the time when those prostitute indulgences were first proclaimed by that most impudent Dominican, Tetzel. Burning with the love of every thing that was godly, and irritated by Tetzel's shameful discourses, he published some propositions concerning the nature of indulgences. The Dominican, in return, publicly burnt Luther's propositions, and menaced the heretic himself with the flames. In a word, the outrageous conduct of Tetzel and his associates absolutely compelled Luther to discuss the subject at length, in support of the cause of truth."

In this manner began the controversy, in 1517, between the reformers and the papists. At first, Luther had to contend almost alone against a host of powerful and violent enemies; but as his doctrines became more generally known, and his character and views more perfectly understood, he was joined by other worthies, in the sacred cause, and the Reformation spread wider daily, and daily gathered strength. As the Reformation advanced, Luther became more fully convinced of the necessity of furnishing the people with vernacular translations of the Scriptures.

In 1521, after having attended the diet of Worms, in order to vindicate the doctrines he taught, he was, on his return, seized and confined to the castle of Wartburg and its vicinity, by Frederic, elector of Saxony, probably to protect him from the violence of hist enemies, and of the emperor in particular. In this retirement, which he used to call his Patmos, he first began to apply himself to the great undertaking of a new translation of the Bible into German. For the purpose of engaging in this important labour, he had previously devoted some time to the study of the Hebrew and Greek. His skill in German is universally admitted. With such assiduity did Luther devote himself to the work, that before he left the castle of Wartburg, in March, 1522, he had translated the whole of the New Testament from the Greek, which, after his return to Wittemberg, was submitted to the critical revision of Melancthon. Of the different books of the New Testament, St. Matthew's Gospel was published first, then St. Mark's, and the Epistle to the Romans. The other books soon followed, so that the whole came out by September, 1522. With a view to extensive circulation among the lower orders, Luther took care that the form of the edition should be cheap, and by publishing the different books of the New Testament separately, sold them at a very low rate. such was the rapid sale of this translation, that a second edition was printed before the conclusion of the same year. Of the labour bestowed upon this translation, and the essential assistance afforded

by Melancthon, we may judge by the following circumstances. In a letter which Luther addressed to Spalatin, secretary to Frederic of Saxony, after returning from Wartburg, he says, "I translated not only John's Gospel, but the whole of the New Testament, in my Patmos; but Melancthon and I have now begun to revise the whole of it, and it will, by the blessing of God, do us credit. We sometimes need your assistance to direct us to suitable modes of expression. Prepare yourself, therefore, but supply us only with such words as are simple, and avoid all that are confined in their use to the camps or court. We wish the book to be distinguished for the simplicity of its style. To accomplish this, in one difficult passage, we beg you will furnish us with the names, colours, and, if possible, a sight, of the precious stones mentioned in Revelation xxi." This request had reference to the elector's collection of gems. Spalatin complied with the wish of his friends, and transmitted to them the precious stones in question, which, after due examination, they sent back. Again, in a letter which Melancthon addressed to the celebrated physician, George Sturciad, dated the 5th of May, 1522, he speaks of the whole version being in the hands of the printers; and states that he had paid particular attention to the different kinds of money mentioned in the New Testament; and had also consulted with many learned men, that the version might express them with the utmost accuracy. He begs his correspondent to give his opinion, and to consult Mutianus, as being profoundly skilled in the knowledge of Roman antiquities; and entreats him to attend to this application, from a regