished, for punished; covereth the sinner, for converteth; preached, for reached, etc. Some of the errors in Scotch editions of a much later date are as preposterous as any mentioned thus far; e. g., an Edinburgh edi tion of 1760 renders Heb. ii. 16, . . . he took on him the nature of an gels . . ., and one of 1816, has Luke vi. 29, . . . forbid to take thy coat also, not being omitted in both places, while one of 1761 inserts the neg ative in, make me not to go the way of thy commandments. The fol- lownig basketful of blunders occurs in Baskett's edition of 1742: Matth. ix. 22, thy faith hath made me whole; xviii. 29, . . . pay they all; xxvi. 50, . . . wherefore at thou come; Mark ii. 21, ... the rent is many worse; John xvi. 8, . . . reprove the word; xvi. 24, . . . ask and we shall re ceive; xvii. 2, as to many; Rom. xi. 26, . . . shall the deliver come; ii. 28, . . . sake; Phil. iii. 12, Now as though I had; i Pet. iv. 11, . . . to whom he praise; Job xvui. S, ... be walketh; xx. 3, . . . causeth me no ans'.rer; Is. i. 9, . . . let us a small remnant; iii. 9, . . . then soul; xii. 3, . . . therefore with joy shall he draw water; xiii. 15, . . . it found. . . . An Edinburgh (Kerr) edition of 1791 renders I Kings xxii. 38, . . . the dogs likedYas blood; editions of 1811 and 1814 give Is. xxv. 4, . . . store against the wall; Acts xii. 4, . . . Esther; Matth. iii. 16, . . .fighting upon him, and Luke ii. 36, . . . seventy years from her virginity. All these errata have been noted by Professor Eadie (/. c. ii. p. 320), and many more may be seen there. It must be evident to all who will thoughtfully peruse the numerous instances given, and consult the long tables fur nished by Dr. Scrivener in the Introduction and Appendices, prefixed to the Cambridge Paragraph Bible (1873), that strictly speaking, there is really no standard edition of the Au thorized Version, and that all editions are widely different from the text of the original editions. The extent to which these variations go may be learned from the fact that Dr. Scrivener's noble quarto furnishes a Catalogue of sixteen closely printed The Authorized Version. 365 pages in which that edition in common with all modern edi tions departs from the text of 1 6 1 1 ; another Catalogue of about three pages gives the departures from that text peculiar to the Cambridge Paragraph Bible; upwards of four pages are filled with variations in the two issues of the Bible of 1 6 1 1 ; and lastly, some seven pages are filled with a list of passages in which the readings of the edition of 1 6 1 1 have been restored in the Cambridge Paragraph Bible. These lists contain alto gether the most minutely accurate information concerning the text of the Authorized Version extant in English, and are with the rest of the highly instructive Introduction, and the admirable execution of the whole volume, a standing monu ment to the indefatigable carefulness, zeal, and erudition of that judicious and thoughtful divine. The earliest editions of the Authorized Version, published in America, being mostly reprints of indifferently correct or very incorrect English originals, the Protestant Episcopal Church recommended and adopted Eyre and Strahan's edi tions of 1806 and 1812 as the standard in 1823, and their editions of 1 8 1 1 and 18 13 {dis&guTed hy about for above in 2 Cor. xii. 2, and holy body for whole body in Eph. iv. 6) as the standard in 1832, and in 1835 authorized the Faculty ofthe General Theological Seminary to prepare a Bible and to have it set forth as the standard. Since then no action has been taken on the subject. * The complaints in England of exten sive changes introduced into the text of the A. V. were speedily set aside and led to the publication in 1833, by the Clarendon Press, of an exact copy of the edition of 1 6 1 1 col lated with that of i6i3.f In 1847 the American Bible So- * See the Jcurnals ofthe General Convention ofthe years mentioned in the text. t Thomas Curtis, On the Existing Monoply, etc., London, 1833., answered by Dr. Edward Cardwell, Mr. Curtis' s Misrepresentations Exposed, Oxford, 1B33, and Tur ton, Text of the English Bible, Cambridge, 1843. Compare also: Report from the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Queen's Printer's Patent, Lon don, 1859. 366 The English Versions. ciety instructed their Committee on Versions to collate the text of their editions with that of the latest British editions for the sake of preparing a standard copy. The collation of five copies, published in London, Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, and New York, with an edition of i6i i resulted in the publi cation, in 1851-2, of a new edition in which the numerous variations in the text, punctuation, etc., of the editions col lated were reduced to one uniform standard. Some of the changes made having given dissatisfaction in some quarters, the Society concluded to modify their new standard so far as to omit every alteration without the sanction of previous edi tions. The volumes now published by them are deemed to be remarkably free from errors of the press and are claimed to contain the version in common use in the form in which it has been read for centuries without addition or omission. The present standard of the American Bible Society's editions ofthe Bible does not profess to be identical with any known standard as to orthography, punctuation, and other similar details. * Certain characteristics belonging to the edition of 161 1, more or less departed from in all subsequent editions, appear to be now in place. The use of the italic type in the text of the A. V. is gener ally supposed to import that the words thus printed have none corresponding to them in the original text, that they are how ever implied, and are added in the English to complete, or make clearer, the sense of the original. That this supposition is not borne out by fact, may be seen from a few specimens : 2 Sam. i. 18, the use of the bow; Job xix. 26, and though after my skin viorms destroy this body; i Cor. xiv. 2, .... an unknown tongue; I John iii. 16- ... . hereby perceive we the love of God, because he. * Report on the History and Receni Collation of tht English Version <^the Bible, etc.. New York. 1857 The Authorized Version. 367 Without opening any of the numerous questions connected with the subject of the italic type, it may siiffice to record here the following fects: i. That the edition of 161 1, and its nu merous reprints down to 1762, contains glaring faults; 2. That many of them were corrected, and others added, by Dr. Paris, in 1662; 3. That most ofhis corrections and alterations, with sundry additions, were adopted by Dr. Blayney, in 1769, and have been transmitted to the present time. A long list of these may be seen in the Introduction td the Cambridge Par agraph Bible, p. xxii. , and in the Appendices; the table here unto appended, with only a few specimens, it is hoped, will call more general attention to this very important matter. Concerning the table, I desire to premise that the text in the column marked 1 6 1 1 is not only that in the copies collated by Dr. Scrivener, but also in two others in New York, col lated by me, and ofthe copies ofthe Oxford reprint of 1833, and of Bagster's Hexapla. The table, moreover, shows the extent to which the original readings are disregarded in mod ern editions of the A. V. 368 The English Versions. Oo •i te* to . « 0) E rt J j- - . " fi 5 bb-S g s.^:a.a g s4-2.£oo 00 . fi a o ¦a C 55 rt „ g .a rt . S^'S . " !" 6 M rt -O-SSSPirtcS — 'O'S e I I (A I I u) u V * :&--§ jgsS.'o ¦ai^liS W„Mo..S Hu.g_'"ESH.E §.o.° . 1.^ s i g - .3 rt(1 e U bus .S.ago^;g|^f| ¦5 ^ s ». c .-y c3 I ¦- ¦M2 5> "1 •^¦^ g s .3 1 0) 6 C "j S ^¦^¦£.S g Si|.2:S2 .5.a rt „ g ^.SS m 8 ^¦$:3.2 g se-s:s 5 ¦^"~SSrtrt"° -^ s:t ¦-SS S rt uj S--3bjO. rt 2_-;i=' i- Srt V." «j'«iilr'3-=^> ¦*vd r^ " PPh 1 ¦" ¦ S 8 rt o-a .J a Si > :5.-: . S O '>¦- u rt o rt The Authorized Version. 369 Besides the text, most editions of the A. V. contain a vast amount of matter, not contained in the edition of 1611. Mant's editions of the Bible profess to give an exact copy of the Chapter Summaries, Marginal Readings and Parallel Ref erences, sanctioned by the Translators, which may be called authorized as distinguished from subsequent additions made without authority. Of such authorized matter the Old Testa ment contains 6,637, the New Testament 765, and the Apoc rypha 1,016 marginal notes, which may be classified as follows: In the Old Testament, 4, 1 1 1 are more literal renderings of the original Hebrew and Chaldee (77), 2,156 give alternative renderings, introduced by " || Or," 63 explain the meaning of proper names, 240 seek to harmonize the text with other passages of the Scriptures, and 67 refer to various readings of the original text. In the Apocrypha 1 54 give various read ings, 138 express the exact meaning of the Greek, and 3 of the Latin, 505 are various renderings frora diiferent sources, 174 furnish alternative forms of proper names, and 42 supply miscellaneous information. In the New Testament, 35 relate to various readings, 112 are more literal, 582 alternative ren derings, and 35 are explanatory. For many interesting de tails as to the origin of these, and the subsequent addition of other marginal notes, the reader may consult the Cambridge Paragraph Bible, Introd. Sect. II., from which this summary has been prepared. A few examples, taken at random, may suffice: OLD TESTAMENT. Text. Margin. Ex. ii. 22, Gershom. i. e. a stranger here. iii. 19, no, not by a mighty hand. or, but by a strong hand. xvi. 4, a certain rate every day. the portion of a day in his day. at the year's end. revolution of the year. xxxv. 2, an holy day. holiness. 2 A 370 The English Versions. Lev. iv. 4, caul above the liver, with the kidneys. xvi. 8, scapegoat. xxiii. IO, sheaf. Numb. xxi. il, Ije-abarim. Deut. xix. 4, not in time past. xxxiii. 51, Meribah Kadesh. Judg. iv. 18, a mantle. V. 6, by-ways. I Sam. xii. 3, bribe, to blind mine eyes. -XVl. I, Ephes-dammin. 2 Sam. viii. 16, recorder. 2Chron. xviii. 24, an inner chamber. Job xxxi. 39, the owners thereof to lose their Ufe. Psalm iv. Title, chief. xxii. Title, Aijeleth Shahar. They go up by the moun tains; they go down by the valleys. the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land. a plentiful country. and besought the Lord. of strange speech, and of an hard language. The Lord is there. That certain saint. • civ. 4, Is. viii. 8, Jer. ii. 7, xxvi. ig, Ezek. iii. 5, xlviii. 35, Dan. viii. 13, or, midriff over the liver, and over the kidneys. Azazel. omer, or, handful. or, heaps of Abarim. from yesterday the third day. or, strife at Kadesh. or, rug, or, a blanket. crooked ways. ransom (or), that I should hide mine eyes at him. or, the coast of Dammim, called Pasdammim, I Chr. xi. 13. or, remembrancer, or, wri ter of chronicles. a chamber in a chamber. or, the soul of the owners thereof to expire, or, breathe Out. or, overseer. or, the hind of the moming. or, The mountains ascend, the valleys descend. fulness of the breadth of thy land shall be the stretch ings out of his wings. or, the land of Carmel. face of the Lord. deep of lip, and heavy of tongue. Jehovah-Shammah . Palmoni, or, the numberer of secrets, or, the wonderful numberer. The Authorized Version. 371 NEW TESTAMENT. Matth. X. 29, farthing. John X. 24, make us to doubt ? Acts XV. 31, consolation. xix. 35, a worshipper. 38, the law is open. Rom. viii. 7, the carnal mind. Heb. vii. 3, without descent. James ii. 11, he that said. I Pet. ii. 9, a peculiar people. praises. Rev. vi. 6, a measure, etc. xviii. 12, thyine. slaves. APOCRYPHA. I Esdr. ii. 12, Sanabassar. censers.a multitude of people. 30, ix. 51, them that have nothing. 2 Esdr. xiv. 47, the stream of knowledge. Tobit vii. 8, a ram of the flock. • xiv. S, for ever. Wisdom xiv. 21, the incommunicable name. Ecclus. vi. 30, purple lace. xxxviii. 25, whose talk is of bullocks ? Three Childr. 23, rosin. It is in value half-penny farthmg in the original, as being the tenth part of the Roman penny. or, hold us in suspense ? or, exhortation. Gr. the temple keeper. or, the court days are kept. Or. theminding of the flesh. Gr. without pedigree. or, that law which said. or, a purchased people. or, virtues. The word choenix signifi eth a measure containing one wine quart, and the twelfth part of a quart. or, sweet. or, bodies. Shash bazzar, Ezra i. 8. Heb. knives. Or, a great number of sol- diers. Or, the poor. Or, the light of knowledge. a sucking ram, or, lamb, Junius, comp. Ex. xii. 3, marg. 5. for ever is not in the Ro- man copy. That is, of God. Or, a ribband of blue silk. Gr. of the breed of bul locks ? Or, naptha, which is a cer tain kind of fat and chalky clay. Plin. lib. 2, c. loj. 3/2 The English Versions. I Mace. ii. 30, afilictions increased sore. Gr. evils were multiplied upon them. xiv. 28, at Saramel. Or, Jerusalem, peradven ture by corruption and transposition of letters; or, as some think, the common hall where they met to con sult of matters of estate. 2 Mace. ii. 27, for the pleasuring of many. Or, to deserve well of many. Note. For much valuable and very instructive information on the import of the marginal notes, and especially on various readings, consult Dr. Scrivener's Introd. to the Camb. Par. Bible, Section II. The Parallel References in the edition of 161 1 amounted to about 9,000, viz., in the Old Testament 6,588, in the Apocrypha 885, and in the NewTestament 1,517, more than half of which were taken from the Latin Vulgate. Not a few of them are of doubtful propriety, and some positively wrong, e. g., ch. xxvi. 15 in the margin of 2 Sam. xix. 19; Eecles. v. 12 in that of Job xx. 19; Judg. xiii. 12 in that of Ps. cvi. 2, and Judg. vii. 19 in that of Ps. cvi. 9. According to Horne {Introd. II. 2, p. 81, 1834) Blayney 's additions to the original number are 30,495, and those found in modern editions of the A. V. amount to from 60,000 to 70,000.* * The parallel references in the edition of 1611 number 8,990; in that of Haye^ Cambridge, 1677, 23,895: in that of Scattergood, Cambridge, 1678, 33,145: in that of Lloyd, 1701, 39,466: in that of Blayney, 1769, 64,983: in that of Crutwell (Wilson), 1785, 66,955. The editor of Bagster's Miniature 410 Bible, 1846, admitted without ex amination the references of Blayney, Scott, Clarke, Bagster's Polyglot, "from their acknowledged (?) accuracy," but professed to have verified those of Canne, Brown, and Wilson, and produced an aggregate of nearly half a million (see his Preface, p. i). Dealing with numbers, I append (from Notes and Queries, 2d Series, vii. p. 481) as a curiosum an arithmetical statement of the contents of the Authorized Version: Old Testament. New Testament. Total. Books: 39 =7 66 Chapters: 929 260 1,189 Verses: 23,214 7.959 31,173 Words: 592.439 181,258 773.^97 Letters: 2,728,100 868,388 3,566.480 The Apocrypha contain 183 chapters, 6,081 verses, 152,185 words. The middle chapter, and the shortest ia the Bible is Fs. cxvtu In the Old Testa- The Authorized Version. 373 The multiplication of parallel references, however, is of very doubtful utility and often obscures rather than clears the meaning. The most judicious and logical, with which I am familiar, are those in the Cambridge Paragraph Bible, Bag ster's Polyglot, English Version, and in the Religious Tract Society's Annotated Paragraph Bible. Those in the two last named publications need weeding; e. g., the editor ofthe for mer cites, in the Preface, the parallel references to Ezek. xxiii. 49, as a model, but unfortunately refers the reader in the very first to a wrong passage. Numb. xix. 34, instead of xiv. 34; the latter is not a parallel, while xviii. 23, Is. liii. 11, and I Pet. ii. 24, are rather theological inferences than par allels, and furnish a questionable body of divinity; Dr. Scriv ener, however, on the same passage (Ezek. xxiii. 49) refers back to the reference at v. 35, and then to xvi. 58, and ex amination shows that the parallelism is justified. The difference in the punctuation of the edition of 1 6 1 1 and subsequent, especially modern, issues of the A. V. is a mat ter of considerable moment, for "the question of punctuation has two parts: one, respecting the general carrying it out for purposes of rhythm and distinction of sentences, independent of any question as to the meaning of the words; the other re specting the particular cases where different punctuation in volves difference of meaning. " * Subjoined are a few passages, taken from the long list in the Camb. P. B. , in which the punctuation of 1 6 1 1 is preferable to that in modern issues. ibii. Modern editions. Gen. xxxi. 40, Thus I was in the day, the Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, . . . drought consumed me, . . . ment Proverbs is the middle book. Job xxix. the middle chapter, and the middle verse occurs in 2 Chron. xx. between v. 17 and v. 18. In the New Testament 2 Thessalo nians is the middle book, the middle chapter falls between Rom. xiii. and xiv.. Acts xvii. 17 is the middle verse, and John xi. 35 the shortest verse —Ezra vii. 21 has at the letters ofthe alphabet. • Professor Grote, citert by Dr. Scrivener in Int. to Camb. Par. Bible, p. xL 374 The English Versions. I Kings xii. 32, . . . and he offered upon . . . and he offered upon the altar, (so did he in the altar. So did he in Beth-el,) sacrificing. . . . Bethel, sacrificing. . . . Psalm Ixxxuc. 46, , How long, Lord ? wilt thou How long, Lord? wilt thou hide thyself, for ever ? hide thyself for ever ? Hos. vii. II, ... a silly dove, without ... a silly dove without heart. heart. John ii. 15, . . . and the sheep and the . . . and the sheep, and the oxen; oxen; 2 Cor. xiii. 2, . . ., as if I were present . . ., as if I were present, the second time. the second time; 1 Thess. iii. 7, ... in all our affliction and ... in all our affliction and distress, by your faith: distress by your faith: Tit. n. 8, . . . sound speech that can . . . sound speech, that can not. . . . not. . . . Jude 7, ... the cities about them, ... the cities about them in like manner. . . . in like manner, . . . Professor Grote, in the MS. used by Dr. Scrivener, con cludes that "with respect to the punctuation in general, in dependently of its affecting the meaning of particular pas sages, it is, in the editions before 1638, comparatively little graduated, colons and semicolons being much fewer in num ber than commas, and full stops. . . . That edition made the punctuation much more graduated, and introduced one practice not common in the earlier ones, that of a full stop in the middle of a verse." . . . "The graduation of the punc tuation, i. e., the placing of colons and semicolons, is not materially different in Blayney's edition (1769) from what it was in that of 1683. The latter (which is pointed, as print ers say, very low) improved greatly in this respect upon 1638, as 1638 had improved upon the earlier ones." The headings of the chapters in the Authorized Version of 161 1 differ both from those in the Great and Bishops' Bibles and also from those in the Genevan, and with only twelve va riations (not corrections of the press) continue in modern is sues, the heading of Psalm cxlix. being the only one of im portance, the original reading of which, The Prophet exhorteth The Authorized Version. 375 to praise God for his love to the Church, and for that power which he hath given to the Church to rule the consciences of men, has been shortened in the second clause by dropping all after Church (in 1762), and changing (in 1769) the Church into his saints. The chronological dates, found in the margin of many mod ern Bibles, were introduced in 1701 by bishop Lloyd in the Bible mentioned on p. 362, and taken substantially from arch bishop Usher's Annales V. et N. Testamenti (1650-4). They are not very satisfactory; e. g., the date of Zechariah ix., B. c. 587 (67 years earlier than chapter i.), that of the eclipse, B. c. 791, in Amos viii. 9, that ofthe prophecy of Jonah, b. c. 862, and others more, are known to be incorrect. A comparison ofthe orthography, grammatical peculiarities, and capital letters in the edition of 16 11 with modern editions may be the more readily dispensed with here, as these topics will come up under the head of Revision. Turning now to the version itself, concerning which a num ber of independent criticisms may be read at a subsequent page, it is important to recall the peculiar circumstances under which it was made (see pages 349-351) to account for the inequality of the work. In the Old Testament, the sections embracing Genesis to the end of 2 Kings (first Westminster company), and the Prophets from Isaiah to Malachi inclusive (first Ox ford company) rank first; the remainder of the canonical books (first Cambridge company), and especially Job and the Psalms are decidedly inferior. In the New Testament, the Acts, the Gospels and the Apocalypse (second Oxford com pany), rank in the order named for the ability with which they were executed, while the Epistles (second Westminster company) are considered the worst among the canonical books, while the Apocrypha (second Cambridge company) are un questionably the worst of the entire Bible. * * The names of the translators in the different companies, and brief biographical notices of them are given on pp. 343-346. The estimate of Dr. Robert Cell (An Essay 376 The English Versions. Some of the renderings, exhibiting great versatility of resource, and singular skill and taste in the adaptation of the Hebrew idiom to the genius ofthe English language, are the following:* Gen. ii. l6. Thou mayest freely eat ... . (Heb., eating thou shalt eat); iii. 4, Ye shall not surely die (Heb., not die the death); 6, pleasant to the eyes (Heb., a desire); xxvi. 13, and went forivard (Heb., went going). 2 Kings ii. 10, Thou hast asked a hard thing (Heb., thou hast done hard in asking); II, . . . they still went on and talked (Heb., they went on going). Isaiah xxiv. 20, the earth shall reel to and fro ... . (Heb., reeling shall reel). Jerem. xxiii. 17, . . . they say still (Heb., sayingtheysay). Ezek. xvii. 5, . . . planted it in a fruitful field (Heb.,/«< it in a field of seed; Tremellius, "posuit ipsum in agro sativo"). And in a longer passage: MIC VI. 2, 6-8. 2. Hear ye, O mountains, the Lord's controversy,' And ye strong foundations of the earth: 2 For the Lord hath a controversy with his people. And he will plead' with Israel. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the high God ? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, With calves of a year old ? 7. Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? Shall I give my firstborn /o?- my transgression,* The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul ? 8. He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good ; And what doth the Lord require of thee. But to do justly, and to love mercy, And to walk humbly with thy God ? * 1 Tremellius: Contentionem JehovEe. 2 et robustissima fundamenta terrae. 3 dis- ceptaturus est. 4 defectione mea. B Indicavit tibi, o homo, quid sit bonum: ecquid lehova requisivit abs te, nisi ut exerceas jus, & ames benignitatem, & modeste am- bules cum Deo teo. toward the atnendTnent of the last English Translation of the Bible, 1659, Preface, pp. 38, 39) on the merits, or rather on the demerits of the version, is to this effect: " The further we proceed in the survey of the Scripture, the translation is the more faulty, as the Hagiographa more than the Historical Scripture, and the PropheLs more than the Hagiographa, and the Apocrypha most of all; and generally the New more than the Old Testament." • The order followed in these extracts is that of the companies as given above. The Authorized Version. 377 Although the influence of Tremellius is clearly paramount, throughout this chapter, as well as in verses 2, 7, 8, and "calves of a year old" (v. 6), literally, sons of a year, comes from the Vulgate, vitulos anniculos, and "the fruit of my body," liter ally, fruit of my womb, or, my belly, and rendered fructum ventris md by the Vulgate, is a happy adaptation of Luther's ambiguous Leibes Frucht it is impossible to deny that the rendering of the A. V. is stronger and more musical than the Vulgate, Tremellius, and Luther, and runs in the majestic rhythm of the original. There is hardly room for doubt that the versions of Trem ellius and Luther influenced the translation of the Hagiogra pha, but the general flow of the subjoined passages is superior to all the versions consulted by the first Cambridge company. The letters L, T., V., in the notes stand for Luther, Tremellius, and Vulgate. JOB III. 3. Let the day perish wherein I was bom,' And the night in which it was said. There is a man child conceived. 4. Let that day be darkness; Let not God regard it from above. Neither let the light shine upon it . . . 1 1 . Why died I not from the womb ? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out ofthe belly?" 12. Why did the knees prevent me ? Or why the breasts that I should suck ? 17. There the wicked cea.se from troubling; And there the weary be at rest.' 18. There the prisoners rest together; They hear not the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there; * And the servant is free from his master. 1 Periisset dies quo nasciturus eram, et nox . . . conceptus est mas.^T. Und die Nacht da man sprach: £s ist ein Mannlein empfangen, — L. 3 Cur non inde a vulva fui moriturus ? et utero exiens non exspiravi ? — ^T. Warum bin ich nicht gestorben von Mutterleibe an ? ... da ich aus dem Leibe kam ? — L. 8 Illic improbi desistunt a com- motione, ac ibi quiescunt defessi viribus, — ^T. . . . daselbst ruhen doch die viele Mtkhe gehabt haben, — L. 4 parvus et magnus ibi sunt, — Vulgate. So Luther. 378 The English Versions. In taking the supplied matter in v. 3 from the Vulgate [?« qua dictum est'], and the meaning from Tremellius and Lu ther, they rendered as well as they were able, missing, how ever, the poetic conception of night speaking: a man-child is conceived. In the second member of v. 11 the rendering ' ' Why did I not give up the ghost ? " probably suggested by expira'vi, is rather weak (for it might have been rendered "and breathe my last "), but the ambiguity in v. 12 is well pre served, and V. 1 7 is very felicitous, although ' ' oppressor " is not as good as ' ' task-master. *' PSALM LXXXIV. 1-3. I . How amiable ' are thy tabernacles,* O Lord of hosts ! 2. My soul longeth,' yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: My heart and my flesh crieth out < for the living God. 3. Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, And the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young. Even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 1 amabitia, — T. 2 tabernacula, — V., T. 3 Desiderio afficitur . . . , — T. Meine Seele verlanget und sehnet sich, — L. i exclamunt, — T. Here also the influence of Tremellius is very marked, and that of Luther in the first member of v. 2 unmistakable. The passage is fully as good and musical as the Prayer Book ver sion, and the following collation will show that it is more close and correct. Prayer Book. Auth. Version. I dwellings. tabernacles. I 2 My soul hath a desire and long- My soul longeth, yea, even faint- 2 ing to enter into the courts .... eth for the courts of ... . rejoice in ... . crieth out for. "Tabernacles" in v. i, is almost as ambiguous as the cor responding Hebrew word, and decidedly better than ' ' dwell ings "and "Wohnungen"; the verbal construction in v. 2, as well as the emphatic "yea" and the admirable "fainteth for" are masterly; while "crieth out for" is a felicitous adap tation of the Hebrew idiom. The Authorized Version. 379 The Apocrypha, though not uniformly bad, are pronounced by general consent, a very poor production, marred by coarse expressions such as: he sticks not, i Esd. iv. 21; cocker thy child, Ecclus. xxx. 9; he is not for our turn, Wisd. ii. 12, and sour behaviour, 2 Mace. xiv. 30. It is difficult to understand what John Selden means by the remark: "That part of the Bible was given to him who was most excellent in such a tongue — as the Apocrypha to Andrew Downes" {Table Talk, p. 356), for if he and Bois (see p. 357) did the Apocrypha, their work does not come up to the reputation for proficiency in Hebrew and Greek, and industry, which they enjoyed. They made but indifferent use of the Roman Septuagint of 1586, and, according to Dr. Scrivener, ' ' they are contented to leave many a rendering of the Bishops' Bible as they found it, when nearly any change must have been for the better" {Camb. Par. Bible, p. Ixv. comp. also p. xxvii.). The character of the Apocrypha in the A. V. may be seen from the subjoined passage from 2 Esdras, which is extant only in Latin, and affords therefore an excellent opportunity for examination. The Latin texts used are the Vulgate (from Melanchthon's copy, ed. Nicolaus Bryling, Basel, 1557) and that of Tremellius and Junius, Amsterdam, 1628. Vulgate. 19 . . . Initium verbo- rum Esdrse prius quam et dki assumeretur 20 Domine, qui inhabi- tas seculum, cuius oculi eleuati in su- pema et aere. 2 ESDRAS VIII. 19-31. Tremellius. . . . eloquar coram te prsecipium verborum Hezrse antequam as- sumatur, Diceus, Domine qui permanesinaetemumcujus oculi elati in supremo sunt atque in aere; Auth. Version. . . . This is the be- 19 ginning of the words of Esdras, before he was taken up: and I said, O Lord thou that 20 dwellest in everlast- ingness; which be- holdest from above things in the heaven and in the air; 38o The English Versions. 21 et cuius thronus in- estimabilis, & gloria i n c 0 m prehensibilis : CUI adstat exercitus angelonim cum tre- raore, 22 quorum seruatio in uento et igni conuer- titur: cuius uerbum uerum, et dicta per- seuerantia: cuius ius- sio fortis, & dispo- sitio terribilis: 23 cuius aspectus are- facit abyssos, et in- dignatio tabescere facit montes, et ueri- tas testificatur: 24 exaudi orationem semi tui, et auribus percipe precationem figmenti tui. 25 Dum enim uiuo lo- quar, et dum sapio, respondebo. 26 Nee respicias populi tui delicta, sed qui tibi in ueritate serui- unt. 27 Nee intendas impia gentium studia, sed qui tua testimonia cum doloribus custo- dienint. cujus thronus sesti- mari non potest, nee comprehendi gloria; cui adstat exercitus Angelonim tremens. Quorum observatio vento & igni com- mittitur; cujus ver bum verum, & dicta perstantia, cujus for- tiajussa, &dispositio terribilis;Cujus aspectus are- facit abyssos, & in- dignatio tabefacit montes, ut testifica tur Veritas; Exaudi orationem servi tui, et auribus percipe preces fig menti tui; Dum enim vivo lo- quuturus sum ; & dum sen sum habeo, affa- turus te. Ne respicias ad de licta populi tui, sed ad eos qui tibi ser- viunt fideliter: Ne attendas ad impia gentium studia, sed ad eos qui custodi- verunt anxie testi monia tua: Whose throne is in- 21 estimable; whose glory may not be comprehended; be fore whom the hosts of angels stand with trembling, Whoseserviceiscon- 22 versant in wind and fire; whose word is true, andsayingscon- stant; whose com mandment is strong, and ordinance fear- ful; Whose look drieth 23 up the depths, and indignation maketh the mountains to melt away ; which the truth witnesseth: O hear the prayer 24 of thy servant, and give ear to the pe tition of thy creature. For while I live, I 25 will speak, and so long as I have un derstanding I will answer. O look not upon the 26 sins of thy people; but on them which serve thee in truth. Regard not the wick- 27 ed inventions of the heathen, but the de sire of those that keep thy testimonies m af ilictions. The Authorized Version. 381 28 Nee cogites qui in conspectu tuo false conuersati, sed me- morare qui ex volun- tate tua timorem cog- nouerunt. 29 Neque uolueris per dere, qui pecudum moreshabuerunt: sed respicias eos qui legem tuam splen- dide docuerunt. 30 Nee indigneris eis qui bestijs peiores in- dicati sunt: sed dili- gas eos qui semper in tua iustitia confi- dunt, & gloria. 31 Quoniam nos & pa- tres nostri talibus morbis languemus: tu autem propter nos peccatores misericors uocaberis. Think noiupon those 28 that have walked feignedly before thee : but remember them, which according to thy will have known thy fear. Let it not be thy will 29 todestroyMfOT which have lived likebeasts ; but to look upon them which have clearly taught thy law. Take thou no indigna- 30 tion at them which are deemed worse than beasts; but love them that alway put their trust in thy right eousness and glory. For we and and our 31 fathers do II languish of such diseases: but because of us sinners thou shalt be called merciful. II are sick. Margin. It is only necessary to call attention to the renderings of verses 22, 23, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 to justify the unfavora ble criticism of the execution of the Apocryphal books. The following are instances of felicitous rendering in the New Testament: * Neque reputes eos qui conversati sunt falso in conspectu tuo, sed eorum recordare qui ex voluntate tua cum reverentia tui agno- verunt te: Neque veils perdere eos qui pecudum moreshabuerunt, sed respice ad eos qui Legem tuam lucu- lente docuerunt; Nee - indigneris eis qui bestiis pejores ju- dicati sunt, sed eos diligas qui semper in tua justitia & glo ria fiduciam habue- runt.Nos enim & majores nostri ex morbis tali- bus languemus: tu autem propter nos peccatores misericors appellaberis. * These examples are chosen with special reference to the use made by the second Oxford company of the Greek Text and the then recent English versions, viz., the Genevan and the Rhemish, and designed to illustrate their mastery of the language, and their singular taste and judgment in the choice of telling, in some instances per haps, the most telling words in the language. I do not wish to have it understood that I approve all the renderings, which are, however, superior to anything before 382 The English Versions. Matth. xi. 16, . . . It is like vnto children, sitting in the markets, and calling vnto their fellowes . . . ; 17, And saying, . . . and ye haue not la mented . . .; 19, Behold a man gluttonous, and a wine bibber . . .; 28, . . . and are heauie laden, and I will giue you rest. Mark iv. 40, . . . What manner of man is this, that euen the winde and the sea obey him ? vi. 34, . . . and was moved with compassion toward them . . .; xii. 15, Shall we giue, or shall we not giue ? But he knowing their hypocri sie .. .; 27, yee therefore doe greatly erre; xiv. 65, And the . . . did strike him with the palmes of their hands. Luke v. 4, . . . Launch out mto the deepe, and let down your nets for a draught . . . ; v. 22, . . . What reason ye in your hearts? . . .; vi. 35, for he is kinde vnto the vnthankfull, and to the euill; xv. 17, . . . haue bread ynough and to spare . . .; xxiv. 4, ... as they were much perplexed thereabout . . . John iv. 5, . . . neere to the parcell of ground . . .; viii. 26, . . . and 1 speake to the world . . .; x. 14, . . . lay downe my life . . ., also vv. 17, 18; xix. 17, . . . the place of a skull . . . Acts v. 14, And beleeuers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women; vii. 6, . . . bring them into bondage . . .; 20, . . . and was exceeding fair; xi. 29, . . . to send reliefe . . .; xii. 7, ... in the prison . . .; 20, . . . having made Blastus the kings chamberlaine their friend . . . Rev. ii. 13, . . . boldest fast . . .; 16, Repent . . .; 19, . . . and the last to be more than the first; 22, . . . them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation . . .; 27, euen as I receiued of my Father; 28, And I will giue him . . . ; iii. 16, So then because thou art lukewarme, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee . . . From the work of the second Westminster company, charged with the Epistles, I select the following specimens: Rom. xiv. 16, Let not then your good be euill spoken of; xv. 4, . . . were written aforetime, were vmtten . . .; i Cor. ii. i, . . . came not with excellencie of speach . . .; iii. 19, . . . He taketh the wise in their own craftinesse . . .; xiii. 25, . . . but that the members should haue the same care one for another; xiii. II, . . . but when I became a man, I put away childish things; 2 Cor. iv. 17, For our light afiliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for vs a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory . . . ; Gal. iii. 6, . . . and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse . . . Ephes. iv. 32, And bee ye kinde one to another, tender-hearted . . . Heb. iv. 12, . . . them at the time, and some of which seem destined to be perpetuated in the common version. AU the examples given may be profitably compared with the corresponding places in the older, and subsequent versions^ they are not always original, but each has some peculiar excellence. The Authorized Version. 383 peaicing euen to the diuiding asunder of soule and spirit . . . James v. 16, . . . the effectuall fervent prayer of a . . . 2 Pet. iii. 17, . . . lest yee also being led away ... i John i. 5, This then is the message . . . Jude 4, . . . tuming the grace of our God into lasciuiousnesse. Their principle of rendering the same Greek word by differ ent English words may be seen in the following instances. The Greek verb with the general signification to seek they translate in John vii. 19, 20, Acts xxi. ^i, go about lo, and in xxvii. 30, were about to. The Greek verb to abide is rendered to abide, remain, continue, tarry, dwell, endure, be present, and in I John ii. 24, the words in italics repre sent the same Greek word: " Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye shall also continue in the Son, and in the Father." The Greek verb signifying to bear witness, they translate in turn to witness, bear witness, bear record, testify, and in the passive have good report. The Greek adverb with the general meaning straight way they translate in turn straightway, immediately, anon, forthwith, as soon as, by and by, and shortly. The same practice they observe in the translation of the particles, and instances may be seen on every page: e. g., Phil ii., we have the particle 5i rendered even, v. 8, but, v. 24, yet, V. 25, and, V. 27, while in v. 18 it is not translated at all; xai furnishes and, even, also, but, then, so, yet, when, therefore, if. A similar flexi bility marks their treatment of the participle, e. g., "Jesus seeing their faith," Matth. ix. 2, and " when he saw their faith," Luke v. 20. Another striking feature of the version is the predominance of Saxon, as will be seen by the following comparison. Gib bon uses about seventy, Johnson about seventy-five. Swift eighty-nine, Shakespeare about eighty-five, and the Author ized Version more than ninety Saxon words in every hundred employed. The Lord's Prayer in St. Matthew contains, be sides Amen, sixty-five words, of which fifty-nine are Saxon, and six Latin, and the first thirty-five are altogether Saxon. The superior scholarship, excellent judgment, and exqui site taste of the translators is apparent throughout the volume; but it seems to me proper to express the estimate of the version in the language of others. That of John Selden, the contem- 384 The English Versions. porary of the translators (he died in 1654, cbI, 70), has been given, p. 356; but others are now in order. "And now after long expectation and great desire, came forth Ihe new translation of the Bible (most beautifully printed), by a select and com petent number of divines appointed for that purpose ; not being too many lest one should trouble another, and yet many lest any things might escape them; who neither coveting praise nor expedition, nor fearing re proach for slackness (seeing, in a business of moment, none deserve blame for convenient slowness), had expended almost three years in the work, not only examining the channels by the fountain, translations with the original, which was absolutely necessary ; but also comparing channels with channels, which was abundantly useful, in the Spanish, Italian, French, and Dutch languages. So that their industry, skilfulness, piety, and discretion, have therein bound the Church unto them in a debt of special remembrance and thankfulness. These, with Jacob, "rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well " of life, Gen. xxix. 10; so that even Rachels, weak women, may freely come, both to drink themselves, and water the flocks of their families at the same." ' " The last English translation made by divers learned men at the com mand of King James . . . may justly contend with any now extant in any other language in Europe." * " The vulgar translation of the Bible .... is the best standard of our language." 3 "When the translators in James the First's time began their work, they prescribed to themselves some rules, which it may not be amiss for all translators to follow. Their reverence for the sacred Scriptures induced them to be as literal as they could, to avoid obscurity; and it must be ac knowledged that they were extremely happy in the simplicity and dignity of their expressions. Their adherence to the Hebrew idiom is supposed at once fo have enriched and adorned our language." * " The style of our present version is incomparably superior to anything which might be expected from the finical and perverted taste of our own age. It is simple, it is harmonious, it is energetic; and, which is of no small importance, use has made it familiar, and time has rendered it sacred." * 1 Fuller, Church History of Britain, iii. p. 245. 2 Walton, Considerator Considered, Lond.. 1659, p. 5, 3 Lowth, Introduction to English Grammar, Lond., 1765. * British Critic, Ju\y, 1794, p. 7. 6 Middleton, On the Greek Article, p. 328. The Authorized Version. 385 " The English language acquired new dignity by it, and has hardly ac quired additional purity since; it is still considered as a standard of our tongue. The national churches of Europe will have abundant reason to be satisfied, when their versions of Scripture shall approach in point of accuracy, purity, and sublimity to the acknowledged excellence of our English translation." « " It may be compared with any translation in the world, without fear of inferiority; it has not shrunk from the most rigorous examination; it chal lenges investigation, and, in spite of numerous attempts to supersede it,* has hitherto remained unrivalled in the affections of the country." ' " On a diligent comparison of our translation with the original we find that of the New Testament, and I might also add, that of the Old, in the main faithful and judicious." 8 "But you may rest fully satisfied, that as our English translation is, in itself, by far the most excellent book in our language, so it is a pure and plentiful fountain of divine knowledge, giving a true, clear, and full ac count ofthe divine dispensations, and ofthe gospel of our salvation: in somuch that whoever studies the Bible, the English Bible, is sure of gaining that knowledge and faith, which, if duly applied to the heart and conversation, will infallibly guide him to eternal life." ^ "The highest eulogiums have been made on the translation of James the First, both by our own writers and by foreigners. And indeed, if accu racy, fidelity, and the strictest attention to the letter of the text, be sup posed to constitute the qualities of an excellent version, this, of all ver sions, must, in general, be accounted the most excellent. Every sentence, every word, every syllable, every letter and point, seem to have been weighed with the nicest exactitude, and expressed either in the text, or margin, with the greatest precision. Pagninus himself is hardly more literal; and it was well remarked by Robertson, above a hundred years ago, that it may serve for a lexicon of the Hebrew language as well as for a translation." '" " It is a striking beauty in our English Bible that though the language * A long and, on the whole, a rather humiliating list of such attempts, with illustra tive extracts will conclude this chapter. 6 Dr. White, Sermon, Oxford, 1779. ' Whittaker, Hist, and Crit. Enq., p. 92. B Doddridge, Works, Leeds edition, ii., p. 329. 0 Dr. John Taylor, Scheme, etc., ch. xl. in bp. Watson's Collection of Theol. Tracts, i. p. 188. 10 Geddes, Prospectus of a New Translation, etc., p. 92. 2 B 386 The English Versions. IS always elegant and nervous, and for the most part very harmonious, the words are all plain and common, no affectation of learned terms, or of words of Greek or Latin etymology." " " Those who have compared most of the European translations with the original, have not scrupled to say, that the English translation of the Bible, made under the direction of King James the First, is the most ac curate and faithful of the whole Nor is this its only praise: the translators have seized the very spirit and soul of the original, and ex pressed this almost everywhere with pathos and energy. Besides, our translators have not only made a standard translation, but they have made their translation the standard of our language." " " Now I am far indeed from undervaluing that mere knowledge of the Scripture which is imparted to the population thus promiscuously. At least, in England, it has to a certain point made up for great and griev ous losses in Christianity. The reiteration again and again, in fixed course in the public service, of the words of the inspired teachers under both covenants, and that in grave, majestic English, has in matter of fact been to our people a vast benefit. It has attuned their minds to re ligious thought; it has given them a high moral standard; it has served them in associating religion with compositions, which, even humanly considered, are araong the most sublime and beautiful ever written ; es pecial ly it has impressed upon them the series of Divine Providences in behalf of man from his creation to his end, and, above all, the words, deeds, and several sufferings of Him in whom all the Providences of God centre." " This long array of weighty testimony concerning the merits of the Authorized Version suggests at least the propriety of great caution in expressing an adverse opinion on any part of that noble work. But as the Revision of it has made considerable progress, and the Revised New Testament has been before the world since May, 1881, what remains to be examined will be presented in a form which, it is hoped, will enable the reader to reach his own conclusions both on the actual merits or demerits of the Authorized Ver sion, and of the Revision. With that end in view the inquin 11 Dr. James Beattie, in Forbes's Life of Dr. Beattie, ii. p. 198. 12 Dr. A. Clarke, Preface to Commentary on the Bible, i. p. 21. 18 Dr. Newman cited by Dr. Eadie, ii. p. 480. The Authorized Version. 387 turns upon these heads: i. The critical apparatus used by the translators of the Authorized Version. 2. The nature and ori gin of the improvements made upon former versions. 3. The alleged blemishes, imperfections, infelicities, and archaisms re maining in the version, and necessitating revision. I. The Critical Apparatus at their command embraced not only the editions of the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament, already enumerated in the chapters relating to the earlier versions, but also the interlinear Latin translation of the Hebrew text, based on that of Pagninus, added to the Antwerp Polyglot by Arius Montanus, 1 569-1572, and the celebrated original Latin translation of the Old Testament by Immanuel Tremellius, 1 575-1 579, revised and extended to the Apocrypha by Francis Junius, his son-in-law, with a trans lation of the Syriac New Testament by the former, and a Latin translation of the Greek Testament by Theodore Beza, 1590; two editions of the latter, in folio, were printed in London in 1593 and 1597. There is abundant evidence a, that King James's translators were not independent of these works, and b, that they were not free from caprice in their adoption of various readings, e. g.. Is. ix. 3, where the clause " «o/ increased the joy," contradicts the remainder ofthe verse, from their disregard of the Masoretic notation to him in place of not, the not belonging to the margin, and the reading to him being required to complete the sense of the text; they prob ably followed Tremellius who renders with the Vulgate non magnificasti Icstitiam; in Judg. xviii. 30, they overlooked the presence of the suspended n in the proper name which they render Manasseh, instead of Moses, probably again misled by Tremellius who gives the former rendering, against the Vul gate which rightly translates Moysi. Their philological helps in the Old Testament terminated with Buxtorfs Lexicon, 1607, and his Hebrew grammar, 1609; they had the bare Hebrew text without more light shed on it by the ancient 388 The English Versions. versions except that derived from such editions of the Septua gint and the Vulgate, as were then circulating, the Sixtine edition of 1587, being the latest of the former, and the Six tine (1590) and Clementine (1592-3) editions the latest ofthe latter version. The Chaldee Paraphrase of Onkelos (1482, 1546, and 1590) was also available to them, but the Samar itan Pentateuch, the Syriac and Arabic versions, and the fragmentary Ethiopic and Persian translations were unknown to them. For the Greek text of the New Testament they had the various editions of Beza from 1560 to 1598, and the fifth edition of Beza, 1598, is probably that which they used, as well as the third edition of Stephens, 1550-51; they likewise consulted the Complutensian Polyglot, 15 14, the different edi tions of Erasmus, 1516-1535, Aldus, 1518, Colinseus, 1534, Plantin, 1572, the Vulgate and Beza's Latin version of 1556. The common statement is that the Greek text of the Authorized Version of 1 6 11 agrees in eighty-one places with Beza against Stephens, in about twenty-one with Stephens against Beza, and that in twenty-nine places the translators fol low the Complutensian, Erasmus, or the Vulgate. To state this somewhat differently, the Greek text used by King James's translators was that found in the editions of Erasmus (five, 1516-35), of Stephens (four, 1546-51); Beza (four in folio, 1565-98, five in smaller form, 1565-1604), and the Complutensian Polyglot (15 14, published 1522). Eras mus had for his text one valuable MS. of the Gospels; Stephens two (D. and L.); Beza had also D. of the Gospels and Acts, and D. (the Clermont MS. ) of the Pauline Epistles; but they hardly used them. As already stated, the text of the A. V. agrees more nearly with the later editions of Beza than with any other; but Beza followed Stephens (1550) very closely, and Stephens is hardly more than a reprint of the fourth edition of Erasmus (1527). Erasmus had for the basis The Authorized Version. 389 of his text in the Gospels an inferior MS. of the fifteenth century, and in Acts and the Epistles one of the thirteenth or fourteenth century. In Revelation he had only the inaccu rate transcript of a mutilated MS. (wanting the last six verses) of little value, the real and supposed defects of which he sup plied by translating from the Latin Vulgate into Greek. For his later editions he had altogether three MSS. of the Gospels, four of the Acts and Catholic Epistles, and five of the Pauline Epistles, together with the text ofthe Aldine edition of 15 18, and of the Complutensian Polyglot, neither of much critical value. In select passages he had also collations of some other MSS. The result of the whole is that in a considerable num ber of cases — not of great importance — the reading of the A. V. is supported by no known Greek manuscript whatever, but rests on an error of Erasmus or Beza; {e. g., Acts ix. 5, 6; Rom. vii. 6; I Pet. iii. 20; Rev. i. 9, 11; ii. 3, 20, 24; iii. 2; v. 10, 14; XV. 3; xvi. 5; xvii. 8, 16; xviii. 2, etc.) and it is safe to say that in more than a thousand instances the text used by the translators of the A. V. requires to be corrected by what is now known to be the true text (condensed fi-om Pro fessor Abbott's Paper on the New Testament Text in Anglo- American Bible Revision, New York, 1879).* * Dr. Scrivener's The New Testament in the Original (h-eek according to tlte textfoltowed in the Authorized Version together with the variations adopted in tlte Revised Version, Cambridge, 1881, is a timely, judicious, and very valuable volume, deserving to be in the hands of all interested in the textual basis of the versions ia question. Tremellius' and Beza's Latin versions being often referred to, I subjoin a passage from each in parallel columns with the Vulgate and Authorized Versions: MALACHI I. 10, II. Vulgate. Tremellius.* Authorized Version. 10 Quis est in vobis, qui Quis etiam inter vos est Who zV /A«-tf even among 10 daudat ostia et incendat qui claudat fores ^rate .' you that would shut the altare meum gratuito ? aut num illustratis altare ioorsf or nought? Nei- Non est mihi voluntas in meum gratis? nulla est ther do ye kindle ^r« iiM vobis, dicit Dominus ex- mihi delectatio in vobis, mine altar for nought I • See also, p. 379. 390 The English Versions. As to modern versions of the period, they had besides those previously enumerated, the Genevan French Bible (1587-8), chiefly rendered by Bertram, who had the assistance of Beza, ercituum, et munus non suscipiam de manu vestra. ZI Ah ortu enim solis usque ad occasum magnum est nomen meum in gentibus, et in omni loco sacrifica- tur et offertur nomini meo oblatio munda; quia mag num est nomen meum in gentibus, dicit Dominus exercituum. Vulgate. 17 Quod si aliqui ex ramis fracti sunt, tu autem, cum oleaster esses, insertus es in illis, et socius radicis et pinguedinis olivse factus 18 noli gloriari adversus ra- mos; quod si gloriaris: non tu radicem portas, sed radix te. 19 Dices ergo: Fracti sunt rami, ut ego inserar. 20 Bene 1 propter increduli- tatem fracti sunt, tu au tem fide stas: noU altum sapere, sed time. 21 Si enim Deus naturalibus ramis non pepercit, ne for te ne" tibi parcat. ait Jehova exercituum, & munus acceptum non habeo h manu vestra: Nam ab ortu Solis usque ad occasum ejus magnum erit nomen meum in gen tibus, & in omni loco suffimentum afferctur nomine meo, & munus purum: quia magnum no men meum erit in genti bus, ait Jehova exerci tuum. ROMANS XX. J7-21. Beza. Quod si nonnulli rami de- fracti sunt, in vero quum esses oleaster, insitus es pro ipsis, & particeps ra dicis et pinguediais ole£ factus es; Ne gloriare adversus ra- mos: quod si gloriaris, non tu radicem portas, sed ra dix te. Dices igitur, Defracti sunt rami ut ego insererer. Bene: per increduHtatem defracti sunt, tu vero per fidem stas; ne|eflfertor ani- mo, sed metue. Nam si Deus naturalibus ramis non pepercit, vide ne tibi quoque non parcat. have no pleasure in you, saith the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of tlie 11 sun even unto the go ing down of the same my name shaU be great among the Gentiles; and m every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offer ing: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. Authorized Version. And if some ofthe bran- 17 ches be broken off, and thou being a wild olive tree, were graffed in II amongst them, and with tkem partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; boast not against the bran- 18 ches; but if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, ' but the root thee. Thou wilt say then. The 19 branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.Well, because of unbelief 20 they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear: for if God spared not the 21 natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. II Ox,/or them. The Authorized Version. 391 Goulart, and others; the Italian version of Diodati (Geneva, 1607); both capital in their way. There were also three Spanish versions, that of C. Reyna (Basel, 1569), and C. de Valera's based on Reyna's (Amsterdam, 1602), and Usque's (Ferrara, 1553). As all these versions, as well as Luther's and parts of the Ziirich, not taken from Luther, are independent translations from the original tongues, they possess of course, within proper limits, (imposed by the condition of the text of the originals available to the respective translators), critical value. 2. The nature and origin of the improvements made upon former versions. Professor Westcott gives as the result of his collation of Isaiah liii. in the Authorized Version with the Bishops' Bible these data: that about seven-eighths ofthe changes are due to the Genevan version, either alone, or in agreement with one or both of the Latin versions, that two renderings, viz., tender plant, V. 6, and because — done no ¦violence, v. 9, are due to Tre mellius, two others, viz. , a man of sorrows, v. 3, bruise — hath put him to grief, v. 10, to Pagninus, that the Genevan version is aban doned in three places, viz., w. 9, 10, bis, and that one render ing, when thou shalt make, v. 10, appears to be independent. To this account I would add as the result of my exami nation of the chapter, that shall, v. 2, is a return from the Bishops' to Coverdale (Matthew), when we shall see, v. 2, a return to the Great Bible; that acquainted with grief, v. 3. comeliness, v. 2, and griefs, v. 4, may be regarded as original; and that the influence of Luther directly, or indirectly through the German-Latin versions, may be traced in the renderings believed, and, revealed, v. i, tender plant l^€\s), out of , form, v. 2, mrely, smitten of God, v. 4, but, v. i, of us all, v. 6, brought . . . dumb, V. 7, many, v. n, and bare the sin of many (v. 12).* • Professor Moulton (History ef the BibU, pp. 202^05, BiiU Educator, xi. p. 380) calculates that in one hundred and eighty two words of six verses, Isaiah hv. 11-17, eighty remain unchanged from the previous versions, sixty are from the Genevan, and 392 The English Versions. In Wisdom vii. 15-21, 27-30, the same scholar has verified out of twenty-five changes, three as due to Junius, two or four to the Gene\'an version, that five are linguistic, and nine closer renderings, of the Greek. According to his analysis of the sixteen marginal renderings in Malachi, four occur in Tre mellius, four in Miinster, and Leo Judae, or Tremellius, or both, two in Pagninus, one in Castalio, one each in the Genevan, the Rhemish and Leo Judae's versions, while two he was un able to refer with certainty to any of the authorities cited. In the New Testament the results of his investigation are that the Epistle to the Romans contains seventeen phrases common to the Rhemish and Authorized Versions alone, in Hebrews xiii. 1-16, ofthe twenty-three changes made in the text of the Bishops' Bible seven appear to him due to Beza, or the Genevan, and about the same number to the Rhemish, two suggested by the Syriac version of Tremellius, and seven original or linguistic. Of the thirty-seven alternative render ings in Mark, he found one half to agree with the Genevan or Beza, six with the Rhemish, three with the French, six with the earlier English versions and one each with Castalio and the Vulgate. I am inclined to think that the versions of Cassiodoro and Diodati also have influenced the Authorized Version. As an instance of the influence of the former, I call attention to Luke xii. 50, where accomplished appears to have been sug gested by cumplido, and of that ofthe latter, to Rom. xii. 2, where the antithesis conformed — transformed, seems due to vi only twelve are from the Bishops'. The influence ascribed to Luther's version is mostly indirect, either through the older English versions, or through the German, the German-Latin, and the Genevan versions, e. g., the rendering of the A. V., as I was commanded, Ez. xxxvii. 7, may be said to be taken from the Bishops', or the Gene van, — ^but as both follow Luther (who translates wie mir befohlen war, departs from the Vulgate's sicut prcBceperat mihi, " as he commanded me," Great Bible, — and doubdess influenced the rendering of Pagninus and Miinster,yMjjwj/«i) it is more correct to say that the turn ii due to Luther. The Authorized Version. 393 conformiate — trasformateui. Diodati's version, I believe, is the first giving this peculiar turn, although Beza had rendered before: configurate — transformate. The advance on fashioned — changed in your shape {J^ynd. , Coverd., Genev., Bish.) was very great; the Rhemists give, conformed — reformed. A few passages exhibiting the variations in the text of the Authorized Version from that of the Bishops' Bible are now in place; these variations are indicated by the Italic type, which is also employed, but in parentheses, to mark the sup plementary words in the former, which is here presented in the modernized spelling, with the punctuation etc. adopted in the Cambridge Paragraph Bible. The origin of the changes made is traced in the notes. The Bishops'. I The Lorde sayde vnto my Lord: sit thou on my right hand vntyl I make thyne enimies thy foot stool. 2 The Lorde shal send the rodde of thy pouer out of Sion: be thou ruler euer in the middes among thyne enimies. 3 In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee freewyl offer ings with an holy worship: the dewe of thy birth is the wombe ofthe moming. 4 The Lord sware, and wyll not repent: thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedek. 5 The Lorde vpon thy right hande : shal wounde euen kings in the day of his wrath. Authorized Version. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit i thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy foot stool. The Lord shall send the rod of 2 thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine ene mies. Thy people (shall be) willing in 3 the day cf thy power in the beau ties of holiness. || From the womb of the moming: thou hast the dew of thy youth. The Lord hath swom, and will 4 not repent, thou (art) a priest for ever after the order of Melchiz edek. The Lord at thy right hand shall 5 strike through kings in the day of his wrath. V. 3. II Or, More than the womb ofthe morning; thou shalt have, etc. 394 The English Versions. 6 He shall iudge among the Hea- He shall judge among the hea- 6 then, he shall fill the places with then, he shall fill (the places with) the dead bodies, and smite in the dead bodies; He shall t«oa«:^ sunder the heades ouer diuers the heads over || many countries. countries. 7 He shall drinke of the brooke in He shall drink of the brook in 7 the way: therefore shal he lyft the way: Therefore shall he lift vp his head. up the head. V. 6. II Or, great. V. I. at, so Geneva, purely linguistic. — v. 2. strength, so Pagninus, fortitudinis. — rule thou in the midst, etc., returns to, dominare in medio inimicorum tuorum, Vulg. Pagn. Trem. — v. 3. (shall be) willing, abandons Tremell. for, wllliglich (Luther) tuae copiae voluntariae erunt (Castalio), tu pueblo sera voluntario (Cassiod.); in the beau ties if holiness, follows, splendoribus sanctitatis (Pagn.), en hermosura de sanctitades {C^^XoA.); from the woml) of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth, follows, quasi de vulva orietur tibi ros adolescentiae tuse (Jerome), ex utero aurorfe habebis rorem tutae inuentutis (Castalio): thou hast, answers to, ist aus (Ziirich). — v. 5. at, Ge neva; strike through, apparently suggested by, percutiet, the rendering of the same word by Pagninus in v. 6 who inconsistently translates vulnerabit, in v. 5, and, per cutiet, in V. 6, while A. V. reverses the inconsistency by .rendering it strike through in V. 5, andwoMwafinv. 6. — v. 6 {the places ¦with) M^(^a£/3(7^?Vj, is clearly suggested by implebit loca cadaueribus (Pagninus); aver many countries, follows, sopra molti psesi (Diodati). — v. 7. the head, suggested by, caput attollat (Castalio), and, il capo (Diodati). The result of this collation shows that of all the changes introduced into the A. V. not one can be said to be original ; the perplexity of the translators is evident from the alternative renderings in w. 3, 6. ISAIAH XXVI. 19-21. The Bishops'. 19 Thy dead men shal lyue, euen as my body shal they ryse agayne: Awake and syng ye that dwel in dust, for thy deawe is euen as the deaw of hearbes, and the earth shall cast out them that be under her. 20 Come my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doores about thee, hyde thee selfe Authorized Version. Thy dead (men) shall live, (To- 19 gether with) my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: For thy dew (is as) the dew of herbs. And the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into 20 thy chambers, And shut thy doors about thee: Hide thyself The Authorized Version. 395 for a Uttle whyle, vntyll the in- as it were for a little moment, dignation be ouerpast. Until the indignation be over past. 21 For beholde, the Lorde is com- For behold the Lord cometh out 21 myng out of liis place to visite of his place 'Yo punish the in- the ivickednesse of such as dwel habitants of the ezrth. for their upon earth: the earth also shal iniquity: The earth also shall disclose her bloods and shall no more hyde them that are slayne in her. disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. V. 19. ( Together with) my dead body shall they arise, suggested 'hy,cutn cadauero meo resurgent (Pagninus), euen with my body shall they rise (Geneva), i junto con mi cuerpo resuscitarin (Cassiod.) ; [is as) the dew, likewise follows, quia ut ros (Pagni nus), and so does cast out the dead, mortuos proiiciet (Pagn.), echaralos muertos (Cas siod.), iettera hors les morts (Calvin). — v. 20. ets it were for a little moment, is appar- endy suggested by, paululum a^ momentum (Pagn.), quasi exiguo momento (Trem.), vn poquito, por vn momento (Cassiod.), come per un piociol momento di tempo (Diod.). V. 21. To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, is in almost verbal agreement with, ad animadvertendum iniquitatem habitatoris terrae in eum (Trem.), and, per far punizione dell' iniquita degti abitanti della terra contro a lui (Diod.), and for the plural, habitantium terrae (Castalio); her blood, so (Geneva), son sang (Calvin), il suo sangue (Diod.), suum sanguinem (Castalio), sanguines suos (Pagninus); ccruer licr slain, follows the renderings, obteget ultra interfectos suos (Trem.), suos amplius cae- sos operiet (Castal.), y mas no encubrira sus muertos (Cassiod.), et ne couurira plus ses occis (Calvin), e non coprira pid i suoi uccisi. The influence of Cassiodorus and Diodati is very marked, and in this passage there is not a single original rendering. ISAIAH LII. 1-3. The Bishops'. I Vp Sion, ¦vp, take thy strength vnto thee, put on thine honest rayment, o Hierusalem, thou holy citie: for from this tyme foorth there shal no vncircum cised nor y-aclcane person come in thee. 2 Shake thee from the dust, arise and stand vp, o Hierusalem: Plucke out thy necke from the bonde, e thou captiue daughter Sion. Authorized Version. Awake, awake; put on thy I strength, o Zion; Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusa lem, the holy city: For hence forth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; 2 arise, (and) sit down, O Jerusa lem: Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 396 The English Versions. 3 For thus sayth the Lorde, Ye For thus saith the Lord, Ye have 3 are sold for nought, therefore ?,cM. yourselves iotxiow^t; And shall ye be redeemed also with- ye shall be redeemed without out any money. money. V. I. Awake, awake, suggested by, suscita te, suscita te (Pagn.), and, evigilia, evi- gilia (Trem.); put on thy strength, by, indue te fortitudine tua (Pagn ), and. Indue robur tuum (Trem.); thy beautiful garments, vestimentis gloriSB tuae (Pagn ), vestes omatus tui (Trem.), the garments of thy beautie (Geneva):y^ henceforth there shall no more come into thee, compare, nam non perget invadere te amplius (Tiem.). — v. 2. arise [and) sit down, the suppUed and answers to vnnd (Ziirich), e (Diod.), and (Geneva), while sit down follows sede (Pagn., Trem.), setz dich (ZUrich), assientate (Cassiod.), assettati (Diod.), te sieds (Calv.), sit downe (Geneva). — Loose thyselffrom the bands of thy neck; as the old rendering in the Bishops' answers to the clumsy ren dering, Zeuch deinen hals auss den banden (Ziirich), the more elegant version of A. V. appears to conform in part to, loose the bands of thy necke (Geneva), and literally to, solue te a uinculis colli tui (Pagn.), and, explica te (Trem.), just as in v. 3, Ye have sold yourselves for nought: and . . ., is the literal reproduction of, gratis vendidistis vos, et . . . (Trem ). The result of the collation of these three verses is that of all the changes made not one is original. ECCLUS. XXIV, The Bishops'. 14 I tooke roote in an honourable people, euen in the portion of the Lorde, and in his heritage, and kept me in the fulnesse of the saintes. 15 I am set vp on hygh, lyke a Ce dar vpon Libanus, and as a ci pers tree vpon the mount Her mon. 16I am exalted lyke a Palme tree in Cades, and as a Rose plant in Jericho, as a fayre Oliue tree in the feelde, and a?n exalt edX^e d. Plantane tree by the water syde. 17 I haue giuen a smell in the streetes, as the Cynamon and 14-18. Authorized Version. And I took root in an honorable 12 people, (Even) in the portion of the Lord's inheritance. Twasexalted\^e.i.ce&.z.tin\JAi- 13 anus. And as a cypress tree upon the mountains of Hermon. I was exalted Hke a palm tree in 14 II Engaddi, and as a rose plant in Jericho, As a fair olive tree in a pleasant field, z.rAgrew up as a plane tree ||by the water. I gave a sweet smell like cinna mon and aspalathus. And I II Or, Cades. II Or, in the water. IS The Authorized Version. 397 Balme that hath so good a sa- yielded z. pleasant odour like the best myrrh. As galbanum, and onyx, and sweet storax. And as the fume of frankincense in the tabernacle. uour,yea a sweete odour hmie I geuen, as it were myrre of the best. I haue made my dwell ynges to smell as it were of Rosin, Galbanum, of Cloues, In- sence, and as Libanus when it is not hewen downe, and myne odour is as the pure Balme. 18 As the Terebint haue I stretched As the turpentine tree I stretched 16 out my branches, and my bran- out my branches. And my bran ches are the branches of hon- ches (are) the branches of hon our and louyng fauour. our and grace. V. 12. in — inheritance, seemingly suggested by Tremellius, who renders: in parte domini, hsBreditatis ipsius, and omits the clause, and — saintes (Bishops'), y en la parte del Sefior y en sa heredad (Cassiod.). — v. 13. I was exalted, exaltata (Vulg., Trem.); mountains of Hermon, in montibus Chermonis (Trem.) — v. 14. Engaddi, Hengedi, (Trem.); a pleasant field, in campo amoeno (Pagn.), en campo deleytoso (Cassiod.), en une campagne delectable (Calvin), in specioso campo (Trem.); ^rtfw up, apparently a linguistic variation. — v. 15. / gave a sweet smell, aromatizans odorem dedi, — dedi suauitatem odoris (Vulg.), emisi odorem bonum (Trem.);Ca/5aMMW, onyx, and sweet storax, seems to be a mixed rendering of the Vulgate and Trem.; the iirst they have in common, the second belongs to Trem., and the last is the rosin of the Bishops'. — The text conforms as to the omitted parts to that of Tremellius against the Vulgate, while the rendering: And as the fume of frankincense in ihe tabernacle, seems a lit eral translation of, et tanquam thuris vapor in tabernaculo (Trem.), which latter had however the versions, thurisque vapor sparsus in tabernaculo (Pagn.), and, y el per fume de encienso esparzido por el tabernaculo (Cassiod.). — v. 18. grace, returns to the Vulgate: et rami mei honoris et gratise. ST. LUKE The Bishops' . 49 I am come to send fyre on the earth, and what is my desyre, vf it be already kindled ? 50 Notwithstanding I must be bap tized with a baptisme, and howe am \payned till it be ended? 51 Suppose ye that I am come to send peace on earth ? I tel you, nay, but rather diuision. XII. 49-52. Authorized Version. I am come to send fire on the 49 earth, and what wilt Iii it be al ready kindled. But I have a baptism to be bap- 50 tized (with); and how am I II straitened till it is accom plished? Suppose ye that I am come to 51 give peace on earth ? I tell you. Nay; but rather division: li Qt, pained. 398 The English Versions. 52 Forfrom hencefoorth there shalbe for from henceforth there shall 52 fiue in one house diuided, three be five in one house divided, agaynst two, and two agaynst three against two, and two three. against three. V. 49. what will I. so Rhemish, after Beza, who translates, quid volo ?— v. 50. The whole verse, with a slight transposition in the first member and a linguistic change in the second, conforms to, I have to be baptised with a baptisme; and how am I strait ened vntil it be dispatched ? (Rhemish), which should however be compared with, . . . et quomodo constringor usquequo {hoc) perficiatur ? (Beza). Accomplished, is de cidedly better than, ended (Bishops'), and, dispatched (Rhemish), but it can hardly be regarded as an original rendering, since the version of Cassiodorus (1569) must have been known to King James's translators, y como me angustio hasta que sea cum plido. The influence of that elegant translation, which deserves to be better known than it is, on the Authorized Version is very pronounced, and very often explains turns, and suggests readings; the rendering of Calvin {1562) is also interesting: & com ment suis-ie press6 iusqu'a ce qu'il soit parfaict? — v. ^x. give peace, so Cassiod. (dar paz), Bern (pacem daturum), and Geneva. ROM. VIII. 15-17. The Bishops'. Authorized Version. (C. P. B.) 15 For yee haue not receyued the For ye have not received the 15 spirite of bondage agayne to spirit of bondage again to fear; feare ; but ye haue receyued the but ye have received the Spirit spirite of adoption, whereby we of adoption, whereby we cry, crye, Abba, Father. Abba, father. 16 The spirite it selfe beareth wit- The Spirit itself beareth witness 16 nesse to our spirite, that we are with our spirit, that we are the the sonnes of God. children of God: 17 If we be sonnes, then are we ^« xxviii. It, ouches. xxxiv. 21, earing. xxxviii. 1 9, , chapiters. 24, occupied. Lev. xiii. 51, 52, fret. 55, Num. XV. 4, deal. Deut. xiii. 16, heap. xxii. 19, amerce. xxviii. 27, botch. xxix. 17, dimgy. M. Judges V. 17, viii. n, ix. 52, 53. xii. 6, xvi. 7, Ruth ii. 3, breaches. secure. hard.all-to. he could not frame to pro nounce it. seven green withs. her hap was. come, or, well. try, or, prove. staircase. leader, or, prince. put in a coffin. basket, or, chest. appointed number, or giv- en number. pustules. swollen, or, podded. sockets. ploughing. capitals. used, or, employed. consume, corrode, or, eat away. part, or, portion. ruin. fine (in money or, other wise.) ulcer. (used in the sense of being full of dung, idol- gods). bays.unguarded.near. entirely. he was not able to pro nounce it. seven green twigs. and she happened to. Glossary, Dublin, 1856, are neither obsolete nor obsolescent in the United States, al though they have ceased to be current in Great Britain and Ireland, Such words as loth, whit, stuff,fret, beeves, haft, with, maul (noun), summer (verb), etc., are, according to Marsh {Lectures on the English Language, p. 630), as familiarly understood here, in their Scriptural senses, as any words in the language. According to the same au thority, hardly two hundred words of the six thousand contained in the Bible, are now in any sense obsolete, and he ascribes the continued use in current speech and litera ture here of words and phrases fallen into desuetude in England to the universal habit of reading, and especially to the familiarity ofthe Puritans with the English Scriptures The Authorized Version. 405 I Sam. v. 6, emerods. hemorrhoids. ix. 26, spring of the day. the rising of dawn, or, at early dawn. xviii. 30, set by. esteemed. xx. 40, artillery. bow and arrows. xxvii. 10, road. raid. 2 Sam. xiv. 26, to poll (three times in one verse). to cut the hair. I Kings V. 6, to skill, V. n. to understand. xx. II, harness. armor. 2 Kings ix. 30, tired her head. dressed her head. XV. 5, several. separate. 1 Chron. x. 13, familiar spirit. sorceress? witch? 2 Chron. xxi. 20 , desired. regretted. Job ix. 33, daysman. umpire. Ps. xxxviii. 6, wried. crooked. Prov. xxvii. 22, bray a fool. pound a fool. Is. i. 13, away with. endure. iii. 18, bravery. splendor, or finery. viii. 19, peep (borapipio, Latin). chatter. xviii. 6, the fowls shall summer. shall pass, or, spend the summer. xxii. 8, discovered. imcovered. li. 9, 10, it. he. Jer. xvii. 8, careful. anxious. cf. Judg. xviii. 7 , careless. without care. Ez. xxx. 2, Woe worth the day. Woe be to the day. Dan. vi. 24, or ever (often). before. Hos. xiv. 2, render the calves of our render the sacrifice of our lips. lips? (cf. however Ps. cxix. 108, Heb. xiii. 15; the Lxx. render nocptcov, fruit). Joel ii. 24, fats. vats. Micah i. 7, hires. hire. Nahum ii. 7, tabouring upon their beating upon their breasts. breasts (from French labour, a small drum). In addition to the words of Latin origin in the foregoing list, the following, as examples of words used in a sense either wholly obsolete or ambiguous, are here in place. 4o6 The English Versions. Accept, unjustly partial. Job xxxii. 21; prevent, anticipate, Ps. xxi. 3; eminent, projecting, Ezek. xvii. 22; occurrent, coming against, I Kings v. 4; vagabond, wanderer. Gen. iv. 12; advisement, deliberation, I Chron. xii. 19; affinity, relation by marriage, i Kings iii. I; etc. Also a number of obsolete alternative words from the mar gin; the words in italics give the marginal renderings, those in Roman letters the text. Twinned, coupled, Ex. xxvi. 24; doth his easement, covereth his feet. Judges iii. 24; and he circuited, went in circuit, I Sam. vii. 16; the eye lids of the morning, the dawning of the day. Job iii. 9; dredge, corn. Job xxiv. t; fallings, flakes. Job xii. 23; righten, relieve. Is. i. 17; through-aired, large (chambers), Jer. xxii. 14; convent (verb), appoint, xlix. 19; flit gretly, get you far oS, ver. 30; concision or threshing, de cision, Joel iii. 14; palmcrist, gourd, Jon. iv. 6; flue-net, drag, Hab. i. 15; with one shoulder, with one consent, Zeph. iii. 9; him that waketh and him that answereth, mmtet and scholar, Mal. ii. 12; observation, ordinance, iii. 14, To the same order belong the phrases following, from the contents prefixed to the chapters. Gen. xix., the incestuous original of Moab; Lev. xxvi., religiousness, I Sam. xiv., unwitting to his father; 2 Sam. ix., he maketh Ziba his farmer; 2 Chron. xxviii., Judah being captivated by the Israelites; Ps. Ixxxvi., by the consciousness ofhis religion; Prov. vii., a young wanton; Is. xiv., insultation over Babel; etc. II. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. a. Want of Uniformity in the Treatment of proper Names. Places. The satne places designated by different na-mes. Sina (Acts) and Sinai (Galat.), Miletus (Acts) and Miletum (2 Tim.); Judcea (generally) and Jewry (Luke xxiii. 5; John vii. i); Areopagus and Mars' Hill (Acts xvii. 19, 22); Golgotha (Matth. xxvii. 33) and Calvary (Luke xxxiii. 33). Persons. The same persons designated by different names. Judah, Juda (Heb. vii. 14, viii. 8), and Judas (Matth. i. 2, 3; Luke iii. 33) The same name is rendered Jude, as that of the Apostle (Jude The Authorized Version. 407 i. I). Noah (Heb. i. and 2 Pet.) and Noe (Matth., Luke); Marcus (Col. iv. 14, etc.) and Mark (Acts; 2 Tim. iv. 11); Jona (John i. 42) and Jonas (xxi. 15); Apollos (Acts) and Apollo (l Cor. iii. 4-6, 1611); Jeremy and Jeremias (Matth.); Silas (Acts) and ^z'&aBaj (Epistles); Timotheus and Timothy (in 2 Cor. i.); Priscilla (Acts, Rom., etc.) and Prisca (2 Tim. iv. 19); Luke (Col. iv. 14, etc.) and Lucas (Philem. 24). Matth. X. 4, xiv. 8, xxvi. 15, Luke ix. 32, Luke xxii. 56, Acts ii. 3, I Cor. iv. 4, 2 Cor. ii. 14, I Tim. vi. 5, Heb. xi. 13, I Pet. iii. 21, Matth. ii. 4, Heb. xi. 10, Gal. iv. 31, Phil. iii. 5, I Tim. vi. 10, b. Examples of Mistakes of Authorized Version. Simon the Canaanite. being before instructed. and they covenanted with him. when they were awake. by the fire. cloven tongues. I know nothing by myself. causeth us to triumph in Christ.supposing that gain' is god liness. having seen them afar off'. the answer of a good con science. the Meaning. Westminster Revision. Simon the Cananaean. being put forward by her mother. And they weighed unto him. when they were fully awake (Margin: Or, hav ing remained awake). in the light of the fire. tongues parting asunder. I know nothing against myself.leadeth us in triumph in Christ.supposing that godliness is a way of gain. having seen them and greeted them from afar. the interrogation of a good conscience. c. Examples of grammatical Errors. The Article omitted. Christ. The Christ. a city. the city. The Article wrongly inserted. of the bondwoman. of a handmaid. an Hebrew of the He- a Hebrew of Hebrews. brews. the root of all evil. a root of all evil. 408 The English Versions. The A rticle converted into a demonstrative Pronoun John i. 21, that prophet? the prophet? 2 Cor. iii. 17, that Spirit. the Spirit. Rev. i. 3, this prophecy. the prophecy. Confounding the Greek Aorist and Perfect and other Tenses, Matth. ii. -.c, for we have seen. for we saw. they suffered. have ye received — since ye believed ? hath shewed me. that he rose again the third day. For unto us was the gospel preached. Luke xiii. .e. Acts xix. 2, 2 Pet. i. 14, I Cor. XV. 4, Heb. iv. 2, Rom. V. 5, Gal. ii. 20, Acts xxi. II, V. 30, xix. 2, • xxi. 3, 5.6, is shed abroad (pres.). I am crucified, (pres. ). they have suffered. did ye receive — when ye believed ? signified unto me. that he hath been raised on the third day. for indeed we have had good tidings preached un to us. hath been shed abroad. I have been crucified. us, taking Paul's girdle. and Luke xxiii. 42, Matth.xxviii.19, Construction of participial Clauses. And when he was come And coming to unto us he took Paul's girdle. whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? Now when we had dis covered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed. and we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship. Mistranslation of Prepositions. when thou comest into thy when thou comest in thy kingdom. kingdom. baptizing them in the baptizing them into the name. name. whom ye slew, hanging him on a tree. did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed. and when we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed. and kneeling down on the beach we prayed, and bade each other farewell; and we went on board the ship. The Authorized Version. 409 John vi. 57, Rom. vii. 7, Gal. vi. 10, and I live by the Father, so he .... by me. and I live because of the Father: so he be cause of me. Mistranslation of Particles. Nay, I had not known sin, Howbeit I had not known sin, except through the law. So then, as we have op portunity (Margin: Or, since). but by the law. As we have therefore op portunity. Disregard of the Genitive. Rom. viii. 7. I Tim. i. II. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spirit ually minded is life and peace. Because the car nal mind .... the glorious liberty of the children of God. according to the glorious gospel. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind o{ the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh .... into the liberty ofthe glory of the children of God. according to the gospel of the glory. Inadequate Renderings. Matth. xxi. 41, He will miserably destroy He will miserably destroy these miserable men. cast upon him the same reproach. and I would to God that. yea and I would that. xxvii. 44 I Cor. iv. 8, those wicked men. cast the same in his teeth. Matth. xvi. i xxii.3,4,6,S, servants. 13, servants. xiii. 20, anon. xviii. 6, 8, 9, offend. 17, publican. Disregard of Dissimilars. the gates of hell. the gates of Hades. Archaisms. XXIV. 43, XXV. 27, goodman of the house. exchangers . . with usury. bondservants (Margin). ministers (Margin). straightway. cause to stumble. tax-gatherer, collector (un corrected). master of the house. bankers . . with interest. 4IO The English Versions. Matth. xxvi. 66, guilty of death. worthy of death (margin: Or, liable to death). Mark iv. 2, in his doctrine. in his teaching. vi. 8, no scrip. no wallet. Luke vii. I, audience of the people. ears of the people. ix. 28, an eight days. eight days. xiii. 18, resemble it. liken it. xiv. 8, highest room. chief seat. xix. 13, occupy till I come. trade ye herewith till I come. John viii. 46, convinceth. convicteth. Acts xvii. 5, lewd fellows of the baser sort. vile fellows of the rabble. xix. 37, robbers of churches. robbers of temples. xxi. 15, took up our carriages. took up our baggage. I Cor. ix. 3, mine answer. my defence. Gal. i. 14. profited. advanced. iv. 17, affect you. seek you. Eph. V. 4, convenient. befitting. Heb. xi. 23, proper child. goodly child. For much longer and fuller lists, compare, e. g., Booker, Obsolete Scripture Words, the works on The Revision of the English Version ofthe New Testament, by Professor Lightfoot, the archbishop of Dublin, and the bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, with Dr. Schaff's Introduction, New York, 1873, ^^'^ Eadie, The English Bible, London, 1876. Among the archaisms found in the "Contents ofthe Chap ters," may be mentioned: misdeeming, unrepentance, poseth, particularly (individually), dehorteth, prelation; and in the margin: persuasible, gallings (acts of teasing), makebate (a fomenter of quarrels). More examples and fiiller illustrations on these and similar topics are given in the chapter on the Anglo-American Re vision of the New Testament. An account, not by any means exhaustive, of what has been done in the way of revision and emendation, is now in place; it is, on the whole, humiliating, and furnishes a strong The Authorized Version. 411 argument in favor of conserving what we have. The perusal of the examples furnished cannot fail to convince the un prejudiced reader that not a few of those so-called translators ofthe Bible, whose pretensions to fidelity and accuracy are loudest, might be more truly described as executioners, and that the best scholarship is arrayed on the side of conservatism. Perhaps the most violent assailant ot King James's version was Hugh Broughton, whom Lightfoot, his biographer, de scribes on the title page of the folio volume of his works, as "the great Albionian Divine, renowned in many nations for his skill in Salem's and Athens' tongues." As he had un sparingly denounced the Bishops' version in coarse and per sonal invective, and was hurt at not being chosen one of the translators of the new version, he emptied the vials of his wrath on it and wrote, ' ' Tell his majesty that I had rather be rent in pieces with wild horses than any such translation, by my consent, should be urged on poor churches " ( Works, London, 1662). He translated parts ofthe Bible, which are preserved in the folio just referred to; his Daniel appeared in .1597, Jeremiah in 1608, Koheleth in 1609, Job in 1610, etc. He was, by general consent, the first Hebraist of his age, and yet the subjoined specimens of his translation appear to vindicate the judgment which excluded him from the num ber of the translators. PSALM LXXXIX. I. An Instruction of Acchan, of Zara. The mercy of the Eternall vrill I sing for ever; I will make known thy truth by my mouth from age to age. 2. For I have said, mercy shall be built for ever, thou hast setled the Heavens, thy truth is in them. 3. I have made a Covenant with my chosen, I have swom to David my servant. 4. I will > settle thy seed for ever, and I will build thy throne from age to age. 5. The heavens shall praise thy wonders, O eternall, and truth in the congregation of the = holy. 412 The English Versions. 6. For who among the clouds will compare with the Eternal; will be like the eternal among the sons of the ' mighty. 7. The strong God is very glorious in the councell of the holy, and to be feared over all that be about him. 8. O Eternal God of Hosts, who is like unto thee, the strong *]ah, and thy truth is ' round about thee, etc. I Achim in Hebrew is (I will settle), hence Achim, Matth. i., hath his name, in mem ory of this place, a Angels. « The stars, as Job. 4 Abiud and Eliakim, have their name here. 6 The Father hath no change, nor shadow of change, and the Almighty will stablish. KOHELETH I. 6. The wind whirleth, whirleth, walketh, and into his circuits retumeth the wind. LAMENTATIONS I. 4. The ways of Sion moum, because none come to the feasts, all her gates be desolate, her sacrificers sigh, her virgins sorrow, and she feeleth bittemesse. DANIEL III. 3-5. Then assembled the Princes, Dukes, Lords, Judges, Receivers, Coun- sellours. Sheriffs, and all the officers of the Province unto the dedication of the image which .... And an heralde cryed aloud: To you it is spoken, O people, nations, and tongues. At what time ye hear the sound of the comet, trumpet, harpe, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all instm- ments of musick, fall down and worship the image of gold that Nebu chadnezzar the king set up. Some of the titles, and most of the names of the musical instruments were adopted in the Authorized Version. The five Books of Moses, the Psalms, and the Canticles, translated by Henry Ainsworth, D.D., London, 1639, folio. The author, a Brownist, and fine Hebrew scholar, whose Annotations on the Psalms are thus eulogized by Walch: Monstrant ista eruditionem non mediocrum ac me- rito laudantur, held unfortunately the absurd notion that the Scriptures should be translated, as much as possible, word for word. The speci men here given is taken from Lewis, /. c, p. 353. PSALM XCV. Come let us shout joyfully to Jehovah, let us shout triumphantly to the Rocke of our Salvation. Let us prevent his Face with confession, with Psalmes let us shout triumphantly to him. For Jehovah is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In whose hands are the deep places of the earth, and the strong heights of the mountains are hisi The Authorized Version. 413 (Vhose the sea is, for he made it, and the dry land his hands have formed. Come let us bow downe ourselves and bend: let us kneele be fore Jehovah our maker. For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and sheep of his hand, to-day if ye will heare his voice: Harden not your heart, as in Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wildemesse. Where your fathers tempted me, proved me, also saw my worke. Fortie yeares I was irked with that generation, and said they are a people erring in heart, and they know not my waies. So that I sware in mine anger, if they shall enter into my rest. The Holy Bible, etc. With Marginal Notes, shewing Scripture to be the best interpreter of Scripture. By John Canne, Amsterdam, 1664, Svo. He was a leader of the Enghsh Brownists at Amsterdam, and held that the original text of Scripture be rightly translated, and, as much as possible, even word for word, without departing from the letter of Scripture in the least, it being necessary to preserve the letter entire, how inconvenient, yea, how absurd soever and harsh it may seem to men's carnal reason. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, etc. The text of this Bible is that of the Authorized Version. " The marginal notes of Canne are generally very judicious. They still retain a considerable reputation," Orme. The New Testament, with References, set under the text in words at length; so that the paraUel texts may be seen at one view. By Francis p'ox, M. A., London, 1722. They are taken from the Authorized Ver sion, Scattergood, Lloyd, and others; the copious notes are mostly con troversial and anti-Calvinistic. The Gospel of St. Matthew, translated according to the French ver sion of Beausobre and L'Enfant, London, 1727, 4to. The French version ofthe New Testament, Amsterdam, 1708, 2 vols., 4to., was made from the Original. The New Testament in Greek and English, etc., 2 vols., Svo, Lon don, 1729. The author was William Mace, and the version marks his arrogance and profanity. Lewis calls it " a doughty translation." Matth. xii. 34, 'tis the overflowing of the heart that the mouth dis- chargeth. Mark xiv. 65, and the domestics slapt him on the cheeks. // would have been better English, gave him a slap on the chaps. 414 The English Versions. John i. 14, we contemplated his Glory, such Glory as the Mono. genes derived from the Father. I Thes. V. 5, You inherit the advantages of meridian light: we are not involved in the obscurity of night. James iii., 5, 6, The tongue is but a small part of the body, yet how grand are its pretensions ! A spark of fire ! what quan. titles of timber will it blow into a- flame ! The tongue is a brand that sets the world in a combustion: it is but one of the numerous organs of the body, yet it can blast whole assemblies: tipp'd with infernal sulphur, it sets the whole train of hfe in a blaze. Acts xxvii. is given in a double version, the one in ordinary language, the other in proper sea terms. 14 Soon after it blew a storm from we had a hard gale at 14 northeast. »5 Which bore so upon the ship, we could not go upon the wind, but were forced to let her drive . . . 40 Accordingly having heaved in their anchors, they drove with the sea, then loosed the helm, hois'd the mainsail to wind, and made to shore. 41 . . . they ran the ship aground, where the forecastle stuck fast and would not give, but her stem was shattered by the waves. northeast. . . . that we could not bear up 15 against the wind, but were forced to lye a-try, i. e., to drive under a rief mainsail . . . And when they had weighed, or 40 purchased their anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and cast off their radder ropes, and set the mainsail, and made towards the shore. . . . they ran the ship aground, 41 where her head struck, and would not give way, but her after part was staved in pieces by the force of the sea. The New Testament of our Saviour Jesus Christ according to the ancient Latin Edition; with critical remarks upon the literal meaning in difficult Places. From the French of Father Simon. By William Webster, London, 1730, 4to. The translation is made from the Vulgate (Sixtine and Clementine editions), with the variations from the Greek given in the margin. Prefaces to the several books, as well as copious foot notes containing the collations of ancient MSS., versions, and the Fathers, are said by the authors of the Acts of the Learned, Leipzig, 1704, to be The Authorized Version. 415 exceedingly valuable. I have not been able to examine a copy of the original French and the English translation. Mr. Whiston' s Primitive New Testament, -Stamford and London, I745> Svo. In four parts, Matthew— Revelation. In this curious edi tion the four Gospels and Acts are translated from the (Greek) Codex Bezae in the Public Library of the University of Cambridge, the imper fections of that MS. being supplied from the Vulgar Latin; the Epp. of St. Paul, from the Clermont (Greek) MS. in the Royal Library at Paris, the Latin portion of said MS. being the Old Italic version; the Catholic Epistles and Revelation, from the Codex Alexandrinus. The order of the Gospels is: Matthew, John, Luke, Mark; and that of the Epistles: Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, etc. Aninterestmg account of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, exhibiting a synoptical arrangement, in cluding passages from the Apostolical Constitutions, is followed by prophet ical passages, and observations. A separate title page preceding that before the xiv epistles of St. Paul, mns: Mr. Whiston' s Primitive New Testament. Part V. Containing the Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul, and his Answer; preserved by ihe Armenians. The Epistle of Timothy to Diognetus, and the Homily, with the two Epistles of Clement to the Corinthians. Part VI. Containing the Constitutions of the Apos tles, in VIII. Books. Part VII. Containing the Catholic Epistle of Barnabas, with the Shepherd of Hennas in III. Books. Part VIII. Containing the X. Epistles of Ignatiiis, the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians, Josephus's Homily concerning Hades, with the Martyr dom of Polycarp. These ancient documents, however, are not in the copy I have used, and I have not seen them in Mr. Whiston's translation. The following are illustrative renderings. Matth. vi. 9, who art in the heavens; lo, as in heaven so on earth, II, the bread necessary for our sustenance; 13, from the evil one. John ii. 4, Woman, what is that to me and thee ? Luke viii. 25, What a man is this ? 27, And they went forth to land. And a man met him out of the city, who had daemons a long time. Mark viii. 33, for thou per- ceivest not the things that be of God . . . Acts xvii. 27, Especially that they should seek what the deity is, if haply they might feel after it, or find it, though it be not far . . . I Cor. xv. 29, Else what shall they do who are baptized for them; 49, let us also bear . . .; 51, we shall all arise again, but we shall not all be changed ... i John v. 6, This is he that came by water and blood, and the Spirit, Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood, and the Spirit ... 7, for there 4i6 The English Versions, are three that bear record. S. The spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. A New and Literal Translation of all the Books of the Old and Nevi Testaments, with notes critical and explanatory . By Antony Purver, London, 1764, 2 vols, folio. The author was a member of the Society of Friends; his scholarship was poor, and his judgment even more so, and his translation "has never been highly valued, and is much less lit eral and much less simple than the habits of the man, and those of the religious community to which he belonged, might authorize one to ex pect" (Dr. A. Clarke). GEN. XLIII. 11-14. II. Whereupon Israel their father says to them, if it be so now, do. this; take of the applauded things of the country in your vehicles, and have down a present to the man; a httle Balsam, and 'a little Honey, Spice and Myrrh, Nuts and Almonds. 12. Take also double money with you, even that which was brought back in the mouths of your bags, carry again with you: perhaps it was a mistake. 13. As likewise take your brother; and getting ready, return to the man. 14. And God Almighty give you compassion before him, that he may send with you your other brother, and Benjamin: and according as I am deprived of my children, I must be. MARK XIV. 1-3. I. Now there was the Passover, and unleavened bread, two days after: and the chief Priests and Scribes sought how they might take hold of him by deceit, and kill. 2. However they said, not at the Feast, lest at any time there should be a tumult of the people. 3. And he being in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sate down, there came a woman who had an Alabaster-box of ointment, of costly liquid spikenard: which box she broke open, and poured that on his head. Among his peculiar renderings may be instanced: Gen. i. 2, The spirit of God hovered a top of the waters; 3, Let there be light, which then tvas accordingly. The New Testament: carefully collated with the Greek, and corrected, divided and pointed according to the various subjects treated of by the The Authorized Version. 417 inspired ¦writers, etc., by Richard Wynne, A. M., London, 1764, 2 vols., Svo. SPECIMENS TAKEN AT RANDOM. Matth. v. 22, . . . obnoxious to the judgment, . . . obnoxious to the council; . . . obnoxious to hell-fire; 28, But I say to you that whosoever looketh upon a wife so as to lust after her; xxii. 36, Thou Teacher, which is the great. . . . Mark xii. 34, And no man after that presumed to ask . . . Luke v. 10 from henceforth thou shalt captivate men. John ix. 3, . . . viforks of God might be displayed in him; xiv. 16, ... 1 will entreat the Father; 26, . . . the Comforter — the Holy Spirit, . . . ; He will . . . and remind you of all that . . . Rom. viii. 33, who shall lodge any accusation against ... i Cor. xiii. 13, For now we see in an ambiguous manner, as by means of a mirror . . . ; xvi. 15, 16, . . . and to have addicted themselves to the ministery . . . and to every one who co-operateth with us, as a fellow-laborer. The version bears evidence of careful scholarship on every page, and the author states in the Preface that he had endeavoured " to steer in a just medium between a servile literal translation, and a paraphrastic loose version; between low, obsolete, and obscure language, and a raod ern enervated stile." The Notes are well taken, many being drawn from Doddridge's Family Expositor. A New Translation of the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Extracted from the Paraphrase of the late Philip Dod dridge, D.D., etc., London, 1765, 2 vols., i2mo. This edition is on the paragraph plan, and follows generally the arrangement of Bengel. A mark in the margin denotes the beginning of a new chapter, and every fifth verse is numbered for the sake of reference. Supplied matter is placed between two inverted commas. — A few specimens of the transla tion, taken at random, are here presented. Matth. i. 25, . . . brought forth her son, the first born; ii. 10, they re joiced with a joy ' which was ' exceeding great. Mark xii. 14, 15, Is it lawful to pay tribute to Csesar, or not ? Shall we give or shall we not give ? I Cor. iv. 1-4, Let a man so account of us, as of the servants of Christ, ... As for what remains, it is demanded in stewards, that a man be found faithful. For it is with me the smallest thing that can be, that I should be judged by you, or by any man's judgment. Nor do I judge myself, for I am not conscious to myself of anything, yet I am not hereby justified, but he that . . . Rev. xi. 3-5, And I will give to my two witnesses 'commission,' and they shall prophesy a thousand, two 2 D 4i8 The English Versions. hundred, ' and ' sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. These are the two olive trees, and the lamps, who stand before the God of the earth. And if any one will injure them, fire shall come out of their mouth, and devour their enemies, and if one will injure them so must he be put to death. A Liberal Translation of the New Testament; Being an attempt to translate the Sacred Writings with the same freedom, spirit, and ele gance, with which other English Translations from the Greek Classics have lately been executed. By Edward Harwood, D.D., London, 1768, 2 vols., Svo. It is a verbose and inflated production, utterly tasteless, rather a paraphrase than a translation, and "more the New Testament of Dr. Harwood than of the Apostles," Orme, Bibl. Bib. The examples are taken from Condit, Hist, of the English Bible, pp. 395, 396. Mark v. 39, 40, When he came into the room he said to them — Why do you indulge all these excesses of sorrow and mourning ? — the young lady is not dead — she is only sunk into a profound sleep. For these words, the mourners could not forbear expressing by their looks, the contemptible opinion they had of him as a prophet. — xii. 32, The cler gyman said — You have given him the only right and proper answer. Luke xi. 40, Absurd and preposterous conduct ! Did not the great Be ing, who made the external, create the internal intellectual powers — and will he not be more solicitous for the purity of the mind, than for the showy elegance of the body ? xii. ig, . . . I will then say to my soul — Happy soul ! Distinguished is thy felicity ! Come indulge thy soft envied repose — feast on the most delicious viands — taste the most ex quisite liquors — and traverse a circle of every amusement and joy. I Cor. XV. 51, . . . We shall not pay the common debt of nature, but by a soft transition. Of Bibles designed to evade the patent may be instanced the editions of J. W. Pasham, London, 1776, and Parson's Diamond Bible, Bristol, 1803, both in 32mo. with notes. The space between the text and the notes is sufficiently great to admit of the latter being cut off in binding without destroying the symmetry of the page. New Translation of Isaiah, etc., by Robert Lowth, D.D., London, 1778, Svo. " Bp. Lowth not only corrected in many places the common Hebrew text on the authority of manuscripts, but sometimes introduced emendations from mere conjecture. Yet even Lowth has been supposed to have taken this Uberty too often, especially by Professor KOcher, of Bem." Bp. Marsh, Div. Lects., Camb., iSio, Lect. xii. 130, 131, and note. The Authorized Version. 419 ISAIAH LIII. 1-5. I. Who hath believed our report; And to whom hath the arm of Jr. hovah beeu manifested ? 2. For he groweth up in their sight like a tender sucker; And like a root from a thirsty soil; He hath no form, nor any beauty, that we should regard him; Nor is his countenance such that we should desire him. 3. Despised, nor accounted in the number of men; A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; As one that hideth his face from us; He was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4. Surely our infirmities he hath borne; and our sorrows, he hath car ried them: Yet we thought him judicially stricken; smitten of God and afflicted. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions; Was smitten for our iniquities: The chastisement, by which our peace is effected, was laid upon him: And by his bruises we are healed. ISAIAH LXII. 8, 9. 8. For he said; Surely they are my people, children that will nqt prove false: And he became their saviour in all their distress. 9. It was not an envoy, nor an angel of his presence, that saved them: Through his love and his indulgence, he himself redeemed them; And he took them up, and he bare them all the days of old. The title of the first edition of the Bible printed in America is as fol lows: The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments: Newly translated out of the Original Tongues; and with the former Transla tions Diligently compared and revised, Philadelphia: Printed and Sold by R. Aitken, at Pope's Head, Three Doors above the Coffee House, in Market Street, MDCCLXXXII., l2mo. For full, though not complete particulars relating to this subject, con- ¦Jult: E. B. O'Callaghan, A list of editions of the Holy Scriptures and Parts thereof , printed in America previous to i860; with introduction and bibliographical notes, Albany, 1861, 4to. Isaiah Thomas, LL.D., The History of Printing in America, etc., Albany, 1874, 2 vols., Svo. Jeremiah and Lamentations, A new Translation, etc., by Benjamin Blayney, B.D., Oxford, 17S4, 4to. ; 3d ed., London, 1S36, Svo. This is an able translation, as is evident from the subjoined brief specimens with the original spelling and punctuation, etc. 420 The English Versions. JEREMIAH V. I. Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jernsalem, And see now and know, and seek in her broad places; If ye can find a single man. If there be one that doeth justice. That seeketh truth; that I may pardon her. 2. But though they say, As Jehovah liveth. Surely they will swear falsely .... 8. They were libidinous as stallion horses 26. For among my people are found wicked men. Who he on the watch like the covering of fowlers; . . . 30. An astonishing and horrible thing hath been wrought in the land. 3 1 . The prophets have prophesied falsely ; And the priests have concurred with them; And my people have liked it should be so; And what will ye do in regard to the consequences thereof? The Four Gospels, Translated from the Greek, etc., by George Campbell, D.D., London, 1790, 2 vols., 4to. Translation of the New Testament, by Gilbert Wakefield, London, 1 7gi, improved, 1795, 2 vols., Svo. " This translation generally preserves the vernacular idiom of the language, but is never to be depended on where the peculiar doctrines or Christianity are concerned," Orme, Bibl. Bib., 455. " He was as violent against Greek accents as he was against the Trinity, and anathematized the final V as strongly as Epis copacy," Brit. Crit., xxvi. "Stiff in opinion, always in the wrong," Dryden. Zimri. From Am. reprint of 2d London ed., Cambridge, 1S20, Svo.: JOHN I. 1-5. I. In the beginning was Wisdom, and Wisdom was with God, and Wisdom was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by it, and without it was nothing made. 4. What was made had life in it; and this light was the light of men: 5. And this light shineth in darkness, and the darkness hindered it not. ROM. IX. 5. .... whose were the fathers, and of whom was Christ according to the flesh; who is, as God, over all, blessed for evermore ! Amen. The Authorized Version. 421 I TIM. III. 16. And confessedly great is this mystery of godliness, which was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by messengers, proclaimed among Gentiles, beUeved on in tfie world, taken up with glory. An Attempt toward revising our English Translation of the Greek Scriptures, or the New Covenant of Jesus Christ, etc. By archbishop Newcome, Dublin, printed 1796, though not published until 1S09, 2 vols., Svo. MATTH. VI. 9-13. Our Father, that art in heaven, sanctified be thy name. Thy king dom come. Thy wUl be done on earth, as it is in heaveri. Give tis this day the food sufficient for us. And forgive us our trespasses,' as we also forgive those who trespass against us. 2 And bring us not into temptation, but preserve us from evil.3 1 Gr. debts. 2 Gr. our debtors. 3 Or, the Evil one. JOHN I. 1-5. I. The Word was in the begimiing, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. This- Word was in the beginning with God. 3. AU things were made by ' him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5. And the light shone' in darkness; and the darkness overspread it not.' 1 Or, through. 2 Gr, shineth. 3 Or, came not upon it. 10, 35, Or, admitted it not. I TIM. III. 16. And, without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great. ' God was manifested in the flesh, justified by the Spirit,' seen by angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, taken up into ' glory. 1 Or. And the mystery of the true worship is confessedly great. 2 Or, He who was manifested in the flesh, was justified, etc. See MSS. s Or, with. A Translation of the New Testament, attempted by Nathaniel Scar lett, assisted by Men of Piety and Literature, with Notes, London, 1798, Svo. "Executed in conformity with the tenets of the Universal ists," Home. "Neither literal nor a free version," Orme, Bibl. Bib., 3S4. 422 The English Versions. MARK VI. 14-25. 14. Historian.— Ani King Herod after hearing of him, (for his name was spread abroad:) said, Herod.— ]6hn the Immerser is risen from the dead, and there fore these mighty powers operate in him. 15. Hist. — Others said, A Person. — It is Elijah. Hist. — But others said, A Person. — It is a prophet, or Uke one of the prophets. 16. Hist. — But Herod hearing it, said, Herod.— I'dts, is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead. 17. Hist — For Herod himself having sent out, had apprehended John. 22. Hist. — The king said to the young woman, Herod. — Ask me whatever thou wilt, and I wUl give it thee. 23. Hist. — And he sware to her, saying, Herod. — Whatever thou wilt ask of me, I will give it thee, even to the half of my kingdom. 24. Hist. — And she going out, said to her mother. Young Woman. — What shall I ask ? Mother. — The head of John the Immerser. 25. Hist. — And returning in immediately in haste to the king, she asked, saying. Young Woman. — I desire that thou wouldst give me presently in a bowl the head of John the Immerser. REV. XIX. 1-5. I. John. — And after these things, I heard a loud voice of a great mul titude in heaven saying, 2. Great Multitude. — Hallelujah ! Let restoration and glory, and honour, and power be ascribed to our God. Because, his judgments are just and right; for he hath judged the great harlot, who cor rupted the earth with her whoredom, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 . John. — And they said a second time. Great Multitude .—Rs&Av^yHa. ! 4. John. — And her smoke ascendeth up to the ages of ages. And the four and twenty elders, and the four animate beings fell down and worshipped God who sat on the throne, saying. Elders and Animate Beings . —Pacien; hallelujah ! The Authorized Version. 423 5. John. — And a voice proceeded from the throne, saying, Voice. — Praise our God, aU ye his servants, and ye that fear him both small and great, etc. ROM. VI. 23. For death is the wares of sin: but aeonian life is the free gift Of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. I COR. XV. 36, 37. Unthinking mani What thou sowest, thou sowest not the body which shall be produced, but a naked grain, perhaps of wheat, or of any other corn: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to each of the seeds its proper body. HEB. X. 19. Therefore, brethren, having free admission into the interior part of the holy places by the blood of Jesus. GALAT. III. 27. For as many of you as have been immersed into Christ have put on Christ. ROM. VI. 3, 4. Are ye ignorant, that so many of us as have been immersed into Jesus Christ have been immersed into his death? Therefore we are buried with him through immersion into death; . . . HEB. I. 9. . . . hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy associates. I COR. XIII. 12. For hitherto we see obscurely as through a mirror A Revised Translation and Interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures after the Eastern manner, etc. By David Macrae, Glasgow, 1799, Svo. " This is a curious rather than a valuable book. The author's zeal for a new translation was greater than his capacity and his learning. His in terpretation is mixed up with his version, and both together sometimes make a very curious medley," Orme, Bibl. Bib. Eecles. xii. 6, Before the sUver cord (the marrow of the backbone with its roots and branches) be contracted: or the golden vial (the brain's mem branes) be cracked; or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, (the cavi ties and conveyers of the blood from the heart), or the wheel be broken at the cistern, (the returners of it from the lungs, liver, head, hands, and feet); the double, yea, quadruple circulation (galgal and ruts) being repeated, be interrupted and cease (3 Kings iv. 35). 424 The English Versions. John xiii. 31, Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said. Now is the Son of man glorified, (destroying the works of the devil), and God is (thereby) glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God will also glorify him with himself, (by making him sit at his right hand), and shall * A New Testament; or. The Xew Covenant according to Luke, Paul, and John. Published in conformity to the plan of the late Rev. Edward Evanson, A.M., London, 1807, Svo. [The Authentic portions of the New Testament are according to this author: Luke i. 1-4; iii. 1-20; iv. 14-44; v. to end.] In his opinion the Gospels ascribed to Matthew, Mark, and John; the Epistles addressed to the Romans, Eph., Col., and the Heb., those said to have been written by James, Peter, John, and Jude, and in the Book of Rev., the epp. to the seven churches of Asia, are all manifest forgeries, possessing no claim whatever to the title of gen uine writings. From what remains he further excludes Luke i. 5-ii. 52; the account ofthe baptism, temptation, and transfiguration of Jesus; the story of the herd of swine, the conversation respecting paradise, with the thief on the cross, and some passages in the Lord's prayer, also the passage in Acts recording the miracles of diseases and lunacies being cured by the handkerchiefs or apron's brought from Paul's body, etc. " He was a clergyman of the Church of England, who held also peculiar views on the resurrection, the Trinity, the Incarnation, the binding force of Sab bath observance, etc., all conflicting with the standards of his Church, but does not seem to have abandoned her communion. He was an able controversialist and is said to have been a firm believer in the divine mis sion of Christ," Monthly Mag., xx. pp. 477-483. The greater part of the text and notes in this curious volume are taken from abp. Newcome's version. The text of the Lord's prayer reads thus: " Our Father, sancti fied be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us day by day the food sufficient for us. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one who trespasseth against us. And bring us not into temptation." • The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Covenant, commonly called the Old and New Testaments: Translated from the Greek. By Charles Thomson,! Late Secretary to the Congress of the United States. Philadelphia, 1808, 4 vols., Svo. , * The first example is taken from Horne, ii. app. p. 112: the second from Eadie, ii. p. 3S9- t Horne {BiM. Bib., 135) says that the version is " very respectably executed," and Orme [Bibl Bib. 1824, 429) considers it " creditable to America, and to the learned The Authorized Version. 425 DEUT. XXXII. 2. Let my doctrine be expected like rain, and my works distil as the dew; Like gentle rain on the tender herb, and like a heavy shower upon the grass. JOB XIX. 25-27. For I know that he is eternal, who is about to dissolve me on earth, to raise again this skin of mine which draweth up these things. Forfrom the Lord those things have been done to me, of which I alone am con scious — which mine eyes have seen and no other; and which have all been done to me in my bosom. ISAIAH Xir. I, 2. And on that day thou wilt say, I bless thee, O Lord; because, though thou wast angry with me, thou hast turned away thy wrath and pitied me. Behold ! my God is my Saviour, I will tmst in him, and not be afraid. Because the Lord is my glory and my praise ; and has become unto me salvation; therefore draw ye water with gladness from the wells of thanksgiving. JOHN I. 6-12. There was a man sent from God: his name was John. This man came as a witness to bear witness conceming this light, that by means of him all might believe. He was not the light but was to bear witness concerning the light. The light (the trae light which enlighteneth every author." From what I have seen, I am inclined to regard it rather mterpretative than faithful, as the foregoing examples will show. Job xix. is absolutely startling, espe cially the clause " this skin of mine which draweth up these things," which may be compared with Jager's rendering (Paris ed., 1844, 410), " cute-tn meam quoi perpeti- tur hcBc." Thomson was a Friend, and the copy of the Septuagint referred to in the note, is preserved in the Philadelphia Library. " He told me that he was first in duced to study Greek from having bought a part of the Septuagint at an auction in this city (Philadelphia). He had bought it for a mere trifie, and without knowing what it was, save that the crier said it was outlandish letters. When he had mastered it enough to imderstand it, his anxiety became great to see the whole; but he could find no copy. Strange to tell, in the interval of two years, passing the same store, and chancing to look in, he then saw the remainder actually crying off for a few pence, and he bought it. I used to tell him that the translation which he afterwards made should have had these facts set at the front of the work as a preface; for that great work, the first of the kind in the English language, strangely enough, was ushered into the world without any preface," Watson's Annals of Philadelphia, 1850, i. 568. I understand that part of Thomson's Manuscript is in the Library of the American Bible Society. Neither Watson nor O'Callaghan seem to have known that the Septu agint from the Vatican version had been translated into English by Sir L. C. Brenton. Bt,, Lond., 1844, 2 vob., Svo. 426 The English Versions. man) coming into the world, was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own peculiar territories, and his own peculiar people did not receive him. But to as many as received him he granted the privilege of becoming children of God, even to them who believe in his name. The New Testament, in an Improved Version, upon the basis of arch bishop Newcome's New Translation with a Corrected Text, and Notes Critical and Explanatory, e\.c.,'Lo-aAoTi, lSo'&. Boston, reprint, 1S09, Svo. "This version is avowedly made to support the modem Socinian scheme: for though archbishop Newcome's name is specified in the title page, as a kind of model, his authority is disregarded whenever it mili tates against the creed of the anonymous editors," Home. The Intro duction and most of the notes were written by Rev. Thomas Belsham. JOHN I. 1-5. 1 . The Word was in the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the word was a god. .e.. This Word was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were done by him; and without him was not anything done that hath been done. 4. By hira was life, and the life was the light of men. 5. And the light shone in darkness and the darkness overspread it not. ROM. IX. 5, .... whose are the fathers, and of whom, by natural descent Christ came. God, who is over all, be blessed for ever. I TIM. III. 16. And, without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: He who was manifested in the flesh was justified by the Spirit, seen by messengers, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received in glory. The New Testament, translated from the Greek; and the Four Gos pels arranged in Harmony, where the parts of each are introduced ac cording to the natural Order of the Narrative, and the exact Order of Time. With some preliminary Observations, and Notes critical and explanatory. By William Thompson, A.M., Kilmamock, iSi6, 3 vols. Svo. " In this version, ' studiously made as literal as possible,' the En glish idiom is continually sacrificed to the Greek, and grammatical pro priety is often violated; and the desire to render the translation very faith- The Authorized Version. 427 ful and very clear, has often made it obscure and incorrect. He never departs from the received text in a single instance; so that for him. Mill, and Wetstein, and Griesbach have all laboured in vain," Orme. The Holy Bible, newly translated from the original Hebrew, with Notes critical and explanatory, by John Bellamy, London, 1S18-21, 4to. [The arrogant claims of the author, and his extravagancies of interpreta tion have been exposed in the Quarterly Review, vols. xix. and xxiii.] GEN. II. 21-24. " Then he brought one to his side, whose flesh he had enclosed in her place. Then Jehovah God built the substance of the other, which he took for the man, even a woman: and he brought her to the man. And the man said: Thus this time, bone after my bone; also flesh after my flesh; for this he shaU call woman, because she was received by the man. Therefore a man will leave, even his father and his mother, for he will unite with his wife; and they shall be for one flesh." The person who truly executed this version had the audacity to state in an address on the cover: "It may be necessary to inform the public that no translation has been made from the original Hebrew, since the l2Sth year of Christ. In the fourth century, Jerome made his Latin ver sion from this Greek translation: from which came the Latin Vulgate, and from the Latin Vulgate all the European translations have been made, thereby perpetuating all the errors ofthe first translators." The New Testament, translated from the Original Greek, by G. CampbeU, D.D., P. Doddridge, D.D., and J. MacKnight, D.D., Aber deen, 1827, i2mo. In this translation the Gospels are by the first, Acts and Revelation by the second, and the Epistles by the last of those authors. MATTH. XXVIIL 57-60 \Dr. Campbell}. In the evening, a rich Arimathean named Joseph, who was himself a disciple of Jesus, went to Pilate and begged the body of Jesus. Pilate having given orders to deliver it to Joseph; he took the body, wrapped it in clean linen, and deposited it in his own monument, which he had newly caused to be hewn in the rock ; and having rolled a great stone to the entrance, he went away. I COR. IV. 1-4 [Dr. MacKnight, compare with Doddridge's version, p. 417]. So then let a man consider us as servants only of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now, it is required in stewards, that every one 428 The English Versions. be found faithful. Therefore, to me it is a very sraall matter that I be condemned by you, or by human judgment, because I do not condemn myself. For I am conscious to myself of no fault. However, I am not by this justified in your eyes, but he who condemneth me is the Lord. The Sacred Writings of the Apostles and Evangelists of Jesus Christ, commonly styled the New Testament. Translated from the Original Greek, by George Campbell, James MacKnight, and Philip Doddridge, Doctors ofthe Church of Scotland. With Prefaces, etc. Bethany, Va., 1S2S. The editor or publisher of this volume, Alexander CampbeU, was originally a Presbyterian, united with ihe Baptists in 1812, but having been excluded from the feUowship of that communion on account of his pecuUar views on baptismal regeneration, founded a religious sect called •'Disciples of Christ," known as Campbellites. Dr. Doddridge was an Independent. In the Appendix to the fourth edition, i860, CampbeU says: "This edition . . . exhibits as v/e humbly conceive, a correct and perspicuous translation of the Sacred Writings of the New Institution, in a style so modernized, and yet so simple, exact, and faithful to the origi nal, as to render it more intelligible than any version in our language.'' This is evident from the following samples (taken from Condit, I.e., p. 413): Matth. in. 3, . . . The voice of one proclaiming in the wUdemess, pre pare a way for the Lord, make for him a straight passage . . ; 7, . . com ing to him to receive immersion, said to them, Offspring of vipers, who has prompted you to flee from the impending vengeance? Produce then, the proper frait of reformation . . . ; 11, I, indeed, immerse you in water, into reformation . . . whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will immerse you in the Holy Spirit, and in fire. v. 3, Happy the poor who repine not . . . ; 14, . . . A city situate on a mountain must be conspicuous . . . 21, You have heard that it was said to the ancients, " You shall not commit murder; for whosoever commits murder shall be obnoxious to the judges." But I say to you, Whosoever is angry with his brother unjustly, shall be obnoxious to the judges; whosoever shall call him fool, shall be obnoxious to the council, but whosoever shall call him miscreant, shall be obnoxious to hell-fire. The New Testament with the text of the common translation ar ranged in paragraphs, such as the sense requires; the divisions of chap ters and verses being noted in the margin, with various tables, etc. By James Nourse, New York, 1S27, Svo.; Boston and PhUadelphia, The Authorized Version. 429 1836. The paragraphs mostly follow those in Knapp's Greek Testa ment (Halle, 1797; 4th. ed., 1S29), but occasionally those of Bengel (Tubingen, 1763). The New Testament, etc., Boston, 1S31, Svo. An edition in sections (from Reeve's edition of 1802) with only the book, chapter, and verse to which the first line belongs, at the top of each page ; the punctuation tol- lows Knapp. The Holy Bible, etc., arranged in paragraphs and parallelisms, with philological and explanatory annotations. By T. W. Coit, D.D., Cam bridge and Boston, 1834. A New and corrected Version of the New Testament; or, a minute revision, and professed translation of the Original Histories, Memoirs, Letters, Prophecies, and other productions of the Evangelists and Apos tles; to which are subjoined, a few, generally brief, critical, explanatory, and practical notes. By Rodolphus Dickinson, a Presbyter of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States; and Rector of St. Paul's Parish, District of Pendleton, South Carolina. Boston, 1833, Svo. A single sentence frora the Preface of this painfully ludicrous perform ance is sufficient: "I have also disdained the obsequious and servile predicament, of floating at random, in the wake of others. The original has been my compass, the commentaries my explanatory chart; and the principles of the highest authorities, my general guide." These are fearfully miscellaneous, but the original notes and reflections of the author are worse. The volume discards any and every division of chapter and verse, and the head line of the left page reads in succession: "Apostolic Productions." "The History by Matthew," "ApostoUcal and Ecclesiastical Transactions," "The Letter of John to an eminent Christian Woman," "The Letter of John to a distinguished Christian Man"; these are samples of the tides of the several books, and the fol lowing specimens ofthe translation: Luke i. 31, And behold, you shall be in a state of gestation; 41, When Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the embryo was joyfully agi tated . . . ; 42, Blessed are you among women ! and blessed is your in cipient offspring ! Acts i. 18, . . . falling prostrate, a violent internal spasm ensued, and all his viscera were emitted; xxvi. 24, Festus de clared with a loud voice: Paul, you are insane ! Multiplied research drives you to distraction. 430 The English Versions. Tlie Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments in the com mon version with amendments of the Language, by Noah Webster, LL.D., New Haven, 1833. The principal alterations introduced are: "I. The substitution of words and phrases now in good use, for such as are wholly obsolete, or deemed below the dignity and solemnity of the subject, 2. The correction of errors in grammar. 3. The insertion of eupheraisras, words and phrases which are not very oft'ensive to deli cacy, in the place of such as cannot, with propriety, be uttered in a pro miscuous audience." The following are speciraens: Deut. xxxii. 36, and repent for his servants. Judg. x. 3, they hara.ssed and oppressed. Psalm Ixxi. 20, Thou, who hast shown me great and severe troubles, wUt revive me again. John x. 20, He hath a demon, and is insane. Matth. ii. 15, which was spoken from the Lord. Gen. XX. iS, For the Lord had made barren all the females of the house. John xi. 39, by this tirae his body is offensive. Eph. v. 3, lewdness and all uncleanness; 5, -no lewd, nor unclean person. I Sam. ix. 14, Samuel came out meeting them. Luke xv. 27, Because he hath received him ia health. The Book of the New Covenant of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: being a critical revision of the text and translation of the Eng lish Version of the New Testament, with the aid of the most ancient manuscripts, unknown to the age in which that version was last put forth by authority. By GranvUle Penn. London, 1836, 3 vols., Svo. (vols. 2 and 3 contain annotations. See Horne, Pt. ii. chap. v. sect. iii. § 6, No. 53). The following are specimens ofhis version: St. Matt. V. 6, Blessed are the beggars in spirit; vi. I, Take heed not to do your works for justification before men . . . ; xxi. 24, . . . John carae to you in the way of justification . . . ; 25, and dug a wine-vat . . ; xxvu. 63, . . . the last deceit. Rom. i. 17, . . . the justification of God by faith, is revealed for faith. Heb. v. 2, who is able to bear gentl) with the ignorant and erring . . . ; ix. 16, 17, for, where a covenant ii made, the death of the interposed sacrifice must of necessity be endured: for, a covenant is confirmed only over lifeless bodies; since it hath no force while the interposed sacrifice is living. The Book of the Patriarch Job, translated from tlie Original He brew, as nearly as possible in the terms and style of the Authorized Eng lish Version, etc., by Sarauel Lee, D.D. London, 1837. This ver sion, though able and scholarly, falls short of the strength and simplicity The Authorized Version. 431 of the Authorized Version, and while the renderii^s are sometimes un commonly telling, the presence of too much italicized matter will prevent their adoption. The subjoined examples are adduced in support of this criticism. Ch. iii. I, revUed his day . . ; 5, let the blackest terrors of day affright it; 17-19, There the wicked ceaxfrom troubling; and there the wearied mighty rest. The prisoners sweetly repose together: they hear not the voice of the exactor. Small and great is there, and the slave is free from his lord; xix. 25, But I know .... stand hereafter upon . . . ; 26, and that after this my skin shall have been pierced through, still , . ; 27, that I shall see . . . behold Him, and not a stranger, when ray reins shall have been . . . ; xx. 26, The aggregate of darkness is reserved for his treasures; an unblown fire shall devour him: in his tent shall his survi vor be broken; xxiv. 14, with the light the murderer ariseth, he slayeth the poor ... he is therefore as a thief; 15, . . observeth the twiUght . . : so he lay eth a covering over men's faces; 16, ... he diggeth into . . had sealed; 17, For to them is the dawn altogether as . . . -. aj- when one beholdeth the terrors . . . ; 18, Swift is he upon the face of the waters, . . . portion of them who are in the land worthless: no one tumeth his face towards his vineyards; 19, . . . unsparing as the grave do they sin; 20, So shall mercy disregard him : his solaces shall be the worm. A Translation ofthe Gospels, with Notes. By Andrews Norton. Bos ton, 1855, 2 vols., Svo. MATTH. VI. 22, 23. The eye is the lamp of the body: so that if your eye be clear, your whole body v/Ul be enlightened; but if your eye be disordered, your whole body will be in darkness. JOHN I. 14-16. And the Logos became a man, and dwelt among us, full of favor and truth; and we beheld his glory, such as an only son receives from a father. John bore testimony conceming him, and proclaimed. This is he of whom I said. He who was to come after me has gone before me, for he was my superior. ... Of his inexhaustible store we all have re ceived, even favor upon favor. The New Testament, etc., by Leicester Ambrose Sawyer. Boston, 1 85 8,* i2mo. The author says in the Preface that his version is "a * Vol. i. of the translation of the Old Testament (Prophets) was published in i860, Daniel, with apocr. additions, 1864. 432 The English Versions. strict literal rendering. It neither adds nor takes away; but aims to ex press the original with the utmost clearness, and force, and with the ut most precision. It adopts, however, except in the prayers, a thoroughly modem style, and makes freely whatever changes are necessary for this purpose." He also has a new division of chapters and verses which he believes "to be great improvements on those in common use.'^ This superiority may be illustrated by the following examples: Matth. vi. II, Give us to-day our essential bread. Luke xv. l6, And he desired to fill his stomach with the carol pods which the swine eat; 21, Father, I have sinned to Heaven, and before you. John i. 13, who are born not of superior blood, nor of a will of the flesh, nor of a will of man, but of God. 2 Tim. i. 14, Guard the good trust, through the Holy Spirit which dwells in us. I Pet. ui. 15, and sanctify the anointed Lord in your hearts. Heb. n.. 34, For you sympathized with those in bonds, and received with joy the plunder of your property . , . The Holy Scriptures of the Old Covenant in a Revised Translation, by the late Rev. Charles Wellbeloved, Rev. George Vance Smith, B.A.. Rev. John Scott Porter. London, 1S59, 3 vols., Svo. GEN. VI. 3. And Jehovah said. My spirit shall not be always judging men on ac count of their transgressions: they are flesh, and their days shall be a hundred years. PS. ex. 3, 4. Thy people shaU be most willing in the day of thine array, in the holy mountain; || More than the dew from the womb of the morning shall be the dew of thy youth. || Jehovah hath swom, and he will not repent, || Thou shalt be a priest for ever || according to the order of Melchizedek. ISA. LIII. 2, 3. He had no form nor comeliness, that we should look at him. And no fco«ifj/ «/" visage that we should delight in him; Despised and forsaken of men, . . . And as one who hideth his face from us ... . The editors do not employ italics when in their judgment they are unnecessary; e. g.. Gen. iv. 8, Let us go into the field. Ex. xx. 2-6, I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee ... not have other gods before me . . . for thyself a graven ... nor any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is ... or what is . . . nor shalt thou . . . ; for I Jeho vah thy God ara ... to the third or ... , and showing mercy to the thou sandth . . . ; but use them, where the term used in the original in their The Authorized Version. 433 judgment renders them necessary; e. g.. Josh. xi. 2, and in the plain of Jordan south of Chinneroth; as against " and of the plains south of Chin neroth " of the A. V. ; the Hebrew word to be expressed in English being Arabah. The application of this principle to Job xix. 25-27, gives us the following rendering: For I know that my Avenger liveth, || And that at length he will rise up over the dust. || And after my skin hath been thus tora, II And without ray flesh, I shall see God; || Whom I shall be hold on ray side, || And raine eyes shall see, but not estranged />-(jot me. The Gospel according to St. John, London, 1857. The Epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, lb., 185S. . . . to the Corinthians, lb., 1858, by Five * Clergyraen. The Epistles of St. Paul to the Galatians, Ephe sians, Philippians, and Colossians, etc., by Four* Clergyraen, lb., 1S61., Svo. John xi. II, . . . our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep . . . ; 13, . . . if he is fallen asleep he will recover . . . ; 33, . . . was greatly raoved in his spirit, and troubled himself; xiu. 10, . . . He that hath been bathed hath no need save to wash . . . ; xv. 5, . . . the same beareth much frait; be cause apart from me ye can do nothing; xix. 11, Thou wouldest have no power against me except it were given thee from above; Gal. v. i. In liberty Christ hath raade us free. Stand fast, therefore, and be not en tangled again in a yoke of bondage . . . ; Eph. iv. 12, 13, . . . for the building up ofthe body of Christ: tUl we all attain unto the unity ofthe faith . . . unto the fuUgrown raan . . . ; Col. ii. 8, Beware lest there shall be any man that despoileth you through his philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the principles of the world, and not according to Christ. A literal Translation of the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, on definite rules of translation, from the text of the Vat ican Manuscript. By Hermann Heinfelter, London, 1863, 4to. A passage taken at random is just as good as any other to show the read er the peculiarities of this translation, which professes uniformly to follow the received text, Dormegan's Lexicon, and Valpy's Greek and English Grammar. JOHN XIX. 8-12. 8, Then when the Pilate heard this the saying more i e added to the others, he was afraid, 9, so he went into the judgment hall again, and * See Westminster Revision, Literature on Revision, Nos. 26-28. Dr. Barrow took no part in the last named volume. 2 £ 434 The English Versions. says to the human form of Jesus, whence art thou. But the Jesus gave not an answer to hun. lo, Then the Pilate says unto him, speakest thou not to me, hast thou not known, that I have power to have released thee, and I have power to have crucified thee. Ii, Jesus answered him, thou wast not having power, against me, at all, except it was existing having been given to thee anew, on account of this, he that delivered me to thee, has greater sin, 12, on account of this, the Pilate was seeking to have released hira. But the Jews cried out, saying, probably shouldst thou have released this man, thou a friend of the Cesar's referred to art not, every one, the king making i e claiming himself to be, speaketh against the Cesar. This translation seems to be the prototype of that executed by Miss Julia E. Smith. A Critical English New Testament, presenting at one view the Au thorized Version and the results of the criticism of the Original Text. Svo., London, Bagsters', 1S71. ST. JOHN XIV. 4, 5. 4, And whither I go [ye know, and] the way ye know. 5, Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest: and how |can: do I we know the way ? Notes: 4, And, Rec; omitted by Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford, Treg.— ^yc knmu. Rec; omitted by the same. — 5, Can we know the way, Rec; know the way, Lach., Tisch., T. S. Green, Alford. Treg., B. C. ». I COR. III. 4. 3, . . . for whereas there is among you envying and strife, [and divisions] are ye not carnal and walk as men? 4, For wHle one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not I camal : men | ? Notes: 3, And divisions, Rec, om. by Lach., Tisch., Green, Alf , Tregell.; Sin, A, B. C. etc., Vulg., Copt., vEth., Armen.— 4, carnal, Rec. men, Lachm., Tisch., Green, Alf, Treg.; Sin, A. B. C. D. E. F. G., etc, Vulg., Copt., JEth., Armen. [The English text although professing to be that of the A. V. does not conform to it in punctuation and the use of italics; in that version I Cor. ni. 4, lam, before ApoUos, is in italics]. The New Testament, etc. The Common Version, corrected by the final Committee of the American Bible Union, New York i864' Sec ond Revision, New York and London, 1S73. The Authorized Version. 43j The translation, like almost all modem versions, follows an uncer tain Greek text, and reflects scholarship ofthe highest order; its leading characteristic of uniformly rendering the Greek verb fiocTtrif^siv , to im merse, is fatal to its general introduction. The only exception is their rendering of: Mark x. 38, 39, Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink, or to endure the immersion which I endure ? . . . Ye shall indeed drink, . . . and endure the immersion which I endure ? Matth. iu. I, In those days comes John the Immerser . . . ; a. 9, 10, Provide not gold, nor sUver, nor brass in your girdles; nor bag for the joumey, nor two coats, nor sandals, nor staff; for the laborer is worthy ofhis living; xi. 23, And thou Capernaum, that was exalted to heaven, shalt go down to the underworld. Luke viu. 29, . . . For of a long time it had seized him, and he was bound, being secured with chains and fetters; and bursting the bands, he was driven by the devil into the des erts. Acts xui. 43, And when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and of the proselyte worshippers followed Paul . . ; i Cor. vui. I, 2, Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. If any one thinks that he knows anything, he has known nothing yet as he ought to know. Heb. vii. 2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth of all; 3, . . . without table of descent, ... but likened to the Son of God, remains a priest continually. Rev. xvi. i. And I heard a loud voice . . . : Go, and pour out the seven cups of the wrath of God into the earth. The Revision of the Old Testament has not yet been completed, but revised versions of the foUowing books have been pubUshed; Genesis, 1868; Psalms, 1869: Proverbs, 1S72; Joshua, Judges, and Ruth, 1S78. Subjoined is an example : PROVERBS III. I . My son, forget not my law, || and let thy heart keep my com mands. 2. For length of days, and years of life, || and peace, shaU they add to thee. 3. Kindness and trath let them not leave thee: || bind them on thy neck; || write them on the tablet of thy heart. 4. So shalt thou find favor, and good understandmg, || in the eyes of God and man. 13. Happy the man who finds wisdom, || and the man who obtains understanding. 436 The English Versions. 14. For her gain is better than the gain of sUver |] and her increase than gold. 15. More precious is she than pearls; * || and all thy delights can not compare with her. 19. Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; || established the heavens by understanding. 20. By his knowledge the deeps were broken open;t || and vapors distil the dew. 34. Though he mocks at those who mock || yet gives he favor to the lowly. 35. The wise shall inherit honor; || but fools he exalts to shame. ^ The New Testament, etc.. Newly compared with the original Greek, and revised. By Henry Alford, D.D. London, 1869. This work is to a certain extent the continuation of the labors of the " Five Clergy men," he having been one of their number, and an atterapt to present a version more nearly approaching the original text than the Authorized Version. MATTH. XV. 5-9. 5. But ye say, whosoever shall say to his father or his mother. That from which thou mightest have been profited by me is an offering to God ; he shall be exempted from honouring his father or his raother. 6. And ye have made the law of God of none effect for the sake of your tradition. 7. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophecy of you, saying, 8. This people honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far dis tant from me. 9. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the com mandments of raen. LUKE XI. 42-46. 42. But woe unto unto you Pharisees ! because ye tithe mint and me aud every herb, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 43. Woe unto you, Pharisees I because ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. 44. Woe unto you, because ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them. • Corals. t The deeps broke forth. X But fools bear away shame, or, but shame lifts fools on high. The Authorized Version. 437 45. But one of the lawyers answered, and saith unto him. Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 46. But he said. Woe unto you also, ye lawyers I because ye lade men with burdens grievous to be home, and ye yourselves touch not the bur dens with one of your fingers. HEB. XI. 3. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that that which is seen was not made of things which do appear. I PET. II. 5. Be ye also, as living stones, built up a spiritual house, for an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, through Je sus Christ. REV. IV. 6. . . . And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, four beings full of eyes before and behind . . . The New Testament, translated frotn the Greek of Tischendorf by George R. Noyes, D.D. Boston, 1869. It cannot be regarded a suc cessful version, being too free and paraphrastic, and marred by want of Greek scholarship; e. g.. Col. iii. 15, over all these things put on the robe of love. Phil. in. 20, The country of which we are citizens in heaven. John xiv. 19, But ye will behold me, because I live, and ye will live. The New Testament: the Authorized English Version; with Intro duction, and various readings from the three most celebrated manuscripts of the origitial Greek Text. By Constantine Tischendorf, Tauchnitz Edition, volume 1000. Leipzig, 1869, i6mo. The Introduction does not state from which edition of the Authorized Version this is a reprint; the MSS. referred to in the title are the Codex Sinaiticus, marked in the foot-notes S., the Codex Vaticanus, marked V., and the Codex Alex andrinus, marked A.; these letters accompanied by a * denote read ings of the respective codices altered by a later hand, although the original readings are given; where the numeral s is placed after the let ters, the reading is an altered one. This edition is rather handy than valuable, and decidedly inferior to later editions of the New Testament noted below. 438 The English Versions. S. MATTHEW XIV. 22-26. 22 If And straightway Jesus con- 24 But the ship was now in the strained his disciples to get into a midst ofthe sea, tossed with waves: ship, and to go before him unto the for the wind was contrary. other side, while he sent the multi- 25 And in the fourth watch ofthe tude away. night Jesus went unto them, walk- 23 And when he had sent the ing on the sea. multitudes away, he went up into a 26 And when the disciples saw. mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 22 S. And he constrained the disciples, V. And straightway he constr. his disciples; S. into the ship. 23 S.* om., when he had sent the multitudes away. 24 V. was now many furlongs distant from the land. 25 S. V. he came. 26 S.* but when they saw him, S.2 V. but when the disciples saw him. The New Testament, translated from the Critical Text of von Tis chendorf, etc., by Sarauel Davidson, D.D. London, 1875. This is a very able translation of the Sth critical edition of Tischendorf s New Tes taraent. RANDOM SPECIMENS. Matth vi. 13, . . . but deliver us from the evU one; 19, Treasure not up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rast consume ; 22, The lamp of the body is the eye : if thine eye be sound, thy whole body will be full of light. Mark xi. 20, And passing by in the morn ing they saw the fig-tree withered from the roots. Luke xiv. 34, how often did I desire to gather thy children as a hen gathers her chickens under the wings, and ye desired not. John xiv. 26, . . . but the advo cate, the Holy Spirit, whom . . . Rom. vi. 23, what fruit then had ye at that time ? Things whereof ye are now ashamed; for the end of them is death . . . The New Testament, etc., a New Translation, on the basis of the Authorized Version, from, a critically revised Greek Text, newly ar ranged in paragraphs, with analyses, copious references and illustra tions from original authorities, new chronological and analytical har mony of the four Gospels, notes and dissertations. A contribution to Christian evidence. By John Brown McClellan, M.A. Vol. i.. The four Gospels, with the Chronological and analytical harmony, London, 1875, Svo. The merits and demerits of this very able and scholarly The Authorized Version. 439 work may be seen in the subjoined extract. The notes and references are excellent, and display great judgment and emdition. The author very strenuously opposes the authority of the Sinaitie and Vatican MSS. ST. MATTH. XVI. I3-2O. 13. And when Jesus was come to the parts of Csesarea PhUippi, he asked liis disciples saying. Whom do men say that the Son of Man is? 14. And they said. Some say John the Baptist; and some, Elijah, others, Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets. 15. He saith unto thera. But whom say ye that I am? 16. Simon Peter answered and said. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 17. And Jesus answered and said unto him. Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18. And I also say unto thee, Thou art a boulder of rock, and upon this rock wiU I buUd my Church, and the gates of heU shaU not prevail agains'. it. 19. And I wiU give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind * on earth, shaU be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose * on earth, shall be loosed in heaven. 20. Then warned he his disciples, that they should tell no one that he him self was Christ. The Holy Bible: containing the Old and New Testaments; translated literally from the original Tongues, Hartford, Conn., 1S76. The trans lator is a lady. Miss Julia E. Smith (now, I believe, Mrs. Parker), who says in the Preface: "It may be thought by the public in general, that I have great confidence in myself, in not conferring with the learned in so great a work; but as there is but one book in the Hebrew tongue, and I have defined it word for word, I do not see how any one can know more about it than I do. It being a dead language no improvements can be made upon it. As for the Latin and Greek, I have no doubt raany have searched deeper into the standard works than I have, but I think no one has given more time and attention to the literal meaning of the Bible text in these languages." How far this account of her labors com ports with fact, may be seen from the examples taken at random. * The notes on bind and loose are; Bind, Heb. and Chald., of restraining and confining bonds and yokes, as of vows of abstinence, prohibitions, interdicts, decrees cf government forbidding any act, and so on; xviii. 8; Numb. xxx. 2-15; Dan. vi. 7-r3, of the royal decree of prohibition. — Loose, Heb. and Chald., o^ freeing from bonds, yokes, and restraints, as of permissive decrees, liberties, releases, absolutions, pardons; xviii. rS; Is. xl. 20, A. '^ . pardon; Dan. iii. 25; v, 16; Lk. xiii. 16; Sir. xxviii. , A. V. forgive. 440 The English Versions Gen. xxviu. il, And he will light upon a place and he wUl remain there, for the sun was gone down: and he wUl take from the stones of the place and put at his head and will lie down in that place. Is. xl. 31, And they waiting for Jehovah shall change power; they shall go up on the wing as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall go and not faint. Ps. xc. 1-3, Prayer to Moses the man of God. O Jeho vah, thou wert a refuge to us in generation to generation. Before the mountains were bom, and the earth shall be begun, and the habitable globe, and from forever even to forever, thou art God. Thou wilt turn man even to crushing and thou wUt say, Turn back ye sons of man. Matth. V. 18, For verily I say to you, TUl heaven pass away and earth, one iota, or one mark, should not pass away from the law, tUl all should be. John vi. 56, He chewing ray flesh, and drinking my blood, has eternal life; and I wUl raise him up at the last day. PhU. i. 23, For I am pressed together from two, having one eager desire to be loosed, and be with Christ: (rather much better:). Rev. xxi. 18, And the interior constraction of her wall was a jasper. The Holy Bible," etc., edited with various renderings and readings from the best authorities, by Rev. T. K. Cheyne, M.A., R. S. Driver, M.A., and Rev. R. L. Clarke, M.A., and Alfred Goodwin, M.A., Lon don, 1876. It is really a critical edition for English readers as well as scholars. The text is that of the Authorized Version. The notes are very valuable, as is evident from the subjoined specimens, wliich fulfil everything claimed for the work in the preface. NUMBERS XXIV. Various Renderings: v. 3 [open]. So Sept., Targ., Pesh., most Jews: Gesenius, Ewald, Knobel; closed, Vulg., Hengstenberg, Hupfeld, Rodiger, Keil, Oort. — v. 4 [heard] heareth; [saw] seeth; [falling into a trance] fallen down (/. e., prostrated by the prophetic impulse), Hengstenberg, Ewald, Keil, Oort. Comp. i Sam. xix. 24. Various Readings: v. 8 [pierce them- through with his arrows], break in pieces their loins. Gesenius (doubtfully), Oort. — v. 17 [destroy], the crown of the head of, Ewald, Oort., Knobel, Bottcher (as Jer. xlviii. 45). — v. 19 [out of . . . dominion], Jacob shall have dominion over them. Knobel (different division of words). ROMANS V. 17, 18. Various Renderings: v. 17 [one man's], the one; [by one], by means ofthe one man. Alford. — v. 18 [by the offence of one], by means of one offence. Alford, EUicott, Jo wett, Meyer; [by the righteousness of one], by means of one declaration of righteous ness, Meyer; by means of one righteous act, Alford, EUicott, Jowett, Tholuck; [^life], i. f., conferring, leading to, Alford. Various Readings: Rom. v. 8 [yel], for, all good MSS. and all critical editors. * This edition is also known as The Variorum. The New Testament, reissued m June. 1880, was edited by the Revs. R. L. Clarke, M.A., Alfred Goodwin, M.A., and W. Sanday, D.D. The Authorized Version. 441 Revised English Bible. London, 1S77; Min., Svo., Par. Ref. This edition claims to give, I. a revision of the Authorized Version, 2. an im proved arrangement of the text. The Pentateuch was revised by Rev. F. W. Gotch, M.A., LL.D., and the remainder ofthe Old Testament by Rev. Benjamm Davies, Ph.D., LL.D., the New Testament by Rev. G. A. Jacob, D.D., and Rev. Samuel G. Green, D.D. Gen. i. 3, And there was evening, and there was moming, the first day. Ps. ex. 3, Thy people are wUliiig * in the day of thy power. In the beauties of hoUness; From the womb of the moming. Thou hast the dew of thy young men. Is. liu. 8, He is taken off by oppression and by judgment. And who considereth his generation ? . . . Jer. xxi. 15, A voice is heard in Raraah, The waU of bitter weeping, Rachel, weeping for her chUdren, Refuseth to be comforted for her children, Because they are not. Matth. v. 21, whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause ' shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say lo his brother, Raca ! * shall be in danger of the Council: but whosoever shall say unto him, Moreh ! ' shall be in danger of hell-fire.< 1 Many good authorities oTnit without a cause. 2 i. e.. Worthless fellow, s i. e.. Rebel ! or Fool I 4 Gr., the Gehenna of fire. The renderings exhibiting exceUent judgment and advanced scholar ship mark this edition. Among the various attempts to make the Bible disclose its meaning and sense by typographical devices in what are called emphatic New Tes taments, there is one published in 1854,! giving the text of the Authorized Version with the various readings of the Vatican Manuscript, and another published in 1878,! professing to be a new translation from the text of Tregelles; the principles are radically different as exhibited by an ex ample in both versions, showing the emphatic rendering of the authors. * Heb., are free-will offerings. t The Emphatic New Testament, according to the Authorized Version, "with the various Readings in English of the Vatican Manuscript. By John Taylor. Lon don, 1854, Svo. t The New Testament: newly translated {from the Greek Text of Tregelles) and critically emphasized, with an introduction and occasional notes. By Joseph B. Rotherham. London, 1878, 8vo, 442 The English Versions. I COR. XII. 13. 18 S4, Taylor. 1S78, Rotherham. For by One Spirit are vOS all For, in one Spirit also, XVS aU baptized into One Body, whether into one body were immersed, wheth- we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we er Jews or Greeks, whether bond or be bond or free; and have been aU free; and all one Spirit were made made to drink [into] One Spirit. to drink. [The single — under a word marks slight, the double = stronger, em phasis. Black letter is used for emphatic pronouns.] These emphaiic editions, being generally raarked by very strong indi viduaUsm in the interpretation, cannot get into general circulation. CHAPTER XIV. THE ANGLO-AMERICAN REVISION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT; OR, THE WESTMINSTER VERSION. In addition to the long list of titles bearing on revision given at the close of the preceding chapter the following notes, and titles of other works, may be consulted as tracing its history. Lightfoot, in a sermon preached before the House of Commons in 1645, recommended it "to think of a review and survey of the translation of the Bible, '' that ' ' the three nations might corae to understand the proper and genuine study of the Scriptures, by an exact, vigorous, and lively translation. " * In 1653 a bill was brought in to the Long Parliament, which, after a long preamble, recommended that, ' ' For the reforming, rectifying, and repairing of the former injury to the new translation, and for preventing of so great inconveniences of such dangerous consequence, and for the furtherance (what in us lieth) and * Works, I., XV. Ed., Pitman, London, 1825. Anglo-American Revision. 443 the benefit and edification of many, be it enacted, that no person or per sons whatsoever within the dominions of England, Scotland, and Ire land, without the approbation of persons hereafter named or to be named by authority, shall presume to print or publish any such translation of the Bible or of the New Testament; And that these persons, viz. : Dr. John Owen, Dr. Ralph Cudworth, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. William Greenhill, Mr. Samuel Slater, Mr. William Cowper, Mr. Henry Jessey, Mr. Ralph Venninge, and Mr. John Row, Hebrew professor in Aberdeen, in Scotland, shall be and hereby are constituted, appointed, and authorized, in and about all these particulars following to be performed by them in the fear of the Lord, for the good of His people, namely: — That these or any three or more of them may search and observe wherein that last translation appears to be wronged by the Prelates, or printers, or others; that in all such places, as far as in them is, it may be rectified and amended therein, and the evident and most material failings that do in a special manner call for reformation (some particulars whereof to us have been presented for consideration), and that this may be per formed with all speed before there be any further printing of the Bible: And further, because it is our duty to endeavour to have the Bible translated in all places as accurately and as perfectly agreeing with the original Hebrew and Greek as we can attain unto, to remove (whatever in us lieth) the stumbling-blocks and offence of the weak, or the cavils of others when they hear in sermons preached or printed, or in other trea tises, that the original bears it better thus and thus. Be it [enacted] that the persons beforesaid may seriously consider the translation of Mr. H. Ainsworth, and of any other translations, annotations, or observations made or that may be made by any of themselves, or of any others that they know of, or may confer withal (who are desired to add unto them their best assistance for the general good of all) and consider of the mar ginal readings in Bibles, whether any of them should rather be in the line. And what they, after seriously looking up to the Lord for His gracious assistance in so weighty a work, and advising together amongst themselves, shall judge to be nearest to the text, and to the mind of the Lord, they may give thereunto their approbation, and this with all speed that conveniently they are able: And be it further enacted, that Dr. Thomas Goodwin, Dr. Tuckney, and Mr. Joseph Caryl, are hereby appointed and authorized to be super visors of what is so approved, and that what those persons shall so approve of, shall accordingly be printed and published for the general edification 444 The English Versions. and benefit of the whole nation, to be read both privately and in the public congregations." The project, for all practical purposes, remained a dead letter and became fruitless by the parliament's dissolution.* The proposal for a revision (in 1655), emanating from a member of the committee appointed by the Long Parliament, ran as follows: — For y= bettering of ye Inglish translation of ye Bible (Ist printed A.D. 1 61 2) by Mr. Jno. Row, 'tis offered. That these five things are to be en deavoured: I. That evU and unmeet divisions of Chaptrs, verses, and sentences be rectify'd, and raade more proper, rationaU, and dexterous, wch ^ffi\l much clear ye scope. II. That needles transpositions of words, or stories, prtending to Hypall or Synchyses, be waryly amended ; or noted if they cannot. III. That aU vseles additions be lop't off, yt debase the wisdom of ye spirit; — to instance I. AU ye Apocryphall writings; being meerly humane. 2. AU popish and superstitious prints, plates, and pictures. 3. Apotheosing and canonizmg of some (not othrs) asSts., St. Luke; not St. Job . . . 4. Spurious additions or subscriptions (to Epistles), words and sentences. IV. That all sinfuU and needles detractions be supply 'd; and yt lies m 6 things — viz., I. Let all sentences, or words detracted, be added in ye text. 2. Epitomize ye contents and chaptrs better at ye topps of ye leafe. 3. The parenthesis ought not to be omitted where 'tis. 4. Exhaust not the emphasis of a word (as Idols, thirteen wayes exprest). 5. Nor the superlative, left only as a positive. 6. Notifactum, not noticed at all. V. As respecting mutation, or change, 4 things are needful, namely — I. That nothing be changed but convinc't apparently, to be better. 2. Yet a change not hurting truth, piety, or ye text, may be just and needfuU. 3. Many evil changes are to be amended, as these 9 in particular. (i) When words, or sentences, are mistaken. * Eadie, /. c, ii. 344-347. Anglo-American Revision. 445 (2) When ye margin is righter than ye Ime, as in Soo places (and more) it is. (3) When particles are confounded. (4) When a word plurall is translated as singular. (5) When the active is rendered as if a passive. (6) When the genders are confounded: as mostly ye cantic bee. (7) When Hebrismes are omited, in sUence, or amisse. (8) When participium palll, is rendered as if it were nyphall. (9) When conjugatio pyel is IngUsh'd as if kal. 4. (On the other hand) 9 good changes are to be warily endeavour'd, viz.: (i) Put the titles of ye true God (aU ouer) literi capitali. (2) Let majistrates correct misprinting of Bibles. (3) Put more in Inglish (even propria nominal) less in Heb., Gr., and Latin terms. (4) That Ingl. words (not understood in Scotland) be idiomatiz'd. (5) That all be analogical to Scripture termes, not toucht wth our opinion, or error. (6) Something equivocal to Keri, and Kethib, be noticed. (7) That letters, poynts, and stopps, be distinctly notified. (8) The paralel places ought to be well noted, in the margin. (9) Things not amiss, may be endeavored to be bettered. The Uke is (as to ye N. T.) to be endeavored, many words wanting their owne native idiom and import, and sometimes ye translation overflowes in ye Inglish; or els is defective: and some words confounded: (Ex., gr. Svvafiii, power, and e^ovdia, in 70 or near 80 places translated power wch is properly authority, etc.). All this has been essayed by divers able Hebritians: as Mr. H: J: Mr. Jn. C, &c., whose notes and pains are yet conceal'd in private hands, but may come to light, and publick use, in due time." An Essay toward the Amendment of the last English Translation of the Bible. By Robert Gell, D.D., folio, London, 1659. He charges the translators with Calvinistic leanings, and favors cabbalistical inter pretation. An Essay for a New "Translation of the Bible. By H. R. [Hugh Ross], a Minister of the Church of England, 1702. Reasons for revising by Authj)rity our present Version of the Bible, Svo. Cambridge, 1788. * Ladle, /. c., 1., pp. 322-324. 446 The English Versions. Observations on the E.cpediency of revising the present English Ver sion ofthe Four Gospels and the Acts ofthe Apostles. By John Symonds, Professor of Modem History in the University of Cambridge, 4to., Cam bridge, 17S9. — Observations, etc., of the Epistles, by the sarae, 4to., Cambridge, 1794. Letter to the Bishop of Ely on the Subject of a Neio and Authorita tive Translation of the Holy Scriptures. By George Burges, 8vo., Pe terborough, 1796. A feeble opponent to revision. Remarks upon the Critical Principles adopted by Writers of the Bible, as expedient and necessary. By archbishop Lawrence, Svo., O.tford, 1820. Considered to be the ablest production, up to the period, against revision, chiefly on the ground of the seeming irapossibility of restoring the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, and of reaching a satis factory establishment of the Greek text of the New. Reasons why a New Translation of the Bible should not be published without a previous Examination of all the material Passages which may be supposed to be misinterpreted, 8vo., Durham, 1S16. Biblical Gleanings, by Thomas Wemyss, 8vo., York, 1816. Reasons in favour of a New Translation of the Holy Scriptures. By Sir J. B. Burgess, Svo., London, 1819. This author (as well as Bel lamy) stood committed to the assertion that the A. V. was made almost wholly from the Septuagint and the Vulgate. The temerity of his alle gation is severely exposed in the Quarterly Review (Nos. 37, 38). A Vindication of our Autliorized Translation of the Bible. By the Rev. Henry John Todd, 8vo., London, 1819. The best historical ac count of the Authorized Version up to the time. Part of it has been issued as a Tract by the S. P. C. K. A Supplement to the Autliorized English Version of the New Testa ment. By the Rev. F. H. Scrivener, London, 1845. Hints for an improved translation of the New Testament. By the Rev. James Scholefield, 3d ed., London, 1850. A Vindication of the Authorized Versioti of the English Bible. By the Rev. S. C. Malan, London, 1856. The State of the English Bible. By the Rev. W. Harness, Lon. don, 1856. Biblical Revision: Considerations in favour of a Revised Transla tion of Holy Scripture. By Edward Slater, London, 1856. Anglo-American Revision. 447 Notes on the Proposed Amendment of the Authorized Version of the Holy Scriptures. By WUliam Selwyn, Svo., Carabridge, 1856. Bible Revision and Translation; An Argument for holding fast what we have. By the Rev. John Curaraing, 8vo., London, 1856. A Plea for the Revisal of the Translation of the Bible of 16 z i. By F. Iliff', Svo., Sunderiand, 1857. On the Authorized Version of the New Testament. By Richard Chevenix Trench, D.D., London, 185S. A most important and valu able contribution; it is ostensibly in favor of postponing revision, but really one of the ablest pleas for the necessity of it. A Revised English Bible, the Want of the Church, and the Demand of the Age. By John Beard, D.D. Small Svo. London, 1S57. Revision of the Authorized Version of the Bible, Christian Remem brancer, 1S56, pp. 451-499. The New Testament, revised from the Authorized Version with the aid of other translations. By Edgar Taylor. Small Svo., London. No date. A Plea for an Edition of the Authorized Version of Holy Scripture with explanatory aud emendatorv marginal Notes. By the Rev. G. E. Biber, Svo., London, 1S57. Reasons for holding fast the Authorized English Version of the Bible. By Alexander McCaul, D.D., London, 1857. Revision of the Holy Scriptures; an Argument against Objectors, By the Rev. H. Btn-gess, Svo., 1S57. The English Bible and our Duty with regard to it. By Pliilalethes, Svo., Dublin, 185S. Most of the works here enumerated are taken from arch bishop Trench's list, which with that given in the chapter on the Authorized Version and a few others which follow may be regarded as furnishing the most important literature on the subject, which includes, of course, the recent critical edi tions of the New Testament with English translations by Alford, McClellan, EUicott, Lightfoot, Scrivener, Tregelles, etc. , the critical commentaries on the Old and New Testa ments, or detached portions of either, among which that of 448 The English Versions. Lange supplies also a revised English text, but the titles are too numerous to be given here. Archbishop Trench, On the Authorized Version of the New Testa- ment, London, 1858; bishop EUicott, Considerations on the Revision of the English Version, London, 1870; and bishop Lightfoot, On a Fresh Revision of the English New Testament, London, 1S71, have been reprinted in one volume, edited by Dr. Schaff, New York, 1873. Anglo-American Bible Revision. By members of the American Re vision Committee, New York, 1S79. Reference should also be made to the Histories of the En glish Bible by Professors Westcott, Eadie, and Moulton, Mrs. Conant, and the Rev. Blackford Condit, as furnishing most valuable material, which applies likewise to articles on the versions, etc. , in Smith's Dictionary of the Bible; the articles in Herzog, however, are very unsatisfactory, and the same may be said of what is found in the early volumes of the EncyclopcBdia Britannica. Among the numerous contributions bearing on the history of the present revision, the following by American writers are here put on record: — Articles in the Independent: March 23, and April, 1871, by the Rt. Rev. A. C. Coxe; May, 25, 1871, by Prof Bartlett; Feb. i, 1872, by ex-president Woolsey. The Theological Eclectic: April, 1870, by Prof Day. The Nation: Oct. 13, 20, 27, by Hon. G. P. Marsh. Tht Prince ton Review : ]3.-n. and April, 1859; J^'^' 1871. The. New En- glander: Feb. 1859, by Rev. Edward W. Gilman; May, 1859, by Professor Gibbs. And the Baptist QtMrterly : April, 187 1, by Prof Kendrick. The controversy as to the merits and demerits of the Re vised New Testament, in numerous pamphlets and articles in periodicals and newspapers both in Great Britain and the United States, requires neither criticism nor examination in these pages, beyond the general remark that the discussion, if conducted on principles of objective impartiality will prove Anglo-American Revision. 449 most salutory, and that animadversion marked by blind prejudice and daring assertion is unworthy of the noble ends contemplated by the indefatigable labors of a noble body of distinguished scholars. As the question of the necessity of revision belongs to the past, the history of the present revision will now be briefly traced. The Preface states: II. The present Revision had its origin in action taken by the Convo cation of the Province of Canterbury in February, 1S70, and it has been conducted throughout on the plan laid down in Resolutions of both Houses of the Province, and, more particularly, in accordance with Principles and Rules, drawn up by a Special Committee of Convocation in the following May. Two Companies, the one for the revision ofthe Authorized Version of the Old Testament and the other for the revision of the same Version of the New Testament, were forraed in the raanner specified in the Resolutions, and the work was commenced on the twenly- second day ot June 1S70. Shortly afterwards, steps were taken, under a resolution passed by both Houses of Convocation, for inviting the co operation of American scholars; and eventually two Coraraittees were formed in America, for the purpose of acting with the two English Com panies, on the basis of the Principles and Rules drawn up by the Com mittee of Convocation. The fundamental Resolutions adopted by the Convocation of Canter bury on the third and fifth days of May 1S70 were as follows: — I. That it is desirable that a revision of the Authorized Version of the Holy Scriptures be undertaken. 2. That the revision be so conducted as to comprise both marginal ren derings and such emendations as it may be found necessary to insert in the text of the Authorized Version. 3. That in the above resolutions we do not contemplate any new trans lation of the Bible, or any alteration of the language, except where in the judgment of the most competent scholars such change is necessary. 4. That m such necessary changes, the style of the language employed in the existing version be closely followed. 5. That it is desirable that Convocation should nominate a body of its own members to undertake the work of revision, who shall be at liberty to invite the co-operation of any eminent for scholarship, to whatever na tion or religious body they may belong. 2 F 4SO The English Versions. The text ofthe Resolutions and Rules is as follows: Resolved, — I. That the Committee, appointed by the Convocation of Canterbury at its last session, separate itself into two companies, the one for the revision of the Authorized Version of the Old Testaraent, the other for the revision of the Authorized Version of the New Testament. II. That the company for the revision of the Authorized Version of the Old Testament consist of the Bishops of St. Davids, Llandaff, Ely, and Bath and Wells, and of the following raembers from the Lower House — Archdeacon Rose, Canon Selwyn, Dr. Jebb, and Dr. Kay. III. That the company for the Revision of the Authorized Version of the New Testament consist of the Bishops of Winchester, Gloucester and Bristol, and Salisbury, and of the following members from the Lower House, the Prolocutor, the Deans of Canterbury and Westminster, and Canon Blakesley. IV. That the first portion of the work to be undertaken by the Old Testament Company be the revision of the Authorized Version of the Pentateuch. V. That the first portion of the work to be undertaken by the New Testament Company be the revision of the Authorized Version of the Synoptical Gospels. VI. That the following scholars and divines be invited to join the Old Testaraent Corapany: Alexander, Dr. W. L. Harrison, Archdeacon. Chenery, Professor. Leathes, Professor. Cook, Canon. McGill, Professor. Davidson, Professor A. B. Payne Smith, Canon. Davies, Dr. B. Perowne, Professor J. J. S. Fairbairn, Professor. Plumptre, Professor. Field, Rev. F. Pusey, Canon. Ginsburg, Dr. Wright, Dr. (British Museum). Gotch, Dr. Wright, W. A. (Cambridge).* VII. That the foUowing scholars and divines be invited to join the New Testaraent Company: Angus, Dr. Newman, Dr. J. H. Brown, Dr. David. Newth, Professor. Dublin, Archbishop of. Roberts, Dr. A. Eadie, Dr. Smith, Rev. G. Vance. • Dr. Douglas and Dr. Weir, Glasgow, and J. D. Geden were added subsequenUy to the Old Testament Company. Anglo-American Revision. 451 HORT, Rev. F. J. A. Scott, Dr. (Balliol CoU.). Humphry, Rev. W. G. Scrivener, Rev. F. H. Kennedy, Canon. St. Andrews, Bishop of. Lee, Archdeacon. Tregelles, Dr. Lightfoot, Dr. Vaughan, Dr. Milligan, Professor. Westcott, Canon. Moulton, Professor. VIII. That the General Principles to be followed by both Companies be as follows; — I. To introduce as few alterations as possible into the Text of the Au thorized Version consistently with faithfulness. 2. To limit, as far as possible, the expression of such alterations to the language of the Authorized and Earlier English Versions. 3. Each Company to go twice over the portion to be revised, once pro visionally, the second time finally, and on prmciples of voting as here after is provided. 4. That the Text to be adopted be that for which the evidence is de- cidedly preponderating; and that when the Text so adopted differs from that from which the Authorized Version was raade, the alteration be indicated in the margin. 5. To make or retain no change in the Text on the second final revision by each Company, except two thirds of those present approve of the same, but on the first revision to decide by simple majorities. 6. In every case of proposed alteration that may have given rise to discussion, to defer the voting thereupon till the next Meeting, whensoever the same shall be required by one third of those present at the Meeting, such intended vote to be announced in the notice for the next Meeting. 7. To revise the headings of chapters, pages, paragraphs, italics, and punctuation. 8. To refer, on the part of each Company, when considered desirable, to Divines, Scholars, and Literar)' Men, whether at home or abroad, for their opinions. IX. That the work of each Company be communicated to the other as it is completed, in order that there may be as little deviation from uniformity in language as possible. X. That the Special or Bye-rales for each Company be as follows:— I. To make all corrections in writing previous to the Meeting. 2. To place all the corrections due to textual considerations on the left hand margin, and all other corrections on the right hand margin. 3. To transmit to the Chairraan, in case of being unable to attend, the corrections proposed in the portion agreed upon for consideration. 452 The English Versions. The co-operation of American scholars provided for was brought about as follows: "In August, 1S70, Dr. Joseph Angus, President of Regent's Park College, London, and one of the British revisers, arrived in New York, with a letter from Bishop EUicott, chairman of the New Testament Com pany, authorizing him to open negotiations for the formation of an Amer ican Committee of Revision. At his request, I prepared a draft of rules for co-operation, and a list of names of Biblical scholars who would probably best represent the diiferent denominations and literary institu tions in this movement. The suggestions were submitted to the British Committee and substantially approved. Then followed an interesting official correspondence, conducted, on behalf of the British Committee, by the Bishop of Winchester, the Dean of Westminster, the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, and Dr. Angus. I was empowered by the British Committee to select and invite scholars from non-episcopal Churches; the nomination of merabers from the American Episcopal Church was, for obvious reasons, placed in the hands of some of its Bishops; but, as they declined to take action, I was requested to fill out the list."* At a meeting, held on the 7th of December, 1871, for the purpose of effecting a temporary organization and adopting a Constitution, composed of ten gentlemen, of whom one was Dr. Howson, Dean of Chester, Professor Henry B. Smith being appointed Chairman, and Professor George E. Day, Secretary, the following business of public interest was transacted. the adoption of a "constitution." I. The American Coraraittee, invited by the British Committee en gaged in the revision of the Authorized English Version of the Holy Scriptures, to co-operate with them, shaU be composed of Biblical schol ars and divines in the United States. II. This Committee shall have power to elect its officers, to add to its number, and to fill its own vacancies. III. The officers shall consist of a President, a Corresponding Secretary, and a Treasurer. The President shaU conduct the official correspondence • The Rev. Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., in Introduction on tlie Revision ofthe En glish Bible, pp. xv.-xx. Anglo-American Revision. 453 with the British revisers. The Secretary shall conduct the home cor respondence. IV. New members of the Committee, and corresponding members, must be nominated at a previous meeting, and elected unanimously by ballot. V. The American Committee shall co-operate with the British Com panies on the basis of the principles and rules of revision adopted by the British Coraraittee. VI. The American Committee shall consist of two Companies, the one for the revision of the Authorized Version of the Old Testament, the other for the revision of the Authorized Version of the New Testament. VII. Each Company shall elect its own Chairman and Recording Secretary. VIII. The British Committee will submit to the American Com panies, from time to time, such portions of their work as have passed the first revision, and the American Companies will transmit their criti cisms and suggestions to the British Companies before the second revision. IX. A joint meeting of the American and British Companies shall be held, if possible, in London, before final action. X. The American Committee to pay their own expenses, and to have the ownership and control of the copyright of the Revised Version in the United States of America. The organization of the American Committee having been duly reported, and certain difficulties removed by letter and personal conference of the Rev. Dr. Schaflf with the British Revisers, the British Committee at its meeting on the i yth day of July, 1872, took the following action: Dr. Schaff having communicated to the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol the following as the names of the American revisers, .... it was resolved that so many copies of the revised version of the first three gos pels be intrasted to Dr. Schaff for the use of the above named, with the request that they be regarded as private and confidential, and with the intimation that the work itself is provisional and tentative, and likely to undergo considerable modification. The American Committee began its work on the 4th of October, 1872. The provision of a joint meeting of the American ancl 454 The English Versions. British Revisers to be held before final action, if possible, in London, contained in Article IX. of the foregoing Constitu tion having been found impracticable, an agreement was reached on the third day of August, 1877, of which the sub stance is as follows: " The English Revisers promise to send confidentially their revision in its various stages to the American Revisers, to take all the American suggestions into special consideration before the conclusion of their la bors, to furnish them before publication with copies of the revision in its final form, and to allow them to present, in an Appendbc to the Revised Scriptures, all the remaining differences of reading and rendering of importance, which the English Committee should decline to adopt; while, on the other hand, the American Revisers pledge themselves to give their moral support to the Authorized Editions of the University Presses, with a view to their freest circulation within the United States, and not to issue a rival edition for a term of fourteen years." * The English Revisers began their work a year before the American Revisers entered upon theirs, but the work is nevertheless the joint product of both Committees. And this is distinctly brought out in the Preface: Our communications with the American Committee have been of the following nature. We transmitted to them from time to time each sev eral portion of our First Revision, and received from them in return their criticisms and suggestions. These we considered with much care and attention during the time we were engaged on our Second Revi sion. We then sent over to them the various portions of the Second Revision as they were completed, and received further suggestions, which, like the former, were closely and carefully considered. Last of all, we forwarded to them the Revised Version in its final form ; and a list of those passages in which they desire to place on record their prefer ence of other readings and renderings wUl be found at the end of the volume. We gratefully acknowledge their care, vigilance, and accuracy ; and we humbly pray that their labours and our own, thus happily united, may be permitted to bear a blessing to both countries, and to all English- speaking people throughout the world. * Companion to tlie Revised Version ofthe English New Testament, p. 96. Anglo-American Revision. 455 The whole time devoted to the work has been ten years and a half. The First Revision occupied about six years; the second about two years and a half. The remaining time has been spent in the considera tion of the suggestions from America on the Second Revision, and of many details and reserved questions arismg out of our own labours. As a rule, a session of four days has been held every month (with the ex ception of August and September) in each year from the commencement of the work in June 1S70. The average attendance for the whole time has been sixteen each day ; the whole Company consisting at first of twenty- seven, but for the greater part of the time of twenty-four members, many of them residing at great distances from London. Of the original num ber four have been removed from us by death. The American Company, in like manner, met every month (except in July and August) in the Bible House at New York. The Revision of the New Testament was finished in October, 1880. LIST OF REVISERS.' I. ENGLISH REVISION COMMITTEE. (I) Old Testament Company. The Right Rev. Edward Harold Browne, D.D., Bishop of Win- Chester (Chairman), Famham Castle, Surrey. The Right Rev. Lord Arthur Charles Hervey, D.D., Bishop of Bath and WeUs, Palace, WeUs, Somerset. The Right Rev. ALFRED Ollivant, D.D., Bishop of Llandaff, Bishop's Court, Llandaff. The Very Rev. Robert Payne Smith, D.D., Dean of Canterbury, Deanery, Canterbury. The Ven. Benjamin Harrison, M.A., Archdeacon of Maidstone, Canon of Canterbury, Canterbury. The Rev. William Lindsay Alexander, D.D., Professor of The ology, Congregational Church Hall, Edinburgh. Robert L. Bensly, Esq., Fellow and Hebrew Lecturer, GonviUe and Caius College, Cambridge The Rev. John Birrell, Professor of Oriental Languages, St. Andrew's, Scotland. » The following lists, taken from Anglo-American BibU Reoision by members of tht American Revision Committee, New York, 1879, were prepared hy Dr. Schaff, the names of the revisers deceased since its preparation having been supplied m the notes. 456 The English Versions. Frank Chance, Esq., M.D., Burleigh House, Sydenham HUl, London. Thomas Chenery, Esq., Reform Club, London, S. W. The Rev. T. K. Cheyne, Fellow and Hebrew Lecturer, Balliol CoUege, Oxford. The Rev. A. B. Davidson, D.D., Professor of Hebrew, Free Church College, Edinburgh. The Rev. George Douglas, D.D., Professor of Hebrew and Principal of Free Church College, Glasgow. S. R. Driver, Esq., Tutor of New College, Oxford. The Rev. C. J. Eliott, Winkfield Vicarage, Windsor. The Rev. Frederick Field, D.D., Carlton Terrace, Heigham, Norwich. The Rev. John Dury Geden, Professor of Hebrew, Wesleyan College, Didsbury, Manchester. The Rev. Christian D. Ginsburg, LL.D., Wokingham, Berks. The Rev. Frederick William Gotch, D.D., Principal of the Baptist College, Bristol. The Rev. William Kay, D.D., Great Leghs' Rectory, Chelmsford. The Rev. Stanley Leathes, B.D., Professor of Hebrew, King's Col lege, London. The Rev. John Rawson Lui(by, B.D., Fellow of St. Catharine's Col lege, Carabridge. The Rev. John James Stewart Perowne, D.D., Dean of Peter borough. The Rev. A. H. Sayce, FeUow and Tutor of Queen's CoUege, Oxford. The Rev. William Robertson Smith, Professor of Hebrew, Free Church College, Aberdeen. William Wright, Professor of Arabic, Carabridge. William Alois Wright, Esq. (Secretary), Bursar of Trinity College, Cambridge. O. T. Company, 2f. Note. — ^The English Old Testament Company has lost, "by death, the Right Rev. Dr. CoNNOP Thirlwall, Bishop of St. David's, d. 27 July, 1875: the Ven. Henry John Rose, Archdeacon of Bedford, d, 31 January, 1873; the Rev. William Selwyn, D.D,, Canon of Ely, d. 24 April, 1875; the Rev. Dr. Patrick Fairbairn, Principal of the Free Church College, Glasgow, d. 6 August, 1874; Professors McGiLL, d. 16 March, 1871; Weir, 27 July, 1876; and Davies, lojuly, 1875; and by resignation, the Right Rev. Dr. Christopher Wordsworth, Bishop of Lincoln: the Rev. John Jebb, Canon of Hereford, and the Rev. Edward Hayes Plumptre, D.D., Professor of N. T. Ex egesis, King's College, London (resigned 17 March, 1874). Note — ^The order of the names is as it stood originally before the promotion of some of their owners. Anglo-American Revision. 457 (2) New Testament Company. The Right Rev. Charles John Ellicott, D.D., Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol (Chairman), Palace, Gloucester. The Right Rev. George Moberly, D.C.L., Bishop of Salisbury, Pal ace, Salisbury. The Very Rev. Edward Henry Bickersteth, D.D., Prolocutor, Dean of Lichfield, Deanery, Lichfield. The Very Rev. Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, D.D., Dean of West- mmster. Deanery, Westminster. The Very Rev. Robert Scott, D.D., Dean of Rochester, Deanery, Rochester. The Very Rev. Joseph Williams Blakesley, B.D., Dean of Lincoln, Deanery, Lincoln. The Most Rev. Richard Chenevix Trench, D.D., Archbishop of Dublin, Palace, Dublin. The Right Rev. Charles Wordsworth, D.C.L., Bishop of St. An drew's, Bishopshall, St. Andrew's. The Rev. Joseph Angus, D.D., President of the Baptist College, Re gent's Park, London. The Rev. David Brown, D.D., Principal of the Free Church College, Aberdeen. The Rev. Fenton John Anthony Hort, D.D., Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. The Rev. William Gibson Humphry, Vicarage, St. Martin's-in-the- Fields, London, W. C. The Rev. Benjamin Hall Kennedy, D.D., Canon of Ely and Regius Professor of Greek, The Elms, Carabridge. The Ven. William Lee, D.D., Archdeacon of Dublin, Dublin. The Right Rev. Joseph Barber Lightfoot, D.D., Bishop of Durham. The Rev. William Milligan, D.D., Professor of Divinity and Biblical Criticism, Aberdeen. The Rev. William F. Moulton, D.D., Master of The Leys School, Cambridge. The Rev, Samuel Newth, D.D., Principal of New College, Hamp- stead, London. The Ven. Edwin Palmer, D.D., Archdeacon of Oxford, Christ Church, Oxford. The Rev. Alexander Roberts, D.D., Professor of Humanity, St. Andrew's. The Rev. Frederick Henry Ambrose Scrivener, LL.D., Prebend ary, Hendon Vicarage, London, N. W. 458 The English Versions. The Rev. George Vance Smith, D.D., Parade, Carmarthen. The Rev. Charles John Vaughan, D.D., Master of the Temple, The Temple, London, E. C. The Rev. Brooke Foss Westcott, D.D., Carion of Peterborough and Regius Professor of Divinity, Trinity College, Cambridge. The Rev. J. Troutbeck (Secretary), Dean's Yard, Westminster. N. T. Company, zj. Active members in both Companies, J2. Note, — The English New Testament Company has lost, by death, the Right Rev. Dr. Samuel Wilberborce, Bishop of Winchester, d. 1873: the Very Rev. Dr. Henry Alford, Dean of Canterbury, d. 1871; the Rev. Dr. John Eadie, Professor of Bibli cal Literature in the United Presbyterian Church, Glasgow, d. 1876: Mr. Samuel Pridea,ux Tregelles, LL.D. (who was prevented by ill health from taking any part in the work), d. 1875; and the Very Rev. Dr. Arthur Penrhvn Stanley, Dean of Westminster, d. July, 1881: and by resignation, the Rev. Dr. Charles Merxvale, Dean of Ely. (The Rev. F. C. CoOK, Canon of Exeter, the Rev. Dr. E. B. PusEY, who were asked to join the O. T. Company, and the Rev. Dr. J. H. Newman, who was asked to join the N. T. Company, declined to serve.) II. AMERICAN REVISION COMMITTEE. General Officers of the Committee. Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., President. George E. Day, D.D., Secretary. (l) Old Testament Company. Prof. Wm. Henry Green, D.D., LL.D. (Chairman), Theological Sem inary, Princeton, N. J. Prof. Georce E. Day, D.D. (Secretary), Divinity School of Yale Col lege, New Haven, Conn. Prof. Charles A. Aiken, D.D., Theological Sem., Princeton, N. J. The Rev. T. W. Chambers, D.D., CoUegiate Reformed Dutch Church, N. Y. Prof. Thomas J. Conant, D.D., Brooklyn, N. Y. Prof. John De Witt, D.D., Theological Sem., New Brunswick, N. J. Prof. George Emlen Hare, D.D., LL.D., Divinity School, PhUa. Prof. Charles P. Krauth, D.D., LL.D., Vice-Provost of the Univer- sity of Pennsylvania, PhUadelphia. Prof. Charles M. Mead, D.D., Theological Seminary, Andover, Mass. Prof. Howard Osgood, D.D., Theological Sem., Rochester, N. Y. Prof. Joseph Packard, D.D., Theological Seminary, Alexandria, Va, Prof. Calvin E. Stowe, D.D., Hartford, Conn. Anglo-American Revision. 459 Prof. James Strong, S.T.D., Theological Seminary, Madison, N. J. Prof. C. V. A. Van Dyck, D.D., M.D., Beirlit, Syria (Advisory Mem ber on questions of Arabic). O. T. Company, 14. Note, — The American Old Testament Company has lost, by death, Tavler Lewis, LL.D., Professor Emeritus of Greek and Hebrew, Union College, Schenectady, N. v., d. 1877. (2) New Testament Company. Ex-President T. D. Woolsey, D.D., LL.D. (Chairman), New Haven, Conn, Prof. J. Henry Thayer, D.D. (Secretary), Theo. Sem., Andover, Mass. Prof. Ezra Abbot, D.D., LL.D., Divinity School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. The Rev. J. K. Burr, D.D., Trenton, New Jersey. President Thomas Chase, LL.D., Haverford College, Pa. Chancellor Howard Crosby, D.D., LL.D., New York University, New York. Prof. Timothy Dwight, D.D., Divinity School of Yale CoUege, New Haven, Conn. Prof. A. C. Kendrick, D.D., LL.D., University of Rochester, Roches ter, N. Y. The Right Rev. Alfred Lee, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Delaware. Prof. Matthew B. Riddle, D.D., Theological Sem., Hartford, Conn. Prof. Philip Schaff, D.D., LL.D., Union Theological Sem., N. Y. Prof. Charles Short, LL.D., Columbia CoUege, N. Y. The Rev. E. A. Washburn, D.D., Calvary Church, N. Y. N. T. Company, ij. In both Companies, 2'/ . Note. — The American New Testament Company has lost, by death, James Had ley, LL.D., Professor of Greek, Yale College, Conn, {who attended the first session), d. 1872: Professor Henry Boynton Smith, D.D., LL.D., Union Theological Semi- nary. New York (who attended one session, and resigned, from ill health), d. 1877 Professor Horatio B. Hackett, D.D., LL.D., Theological Seminary, Rochester, N Y., d. 1876: and Professor Charles Hodge, D.D., LL.D., Theological Seminary, Princeton, N. J. (who never attended the meetings, but corresponded with the Com mittee), d. 1878; the Rev. Dr. E. A. Washburn, Calvary Church, New York, d. Feb.., 1881: Prof. Charles P. Krauth. D.D., LL.D., d. Jan. 2, 1883; and by resignation. Rev. G. R. Crooks, D.D., New York, and Rev. W. F. Warren, D.D., Boston (who accepted the original appointment but found it impossible to attend). The New Testament was published on the seventeenth day of May, 1881, and the demand for it was unparalleled in the history ofthe book trade. It bears this title: 460 The English Versions. The New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Trans lated out of the Greek: Being the Version set forth A.D. ibii com pared with the most Ancient Authorities and Revised A.D. 188 1. Printed for the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford at the University Press. 1 88 1. After the Preface, to be noticed in full presently, follows: THE names and ORDER OF ALL THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. S. Matthew, S. Mark, S. Luke, S. John, The Acts, To the Romans, I Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, To the Galatians, To the Ephesians, To the PhUippians, To the Colossians, i Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, I Timothy, 2 Timothy, To Titus, To PhUemon, To the Hebrews, James, I Peter, 2 Peter, i John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation. After Revelation comes the Appendix. After these preliminary and external matters we now pass to the examination of the Version itself in the order adopted in the Preface, which adverts to it under the four heads of Text, Translation, Language, and Marginal Notes. It states: I. A revision of the Greek text was the necessary foundation of our work; but it did not fall within our province to construct a continuous and coraplete Greek text. In many places the English rendering was considered to represent correctly either of two competing readings in the Greek, and then the question of the text was usuaUy not raised. A suf ficiently laborious task remained in deciding between the rival claims of various readin_gs which might properly affect the translation. When these were adjusted, our deviations from the text presumed to underiie the Authorized Version had next to be indicated, in accordance with the fourth rule; but it proved inconvenient to record them in the margin .... In regard of the readings thus approved, it may be observed that the fourth rule, by requiring that " the text to be adopted " should be " that for which the evidence is decidedly preponderating, " was in effect an instruction to foUow the authority of documentary evidence without def erence to any printed text of modem times, and therefore to employ the best resources of criticism for estimating the value of evidence. Textual criticism, as applied to the Greek New Testaraent, forms a special study of much intricacy and difiiculty, and even now leaves room for consider able variety of opmion among competent critics. Different schools of criticism have been represented among us, and have together contributed Anglo-American Revision. 461 to the final result . . . Many places stiU remain in which, for the present, it would not be safe to accept one reading to the absolute exclusion of others. In these cases we have given alternative readings in the raar gin, wherever they seem to be of sufficient importance or interest to de serve notice. In the introductory formula, the phrases "many ancient authorities," " some ancient authorities," are used with some latitude to denote a greater or lesser proportion of those authorities which have a distinctive right to be called ancient. These ancient authorities com prise not only Greek manuscripts, some of which were written in the fourth or fifth centuries, but versions of a still earlier date in different languages, and also quotations by Christian writers of the second and following centuries. In order to explain and illustrate the preceding weighty passage to those not familiar with its subject matter, two ex amples, one from the Gospels and one from the Epistles, are here given. The first is Matth. vi. 13, which reads in the Au thorized Version: "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen," but is omitted from the text of the New Version, and transferred to the margin with the introductory formula: " Many authorities, some ancient, but with variations, add For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. A men. " Whatever text underlay the Authorized Version in this place, it was not one in any way entitled to respect, for it de viates from the most ancient manuscripts. The omitted clause is wanting in Codex Sinaiticus {Aleph, 4th century) Codex Vaticanus (B. , 4th cent. ), Codex Bezag (D. , 6th cent. ), and Codex Pal. DubHn (Z., 6th cent.); likewise in the cur sive MSS., Nos. I, 17, 118, 130, and 209. The Codex Alexandrinus (A., 5th cent), and Codex Ephragmi Rescr. (C. , 5th cent. ), being mutilated in this place are, of course, useless for the purpose of our inquiry. On the other hand, many of the MSS. , which contain the clause, supply it in red ink to distinguish it from the text, while others give it in the margin. It is also in the newly-discovered Codex Rossa- nensis, ascribed to the close of the sixth century or the begin- 462 The English Versions. ning of the seventh, the text of which, however, is considered to be inferior in purity to that of the MSS. before mentioned. Turning from the Greek MSS. to the ancient versions, the clause is wanting in the Old Latin, Vulgate, and Memphitic, but found in the ^Ethiopic, Armenian, Gothic, and Syriac versions; but as there is considerable doubt as to the genuine ness of the last-named version, the presence of the clause in it is not as decisive, as it would be without such doubt. The clause is likewise unnoticed in the ancient expositions of the Lord's Prayer by Origen (died 254), Tertullian (200-220), and Cyprian (248-258), although it is found in Chrysostom (397-407). It has been traced back to i Chron. xxix. 11, and 2 Tim. iv. 1 8 is considered to be the germ of this litur gical addition to the text, which crept into it probably about the beginning of the fourth century. These textual consid erations left the Revisers no choice, and compelled them to deny it a place in the sacred text, while their marginal anno tation is a marvel of comprehensive accuracy. Our second example is given in parallel columns with the changes in italics in both versions. I TIM. III. 16. 16 II. 188 1. And without controuersie, great is And without controversy great is the mysterie of godlinesse : God -was the mystery of godliness; *He wlie manifest in the flesh, iustified in the was manifested in the flesh, justified Spirit, seene of Angels, preached vn- in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, beleeued on in the among the nations, believed on in world, receiued vp into glory. the world; received up in glory. This very important passage unfolds very clearly the per plexities of textual criticism. Let the reader understand that the difference between the reading God, represented in Greek characters by 0C, and the reading He -who, represented in * Margin: The word God in place of He who, rests on no sufficient ancient evi- dence. Some ancient authorities read which. Anglo-American Revision. 463 Greek by OC, turns upon the presence of the horizontal bar over the two Greek letters, and the genuineness of the line in the centre of 0; the difference between ijuho, Greek OC, and which, Greek O, on the presence or absence of the C. Now in the famous Cod. Sin. we have the reading who corrected by a hand of the twelfth century into God, and in the Cod. Alex, critics are undecided, in the present worn con dition of the respective leaf, whether it be OC or 0C. Those who saw the MS. soon after it came to England (1628) pro nounce almost unanimously in favor of 0C. On the other hand, the Codd. Sin. and Ephr., the Memphitic and Thebaic versions, Origen, and the critical editions of the New Testa ment by Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Ellicott, and Westcott and Hort, pronounce in favor of OC; the weight of evidence, therefore, as well as the fact that it is the more difficult reading, compelled the Revisers to adopt it. The reading which against who, is supported by the Codex Claromontanus, the Old Latin, Vulgate and Peshito versions, and this explains the marginal note. So careful a scholar as bishop Ellicott decides "indisputably after minute personal inspection " * for the reading adopted in the New Version. And concerning the whole passage, Winer, Wiesinger, De Wette, Ellicott, Westcott and Hort, and other competent scholars hold that it formed part of a well known ancient hymn or confession of faith in praise of "The Living God," or "The mystery of godhness," arranged thus: Who was manifested in the fiesh. Justified in the Spirit, Seen of Angels, Preached among the nations. Believed on in the world. Received up in glory. * See Com'sentary on the passage. 464 The English Versions. The other changes in this passage, not textual, need not be discussed here. On the all-important subject of the text, impartial criticism must pronounce it the purest text of any version extant, con forming as far as scrupulous, laborious, and conscientious scholarship of the most competent textualists now living could make it conform, to the purest text of the most au thentic and weighty ancient manuscripts, supported by the earliest and truest versions, and the testimony of the earliest and most learned Christian writers. The Preface continues: 2. We pass now from the Text to the Translation. The character of the Revision was determined for us from the outset by the first rule, " to introduce as few alterations as possible, consistently with faithfiilness. " Our task was revision, not re-translation.* In the application however of this principle to the many and intricate detaUs of our work, we have found ourselves constrained by faithfulness to introduce changes which might not at first sight appear to be included under the rule. The alterations which we have made in the Authorized Version may be roughly grouped in five principal classes. First, alterations positively required by change of reading in the Greek Text. Secondly, alterations made where the Authorized Version appeared either to be incorrect, or to have chosen the less probable of two possible renderings. Thirdly, alterations of obscure or ambiguous renderings, into such as are clear and express in their import .... Fourthly, alterations of the Authorized Version in cases where it was inconsistent with itself in the rendering of two or more passages con fessedly alike or parallel. * The term "revision" seems to have been construed very liberally; for strictly speaking the Revised Version is a new translation on the basis of the Authorized Ver sion. The Revision is a new translation from the original with reference to the old; whatever in the old was found to be faithfully rendered was allowed to stand, but wherever in the judgment of the Revisers a change was necessary it was made, so that as a matter of fact the Revision is really a new translation. Anglo-American Revision. 465. Fifthly, alterations rendered necessary ly consequence, that is, arising out of changes already made, though not in themselves required by the general rule of faithfulness. These different classes of alterations will now be examined and illustrated. I. Alterations positively required by change of reading in the Greek Text. In addition to the two examples already given, a few others are supplied without note or comment, the juxtaposition of the two versions being deemed sufficient. MATTH. V. 22. ibii. 1881. Whosoeuerisangrywithhisbroth- Whosoever is angry with his er without a cause. brother. MATTH. XIX. 17. Why callest thou me good ? there Why askest thou me concerning is none good but one, that is God; that which is good? One there is but if thou wilt enter into life, keep who is good: but if theu wouldest the commandements. enter into life, keep the comraand raents. JOHN XX. 16. She tumed her selfe, and saith She txccneth herself, and saith im- vnto him, Rabboni, which is to say, to him in Hebrew, Rabboni; which Master. is to say, Master. I PET. II. 21. Christ also suffered for vs, leaning Christ also suffered ior you, leav- vs an example, that yee should fol- ing you an example, that ye should low his steps. follow his steps. 2 PET. III. 2. That ye may be mindfull of the That ye should remember the words which were spoken before by words which , were spoken before the holy Prophets, and of the com- by the holy prophets, and the com mandement ofvs the ApostLs ofthe mandment ofthe Lord and Saviour Lord and Sauiour. through your Apostles. REV. xxii. 14. Blessed are they that do his com- Blessed are they that wash their mandements that they may haue robes, that they may have the right right to ih? tree of life. to come to the tree of life. 2 G 466 The English Versions. II. Alterations made where the Authorized Version appeared either to be incorrect, or to have chosen the less probable of two renderings. I COR. XIV. 20. Brethren, be not chUdren m.vn- Brethren, be not chUdren in »«!«i/.' derstanding; howbeit in malice be howbeit in maUce be ye babes, but yee children, but in vnderstanding in mind be men. ' be men.' 1 Gr. perfect, or, of a ripe age. 1 Gr. of full age. This passage in the New Version is a vast improvement upon the Old, which is clearly incorrect in that it fails to bring out the distinction between ¦Kax.Sia and vrfiiioi, which is all important, for the Apostle requires the Corinthians not only not to be children in malice, but to grace the maturity of mind by the guileless innocence of infants. I COR. XI. 28-34. 28 But let a man examine him- But let a man prove himself, 28 selfe, and so let him eate of that bread and drink of that cup. 29 For hee Uiat eateth and drinketh vnworthily, eateth and drinketh 'damnation to himselfe, not dis cerning the Lord's body. 30 Forforthiscausemanyareweakeand sickly araong you, and many sleep. 31 ^orii^e would iudge owx^nei, we should not be iudged. 32 But when we are iudged, we are chastened of the Lord, that aU should not be condemned with the world. and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For he that eateth and drmk- 29 eth, eateth and drinketh judge ment unto himself, if he ^discern not the body. For this cause many among you 30 are weak and sickly, and not a few sleep. But if we "^discerned ourselves, 31 we should not be judged. But Swhen we are judged, we 32 are chastened of the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brethren, when Wherefore, my brethren, when 33 ye corae together to eate, tary ye come together to eat, wait one for another. one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him If any man is hungry, let liim 34 eate at home, that ye come not eat at home; that your coming together vnto ^condemn, ition. together be not unto judgement. I Or, Judgement. 1 Gr. discriminate. 2 Gr. discriminated. 3 Or, when we are judged of the Lord, we are chastened. Anglo-American Revision. 467 Although this passage does not in all respects come under this head, it does so in some, and is given to show the discrimination between Siaxpivsiv, xpivstv, and nara.- Kpivsiv; the first word importing discernment (vv. 29, 31) before and in communicating; the second, expressing the immediate consequences of its non-exercise (w. 31, 32); and the last, final condemnation (v. 34). The avoidance of rendering xpi/ia by two separate words (as in the A. V. by damnation and condemnation) is likewise a great gain. In addition to quite a number of passages given in the chapter on the Authorized Version, the following seem to come under this head, and exhibit decided improvements in the changes made. I COR. VIII. 7. For some with conscience of the But some, being used until now idole vnto this houre, eate it as a to the idol, eat as (of) a thing sac- thing offered vnto an idole. rificed to an idol. I JOHN V. 13. These things haue I written vnto These things have I written unto you that beleeue on the Name of the you, that ye may know that ye have Son of God, that yee may know, eternal life, (even) unto you that be- that yee haue eternall life, and that lieve on the name of the Son of God. yee may beleeue on the Name of the Sonne of God. III. Alterations of obscure or ambiguous renderings into such as are clear and express in their import .... MATTH. V. 16. Let your light so shine before Even so let your light shine be- men, that they may see your good fore men, that they may see your workes, and glorifie your father good works, and glorify your Fa- which is in heauen. ther which is in heaven. The old rendering, by making so emphatic by position, ob scures the sense which, as in the Revision, connects this verse with V. 1 5, and imports that as a lamp shines unto all that are in the house, even so let your light shine. 468 The English Versions. MATTH. XVI. 23. Get thee behinde rae, Satan, thou Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence vnto me. art a stumblingblock unto me. Offence, here and in many other places, as well as offend, does not signify to give offence, but to cause to stumble. LUKE III. 23. And lesus himselfe began to be And Jesus himself w,4£'k ,4^ began about thirty yeeres of age. (to teach) was about thurty years of age. The Utterly unmeaning rendering of the A. V. is singularly improved by the translation in the Revision, and the intro duction of the supplementary words, put in parentheses here, is very happy. JOHN IX. 17. What sayest thou of him, that he What sayest thou of him, in that hath opened thine eyes ? he opened thine eyes ? In that signifies because, and removes the ambiguity. ACTS IV. 4. And the number of the men was And the number of the men came about fiue thousand. to be about five thousand. The obscurity of the A. V. is removed by a more adequate rendering of iyevij^r). ACTS XXVII. 40. And when they had 'taken vp And casting off the anchors, they the ankers, they comraitted (thera- left them in the sea. selues) vnto the sea. 1 Or, cut tlie ankers, they Uft them in the sea. The translation of the A. V. illustrates not only the selec tion of the worse and less probable of two possible renderings, but the introduction of a ludicrous ambiguity, if not a posi tively false statement, all of which is cleared in the concise rendering of the Revision. The passage x. i, of this same book, I perceive, introduces in the Revision the marginal reading: "Or, cohort" in place Anglo-American Revision. 469 of band. It would, possibly, have been better to have adopted it in the text, although it is to be hoped that the original re flection of the temporary English occupant of a Scotch pres- byterian pulpit, mentioned by Dr. Eadie (II. p. 367) may not find any imitators. The said exegete enlarging on the power of divine grace in the conversion of Cornelius, startled his hearers with the statement, that he was not only a soldier, but also the leader of a band or company of foreign musicians, many of whom were still coming from Italy. IV. Alterations of the Authorized Version in cases where it was in consistent with itself in the rendering of two or more passages confessedly alike or parallel. This class of changes is very numerous, and comprises not only words, but clauses and entire sentences; we will consider a few of each. Words. The word icpcatdpiov is'rendered in the A. V., Matth. xxvii. 27, " common- haU" (va2.xg\Vi., governor' s house);^-^x'^yiv . 16, "prfetorium," John xviu. 28, xix. 9, "haU of judgment " (margin, Pilate's house); xviu. 33, " judgment-haU " ; so likewise in Acts x.\iii. 35, and Phil. i. 13, "palace" (margin Ccesar' s court). In the Revision the word is rendered in the first place "palace" (margin, Gr. prcetorium); in the second "praetorium " (margin, O^c, palace); while the passages in John give "palace" (margin, Gr. prcetorium) and Phil. i. 13, "prjetorian guard" {margin, prcetorium). Why the variation remains in Mark is difficult to say ; there is every reason why it should be rendered as in the other places, except the last, where the context and sense require the variation. fivrjuBiov in the A. V. is rendered in the same verse, Matth. xxvii. 60, "tomb" and "sepulchre." The Revision avoids the inconsistency. The unquestionable paraUelism of tiOLudpioi, i Pet. iu. 14, and the same word in Matth. v. 10, rendered in the A. V., "happy " in the first place, and " blessed " in the second has been recognized in the Revision by a consistent rendering. The paralleUsm, if not identity, of the subjoined two passages exhibits an unjustifiable inconsistency in the A. V.; the words in italics show the verbal agreement in the Greek. 470 The English Versions. MARK XII. 38-40. LUKE XX. 46, 47. ibii. Beware of the Scribes, which de sire to walke in long robes, and loue greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the Synagogues, and the chiefe roumes at feasts: which deuoure widowes houses, and for a shew make long prayers. Beware of the Scribes which loue to go in long clothing, and (loue) salutations in the market places. And the chiefe seates in the Syna gogues, and the vppermost roumes at feasts: Which deuoure widowes houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. The extent to which this inconsistency has been removed in the Re vision, is apparent from the re-appearance of the same passages in their amended form. MARK XII. 38-40. LUKE XX. 46, 47. I88I. Beware of the scribes, which de sire to walk in long robes, and to /inz/^salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts: they which devour widows' houses, 'and for a pretence make long prayers. Beware of the scribes, which de sire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts ; which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers. 1 Or, even whiUfor a pretence they make. The differences remaining are faithful renderings of the Greek text. The glaring inconsistency of rendering, and its successful correction in I Cor. XV. 27, 28, which foUows needs no comment beyond stating that the words in italics are parts of the sarae Greek verb. ibi I. For he hath put all things vnder his feet; but when hee saith all things are put vnder him, it is man ifest that hee is excepted which did put all things vnder him. And when all things shall bee subdued vnto him, then shal the Sonne also himselfe bee subiect vnto him that put all things vnder him, that God may be all in all. j8Si. For, He put aU things in subjec tion under his feet. But when he saith, AU things are put in subjec tion, it is evident that he is excepted who did subject all things unto him. And when all things have been sub jected unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subjected to him that did subject all things unto him, that God may be all in aU. Anglo-American Revision. 471 The Revisers of the New Version had in the Genevan and Rhemish versions exaraples of greater consistency of rendering, but they excel both in making one verb bring out by raore correct inflection aU the va riations of thought, with the result that this passage is perhaps the most faithful transcript of the Greek idiom in the English that could be fur nished. One such example is the most eloquent monument of the mas terly skiU of the Revisers. Clauses and Sentences. Among the inconsistencies referred to under this head may be instanced several quotations from the Old Testament, e. g., Deut. xxxu. 35, quoted the same words in the Greek, appears in the A. V. thus: ROM. XII. 19. HEB. X. 30. Vengeance is mine, I wUl repay, Vengeance belongeth vnto me, I saith the Lord. wil recompense, saith the Lord. The rendering in Hebrews is that adopted in both places in tne Re vision, except ''saith the Lord" in Hebrews, as not belonging to tlie text. Gen. XV. 6 (Ixx.) is quoted in the two versions thus: ROM. IV. 3. ibii. 1881. It was counted vnto him for right- It was reckoned unto him for eousnes. righteousness. ROM. IV. 22. It was imputed to him for right- (Same as above.) eousnesse. GAL. III. 6. It was 'accounted to him for right- (Same as above.) eousnesse. 1 Or, imputed. JAMES II. 23. It was imputed vnto him for right- (Same as above.) eousnesse.and Rom. iv. 9 in connection with the first two: Faith was reckoned to Abraham To Abraham his faith was reck- for righteousnesse. oned for righteousness. Psalm XCV. 11 is quoted in the same context thus: 472 The English Versions. HEB. III. II. ibii. 1881. So I sware in my wrath; 'They As I sware in my wrath, 'They shall not enter into my rest. shall not enter into my rest. 1 0^,1/ they shall enter. 1 C^-c , if they shall enter . HEB. IV. 3. As I haue sworne in my wrath, (Same as above.) if they shall enter into my rest. These examples, illustrative of what has been done on a large scale, indicate a step in the right direction, which can hardly be overestimated as to the benefit to be derived there from by every reader of the Holy Scriptures. V. Alterations rendered necessary by consequence. What is meant by these had best be given in the language ofthe Preface, which says: This may be made plain by an example. When a particular word is found to recur with characteristic frequency in any one of the Sacred Writers, it is obviously desirable to adopt for it some uniform rendering. Again, where, as in the case of the first three Evangelists, precisely the same clauses or sentences are found in more than one of the Gospels, it is no less necessary to translate them in every place in the same way. These two principles may be Ulustrated by reference to a word that per petually recurs in St. Mark's Gospel, and that raay be translated either "straightway," "forthwith,'' or "iraraediately.'' Let it be supposed that the first rendering is chosen, and that the word, in accordance with the first of the above principles, is in that Gospel uniforraly translated " straightway." Let it be further supposed that one of the passages of St. Mark, in which it is so translated is found, word for word, in one of the other Gospels, but that there the rendering of the Authorized Version happens to be "forthwith" or "immediately." That rendering must be changed on the second of the above principles; and yet such a change would not have been raade but for this concurrence of two sound prin ciples, and the consequent necessity of raaking a change on grounds ex traneous to the passage itself. This is but one of many instances of consequential alterations which might at first sight appear unnecessary, but which nevertheless have been deliberately made, and are not at variance with the rule of introducing as few changes in the Authorized Version as faithfulness would allow. Anglo-American Revision. 473 The Preface then dwells upon grammatical changes, which require no discussion or illustration here, as they have been fully presented before in the chapter on the Authorized Ver sion. It proceeds: 3. We now come to the subject of Language. The second of the rules by which the work has been governed pre scribed that the alterations to be introduced should be expressed as far as possible, in the language of the Authorized Version or of the Versions that preceded it. To this rule we have faithfully adhered. We have habitually con sulted the earlier Versions; and in our sparing introduction of words not found in them or in the Authorized Version we have usually satisfied ourselves that such words were employed by standard writers of nearly the same date, and had also that general hue which justified their intro duction into a Version which has held the highest place in the classical literature of our language. We have never removed any archaisms, whether in structure or in words, except where we were persuaded either that the meaning of the words was not generaUy imderstood, or that the nature of the expression led to some misconception of the true sense of the passage. The frequent inversions of the strict order of the words, which add much to the strength and variety of the Authorized Version, and give an archaic colour to many felicities of diction, have been seldom modified. Indeed, we have often adopted the same arrangement in our own alterations; and in this, as in other particulars, we have sought to assimilate the new work to the old. In a few exceptional cases we have failed to find any word in the older stratum of our language that appeared to convey the precise meaning of the original. There, and there only, we have used words of a later date ; but not without having first assured ourselves that they are to be found in the writings of the best authors of the period to which they belong. The gravamina against the Authorized Version under this head having been fully considered in the chapter relating to it require no further discussion here. On the general subject it may be added that to the " innocent archaisms'' which the conservative spirit of the Revisers has retained belong halh, whiles, throughly, holpen, and which for who. The American Revisers desired to go further in this matter, 474 The English Versions. as appears from VII. in the Classes of Passages enumerated in the Appendix, which reads: Substitute modem forms of speech for the foUowing archaisms, viz., who or that for which when used of persons; are for be in the present indicative; know, knew, for wot, wist; drag or drag away for hale. In the treatment of proper names the Revisers, not bound by any special rule, followed generally the rule laid down for their predecessors, without the capricious violations of which they were guilty. That rule, it will be remembered, was to this eflfect: The names of the prophets and the holy writers, with the other names of the text, to be retained as nigh as may be, accordingly as they were vulgarly used. The Preface adds: Some difficulty has been felt in dealing with names less familiarly known. Here our general practice has been to follow the Greek form of names, except in the case of persons and places mentioned in the Old Testament, in this case we have followed the Hebrew. For ample illustrations of the inconsistencies ofthe A. V., under this head, the reader may consult the chapter relating to it. They have been corrected in the New Version, where, e. g.. Acts vii. 45 now reads: "Which also our fathers, on their turn, brought in with Joshua when they entered on the possession of the nations"; and Heb. iv. 8: "For \i Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day. " The marginal notes in the New Version are singularly val uable, and exhibit in a striking manner the masterly hand ling of the well-nigh inexhaustible material, of which these notes embody the result. In the language ofthe Preface: These Notes fall into four main groups: first, notes specifying such differences of reading as were judged to be of sufficient importance to require a particular notice; secondly, notes indicating the exact rendering of words to which, for the sake of English idiom, we were obliged to Anglo-American Revision. 475 give a less exact rendering in the text; thirdly, notes, very few in num ber, affording some explanation which the original appeared to require ; fourthly, alternative renderings in difficult or debateable passages. The notes of this last group are numerous, and largely in excess of those which were admitted by our predecessors. In the 270 years which have passed away since their labours were concluded, the Sacred Text has been minutely examined, discussed in every detaU, and analyzed with a grammatical precision unknown in the days of the last Revision. There has thus been accumulated a large amount of materials that have pre pared the way for different renderings, which necessarily came under dis cussion. We have therefore placed before the reader in the margin other renderings than those which were adopted in the text, wherever such renderings seemed to deserve consideration. The rendering in the text, where it agrees with the Authorized Version, was supported by at least one third, and, where it differs frora the Authorized Version, by at least two thirds of those who were present at the second revision of the passage iu question. Notes of the first group are generally introduced by the formulae: "Some ancient authorities," "many ancient authorities," "some au thorities," etc.; e. g., at Matth. xxiu. 38: "Some ancient authorities omit desolate." John v. iii., "Many ancient authorities insert wholly or in part, waiting for the moving of the water: 4. for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole, -with whatsoever disease he was holden." Matth. xviU. 10, "Many authorities, some ancient, insert ver. 11, For the Son of man came to save that which was lost. See Luke xbc. 10 "; and other vari tions ofthe formula. Notes of the second group are generaUy introduced by "Gr," i. e., Greek; e. g.: Matth. vi. i, "Gr. a millstone turned by an ass." Luke xv. 16, "Gr. the pods of the carob-iree." Acts xxvii. 12, "Gr. down the southwest wind and down the northwest wind." Heb. xiii. 5, "Gr. Xjttyour turn of mind he free." Of notes ofthe third group the foUowing are instances: Matth. xviu. 24, "This talent was probably worth about ^'240"; v. 28, "The word in the Greek denotes a coin worth about eight pence half-penny "; xxvu. 6, "Gr. corbanas, that is, sacred treasury. Compare Mark vu. 11." Mark xiv. 3, "Gr. pistic nard, pistic being perhaps a local name. Others take it to mean genuine, others liquid." Luke xxui. 33, "Ac cording to the Latin, Calvary, which has the same meaning." John 476 The English Versions. xxi. 15-17, " Love in these places represents two different Greek words." Actsix. 36, "That is. Gazelle." i Pet. v. 13, "That is. The church, or, the sister." Notes of the fourth group are simply introduced by "Or"; e. g.: Matth. iii. 17, "Or, This is my Son; my beloved in whom I am well pleased. See ch. xii. 18." Luke ii. 49, "Or, about my Father's busi ness. Gr. in the things of my Father." John xviii. 12, "Or, military tribune. Gr. chiliarch." Rom. vi. 5, "Or, united with the likeness .... with the likeness." Heb. xu. 18, "Or, a palpable and kindled fire"; 22, "Or, and to innumerable hosts, the general assembly of angels, and the church 'Sr'c." James iv. 5, "Or, The spirit which he made to dwell in us he yearneth for even unto jealous envy. Or, That spirit which he made to dwell in us yearneth for us even unto jealous envy." Rev. xii. 10, "Or, Now is the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom become our God's, and the authority \shecon\e his Clirist' s." There are still some particulars to which the Preface refers. (a) The use of italics has been "on the general principle of printing m italics words which did not appear to be necessarily involved in the Greek. Our tendency has been to diminish rather than to increase the amount of italic printing; though, in the case of difference of readings, we have usually marked the absence of any words in the original which the sense might nevertheless require to be present in the Version; and again, in the case of inserted pronouns, where the reference did not ap pear to be perfectly certain, we have similarly had recourse to italics. Some of these cases, especially when there are slight differences of read ing, are of singular intricacy, and make it impossible to maintain rigid uniformity." (b) The arrangement in paragraphs, preserving " the due mean be tween a system of long portions which must often include several sepa rate topics, and a system of frequent breaks " adopted in the New Version is a decided and marked improvement, for while the continuity of the thought is not interrupted by arbitrary or injudicious breaks, the reten tion of the traditional plan of a division by chapter and verse, as indicated on the margin, affords unimpaired facUities for reference. There are, however, certain defects which wUl be noted below. (c) The metrical arrangement of quotations from the Poetical Books of the Old Testament, and of the hymns in Luke i., ii., not only arrests at tention by contrast, but affords material aid to the right understanding of the Scriptures of the New Testaraent. Anglo-American Revision. 477 (d) The matter of punctuation is not only free from caprice in the New Version, but peculiar care has been taken to make it an important auxiliary to the right understanding of the Scriptures, and to their proper reading, e. g., on occasions for pubUc worship. Much of what has been said under the last few heads, may be illustrated by the juxtaposition of the two versions. As the Bibles now circulated differ considerably in punc tuation, etc., from the edition of 1611, the quotation is from an ordinary Bible. ROMANS XV. Authorized Version. 18 For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the GentUes obedient, by word and deed, 19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto lUyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. 20 Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was naraed, lest I should buUd upon an other man's foundation: 21 But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see: and they that have not heard shall understand. 22 For which cause also I have been 'much hindered from coming to you. 23 But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you; 24 Whensoever I take my joumey into Spain, I will corae to you: for I trust to see you in my joumey, and to be brought on my way thith- Tlie New Version. For I will not dare to speak of 18 'any things save those whichlChrist wrought through me, for the obe dience of the Gentiles, by word and deed, in the power of signs 19 and wonders, in the power of 2the Holy Ghost; so that from Jerusa lem, and round about even unto Illyricum, I have 'fully preached the gospel of Christ; yea, ^mak- 20 ing it my aim so to preach the gospel, not where Christ was al ready named, that I might not build upon another man's foun dation; but, as it is written, 21 They shall see, to whora no tidings of him came. And they who have not heard shall understand. Wherefore also I was hindered 22 these many times from coming to you: but now, having no more 23 any place in these regions, and having these many years a long ing to come unto you, whenso- 24 ever I go unto Spain (for I hope to see you in my joumey, and to be brought on my way thither ward by you, if first in some 478 The English Versions. erward by you, if first I be some- measure I shaU have been satis- what filled 'with your company. fied with your company)— but 25 25 But now I go unto Jerusalem now, I say, I go unto Jerusalem, to minister unto the saints. mmistering unto the saints. 1 Or, many ways, or, oftentimes. 1 Gr. of those things which Christ 2 Gr. •with you, v. 32. "wrought not through me. 2 Many ancient authorities read ^Af Spirit of God. One reads the Spirit. 3 Gr. fulfiUed. i Gr. beifig ambitious. It is impossible for any unprejudiced critic to hesitate as to which version of the above passage is superior in eyery respect. The clearness of the new version, the epistolary style, the cor diality of the expression, and the ease of the division, all in strict accordance with the Greek, are worthy of all commen dation, and entitled to the grateful recognition of every lover of the Word of God. The Preface continues: (e) We may in the last place notice one particular to which we were not expressly directed to extend our revision, namely, the Titles of the Books of the New Testament. These titles are no part of the original text; and the titles found in the most ancient manuscripts are of too short a form to be convenient for use. Under these circurastances, we have deemed it best to leave unchanged the titles which are given in the Au thorized Version as printed in 161 1. The edition of 1611 contains Summaries of the Contents of each chapter, and marginal references, both supplied by the Authorized Translators, which do not appear in the Re vised Version. The adoption of the paragraph system is of course inconsistent with the summaries of the contents of each chapter, but as those summaries are excellent, though suscep tible of improvement, they might with great advantage be adapted to the paragraph system, by the contents of each greater paragraph appearing in the margin. This would cer tainly enhance the facilities for reference, and break the some what heavy appearance of the page. The seventh of the prin- Anglo-American Revision. 479 ciples and rules under which the Revision was made reads. "To revise the headings of chapters and pages, paragraphs, itahcs, and punctuation." As "to revise" does not mean "to discard," and as "the headings of chapters and pages" must include the summaries, it seems to follow, that these, duly revised, should be adapted to the paragraph system; and they may be so adapted without difBculty, for the summaries are subdivided; e. g., that of Matth. i. runs: " i The gene alogy from Abraham to Joseph. 18 He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and bom of the Virgin Mary when she was espoused to Joseph. 19 The angel satisfieth the misdeeming thoughts of Joseph, and interpreteth the names of Christ." The last requires correction, but there is no reason why these subdivisions of contents should not be placed against the appropriate verses in the margin. The marginal refer ences too, though not forming part of the original text, are an integral portion of the Authorized Version, and after thor ough revision, should be restored in the New, for the Fun damental Rules, as well as the Principles and Rules, do not authorize the Revisers to discard important and valuable parts of the Authorized Version, but simply impose upon them the duty of revision. In the citations, numbering 263, and the references 376, together 639,* the places in the Old Testa ment from which they are taken, as well as those to which they refer, should certainly be indicated in the margin. The omission is a serious and very inconvenient defect, which more than counterbalances the metrical arrangement. The Preface sheds no light upon these important omissions. A limited number of references to other places of the inspired volume can not fail to conduce to the proper understanding of its contents. * See Angus, Bible Hand Book, pp. 333-40. Engl, ed., for very valnable informa tion on the subject of quotations. 480 The English Versiunh. There is probably not a passage in the Preface which has been more abundantly verified than the following: We know fuU well that defects must have their place in a work so long and so arduous as this which has now ccme to an end. Blemishes and imperfections there are in the noble Translation which we have been caUed upon to revise; blemishes and imperfections wUl assuredly be found in our own Revision. It is not exaggeration to afiirm that the Revisers have been vastly more faulted than praised, and that their noble work has been i cndemned in terms of unsparing severity of cen sure, but it is only just and fair to say that no criticism is en titled to respect, which draws a general conclusion affecting the entire Version from a real or imaginary blemish, defect, or error in isolated passages. The time for a just criticism of the entire Version has been altogether too short since the date of its publication. It is now put on trial, and that the trial will be severe and take note of every part of the work is just what is to be expected; there cannot be a doubt that the present revision of the New Testament is not final, and that the changes introduced will be subjected to renewed examina tion; the detailed discussion of those resting on various read ings ofthe Greek codices is out of the question in this volume, but of those presenting renderings less felicitous than those of the Authorized Version the following are instances: Matth. xiii. 37-39, the uniform rendering of Se by and, weakens the passage, and " the good seed are the children of the kingdom " (A. V.) is decidedly better than "and the good seed, these are the sons ofthe kingdom" (R. V.); see also i Cor. xii. 8-10. Matth. xxvu. 56 should be rendered agreeably to the parallel passage in Mark xv. 40: "Among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee," instead oiwas. It is true that the Greek idiom requires the singular of the verb, but the English idiora demands the plural. John xi. 42, "Because of the multitude which standeth around I said it, that they may believe " should have the verb in the plural. Acts iu. 26 should not read, " tuming away every one of you from his iniouities," but "from your." The confounding of shall Anglo-American Revision. 481 and will in Matth. xxvi. 21, 34, needs correcting, — the first place should be rendered will, the second wilt, — as does the confounding of the verb to will and the future auxiliary in Matth. xiu. 28; xv. 28; xvu. 4; xxvi. 17. 39; Mark x. 51; xiv. 12, 36; Luke ix. 54; xviu. 41. The subjunc tive be also should be changed into the indicative is in John vu. 16, 17 and Acts iv. 19; the conjunction if in Mark xv. 44 should be changed into whether, and m I Cor. xiii. 1, 2, 3, into though; Matth. xiv. 29 and Rora. i. 13, to come should be io go. The tautological forms, out — out, Matth. vii. 5, from— from, Luke xix. 26, and /or ever and ever, the latter in raany places, as the rendering of eii roiis ai; 14, "natural" add marg. "Or, unspiritual. Gr. psychi cal." 2 Cor. ii. 15, For "are bemg saved . . . are perishing " read "are saved . . . perish," and put the present text into the margin; iv. 3, For "are perishing " read "perish" and put the present text into the mar gin. Gal. V. 12, For "cut themselves off" read "go beyond circum cision." Eph. iii. 13, For " ye fault not " read " I may not faint " (with marg. "Or, ye"). PhU. ii. 6, For "being " read "existing" and omit marg. '• Let the text run " counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped " and omit marg. ". Col. iii. 5, For " mor tify" read "put to death" and omit marg. 12. i Thess. iv. 12, For "hon estly " read "becoraingly." 2 Thess. n. 2, For "is now present" read "is just at hand." I Tim. v. 12, For "faith" read "pledge" (with marg. "Gr. faith"). 2 Tim. U. 26, Read "having been taken cap tive by him unto his will," and let marg. " run " Or, by him, unto the will of God. Gr. by him, etc." Titus iu. 10, For "A man . . . hereti cal " read " a factious man." Heb. x. 25, For " the assembUng of our selves together" read "our own asserabling together." James iv. 4, " adulteresses " add marg. " That is, who break your marriage vow to God." I Pet. u. 2, In marg. » for "reasonable" read "belonging to Anglo-American Revision. 487 the reason." 2 Pet. i. i. Let marg. ¦• and the text exchange places. I John V. i8. Substitute marg. « for the text, and add marg. 3 " Some ancient manuscripts read him." 2 John i (and 5), "lady" add marg. "Or, Cyria." 3 John 8, For "with the truth" read "for the truth." Jude 4, For ' ' set forth ' ' read ' ' written of beforehand ' ' putting the pres ent text into the margin. Rev. vi. 6, "A measure" etc., add marg. (instead of marg. 3 and •») "Or, A chcenix (i. e. about a quart) of wheat for a shilling — implying great scarcity." On this whole subject of the Appendix I add the words of Dr. Schaff, Companion, etc. , p. 113: But whatever may be the ultimate fate of the American Appendix, it is of very little account as compared with the substantial agreement. It is a matter of wonder and congratulation that the Committees, divided by the ocean and representing two independent and high minded nations sensitive of their honor, should, after several years of unbroken and con scientious labor, have arrived at such a substantial harmony in the trans lation of their most sacred book, which is recognized by both as their infallible guide in all raatters of Christian faith and duty. The Anglo-American Revision is the noblest monument of Christian union and co-operation in this nineteenth century. And herein is the finger of Providence, and the best guarantee of success. Several consecutive passages, in parallel columns, with the variations marked in both versions and brief notes, are now produced to convey some idea, however inadequate, of the magnitude of the work, and the manner of its execution. The italics call attention to the changes; supplied matter, printed in both versions in italics, is here given in parentheses. MATTHEW VI. 5-1$. ibiz. 1S81. 5 And when thou pray est, thou Ani vih.en ye pray, ye shall not $ shalt not be as the hypocrites be as the hypocrites: for they are: iorthty lone to pray stattd- love to stand and pray in the ing in the Synagogues, and in synagogues, and in the comers the comers of the streets, that of the streets, that they may be they may be seene of men. seen of men. Verily I say unto Uerily I say vnto you, they you. They have received their haue their reward. reward. 488 The English Versions. 6 But thou when thou prayest, en ter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy doore, pray to thy father which is in secret, and thy father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 7 But whenyeepray, vse not vaine repetitions, as the heathen doe. For they thinke that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not yee therefore like vnto them: For your father knoweth what things ye haue neede of, before yee aske him. 9 After this manner therefore pray yee. Our father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy Name. 10 Thy kingdome come. Thy wUl be done, in earth, as it is in heauen. 1 1 Giue vs this day our dayly bread. 12 And forgiue vs our debts, as we forgiue our debters. 13 And leade vs not into tempta tion, but deliuer vs frora euill: For thine is the kingdome, and one.* the power, and the glory, for euer. Amen. 14 For, if ye forgiue men their tres passes, your heauenly Father will also forgiue you. 15 But, if yee forgiue not men their trespasses, neither wUl your Fa ther forgiue your trespasses. But thou, when thou prayest en- 6 ter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall recompense thee. And in praying use not vain 7 repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not therefore like unto them : 8 for lyour Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. After this manner therefore pray 9 ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom corae. Thy will 10 be done, as in heaven so on earth. Give us this day 'our daily bread. 1 1 And forgive us our debts, as we 12 also have forgiven our debtors. And bring us not into tempta- 13 tion, but deliver us from Hhe evil For if ye forgive men their tres- 14 passes, your heavenly Father wUl also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their 15 trespasses, neither will your Fa ther forgive your trespasses. American addition in Appendix: v. it. Let the margin read Gr. our breadfor tlie coming day, or our needful bread. So in Luke xi. 3. 1 Some ancient authorities read God your Father. 2 Gr. our breadfor tlte coming day. 3 Or, evil. 4 Many authorities, some ancient, but with variations, add For thine is the kingdom, und the power, and the glory. forever. Amen. Anglo-American Revision. 489 NOTES ON THE VARIATIONS. T. 5. The reading "ye pray, ye shall not be" is sustained by the Cod. Sin., B. 2., and all the critical editions except those of Alford and Scrivener; to stand and p-ay. restores the translation of Tyndale, 1534; they have received, they have it in full, have received it already, viz., the applause they sought, v. 6. thine inner chamber , prefer able to closet, which is too ambiguous, and chamber without inner, used by Tyndale and the later versions; it must be regarded as a felicitous rendering of zOCfXZlovZ having shut, the participial rendering conforms to the Greek and English idioms; openly, omitted in Sin. B. D. Z., and most ofthe critical editions; recompense, without openly, appears more suitable than rijw/arrf which is somewhat ambiguous, v. 7. And in praying, better than. But ivhenyepray: the 8i simply connects the thought, and the participial construction is both idiomatic, and more precise. Gentiles, to secure uniformity, v. 10. As in heaven so on earth, is an alteration required by the paral lelism ofthe clause ¦yEV7jBl]r00 TO QeXt^pici. 60V with the two clauses preceding it, as well as by its logical position. See for the discussion of the subject the able ar ticle of Hanne in yahrbucher j^r Deutsche Theologie, 1866, p. 507, sq. v. 11. also have forgiven, is the reading sustained by the Cod. Sin., B. Z., and the best critical editions. The thought, moreover, is ethically more true and beautiful than the old rendering, v. 13. bring, in this difficult passage, is theologically preferable to lead, comp. James i. 13; the evil one, construed as a masculine by Origen, Chrysostom, Erasmus, Beza, Meyer, Fritzache, Wordsworth, and Ellicott; The doxology omitted, see above pp. 461, 462. ACTS XVII. 22-31. 1611. 1881. 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of And Paul stood in the midst of 22 ^Mars-hiily and said, Yee men the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, X perceiue that in ail of Athens, I perceive that ye are things yee are too superstitious, somewhat 'superstitious.* 23 For as I passed by, and beheld For as I passed along, and ob- 23 your ^deuotions, I found an Altar served the objects of your wor- with this inscription, To the un- ship, I found also an altar with KNOWEN God. Whom therefore this inscription, ^To an un- yee ignorantly worship, him de- known God. What therefore dare I vnto you. ye worship in ignorance, this set \ forth unto you. 24. God that made the world, and The God that made the world 24 all things therein, seeing that hee and all things therein, he, being is Lord of heauen and earth. Lord of heaven and earth, dwell- dweUeth not in temples made eth not in ^temples made with with hands: hands; 2"; Neither is 2iy(7rj-^2^/^(/w/V^ mens neither is he served by men's 25 * App.: For "somewhat superstitious" read "very religious" and put the present text ID the margin. 49° The English Versions. hands as though he needed any thing, seeing he giueth to all, life and breath, and all things, 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation: 27 That they should seeke the Lord, if haply they might feele after him, and finde him, though he be not farre from every one ofvs. 28 For in him we liue, and mooue, and haue our being, as certaine also of your owne Poets haue said, For we are also his off spring. 29 Forasmuch then as wee are the offspring of God, wee ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like vnto golde, or siluer, or stone grauen by arte, and mans deuice. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at, but now com- maiideth all men euery where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse, by that man whom hee hath ordeined, whereof he 'hath giuen assur ance vnto all raen, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 1 Or, Court ofthe Areopagites. 2 Or, gods that you worship. 8 Or, offeredfaith. hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he himself giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and he made of one every nation 26 of men for to dwell on all the the face of the earth, having de termined (their) appointed sea sons, and the bounds of their habitation; that they should seek God, if 27 haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from each one of us: for in him we live, and move, 28 and have our being; as certain even of your own poets have said, For we are also his off spring. Being then the offspring of God, 29 we ought not to think 4 34 214 , .. 57 Ivn. 9-12 314 Ixvi. (Ixvii.) 171 Ixxxiv. 1—3 Ixxxix " 1-8 ;;¦. XCV c ciii. 1-12 378 35 411 412 33 9 " " 49 " " 53 ." /\ 55 CIX. (ex.) 320 ex 288 " 393 cxxx 290 PROVERBS. i"- I -f?? 435 xvii. 1 216 ECCLESIASTES. xi. 5 216 X"- 1-5 57 " 6 23 ISALfVH. JOB. iii. 3 -f?? 377 xix. 25-27 258 " " 287 I " " 425 I li. 6 "5; 5 xn. I, 2. . . . " 1-6.... xxvi. 19-21 316425 165 259287 394 1 86 5o8 Index to Longer Passages. lii. 1-3 288 " " 395 liii. 1-5 419 " 5 216 Ix. 1-3 186 Ixii. 8, 9 419 JEREMIAH. V. I sqq 420 LAMENTATIONS. i-4 412 DANIEL. iii. 3-5 412 ix. 18 sqq 316 JONAH. ii 182 iv. 6 166 " " 183 MICAH. vi. 2, 6-8 376 ZECHARIAH. ix. 16 216 MALACHI. i. 10, II 389 iv 167 vi. 1-3 250 2 ESDRAS. ™. 19-31 379 WISDOM. vii. 15 251 ECCLESIASTICUS. xix. 1-6 259 xxiv. 14-18 288 " 396 2 MACCABEES. xii. 45, 45 260 ST. JMATTHEW. i. I 66 "IT sqq 235 ii. 16 236 iii. 1-12 300 " 3-17 86 " 4-12 280 V. 16 467 " 22 465 " 29, 30 21 vi 132 "5-15 487 "9-13 421 "13 461 vii. 14-22 236 ™i- 1-13 59 " 1-13 142 " 23-27 65 xiii. 31. .32 23 xiii.— xxviii 200 xiv. 22-26 438 XV. 5-9 436 " 26,27 483 xvi. 13-20 439 " 23 468 xix. 17 465 xxiv. 41 10 xxvii. 32 10 xxviii. 57-60 427 ST. MARK. i- 9-13 236 vi. 14-25 422 ix. 42-44 172 xii- 13-17 23 " 38-40 i!> 470 xiv. 1-3 416 " 17-26 302 ST. LUKE. i. 1-4 242 "5 66 1- 26-35 322 iii. 23 468 vi. 20-26 72 X. 30 67 xi. 42-46 436 xii- 49-52 289 " " 397 xni- 34, 35 24 Index to Longer Passages. 509 XV. 7, IO 172 " 8 10 " "-24--: 93 XX. 46, 47 3?^ 470 ST. JOHN. i. 6-12 (Comp. Table) xviii i. 1-5 420 " " 421 " " 426 " 6-12 426 " 19-28 36 ix. 17 468 X. 14-16 260 " " 285 xix. 8—12 433 XX. 16 465 ACTS. iv. 4 468 XV. 36-41 143 xvii. 14 sqq 414 " 22-31 489 " 22-34 72 ifxiii- 3-5 144 xxvii. 40 468 ROMANS. i. 25 217 ii. 1-8 144 iv. 25 218 v. 12-15 257 " 12-21 491 " 15 217 viii. 5-8 65 " 15-17 398 ix. 5 420 " " 426 xi. 17-21 390 xii. I, 2 172 " 1-3 97 XV. 18-24 477 1 CORINTHIANS. iv. 1-4 427 viii. I, 2 67 " 7 467 xi. 28-34 466 xiv. 20 466 XV. 27, 28 470 " 51-53 144 2 CORINTHIANS. V. 11-15 285 GALATIANS. i. 10 218 " I-IO 243 Corrections in the epistle 281 EPHESIANS. Corrections in the epistle 281 PHILIPPIANS. i. 23 217 I TIMOTHY. iii. 16 217 " " bis 421 " " 426 " " 462 ST. JAMES. i. 13 217 I ST. PETER. ii. 21 465 iii. 1-7 261 " " 286 " 7-12 144 2 ST. PETER. iii. 2 465 I ST. JOHN. i. I-IO 145 iii. I-IO 157 V. 13 467 V. 16-21 158 REVELATION. ii. 8-1 1 253 " 12-17 146 xix. 1-5 422 xxii. 14 465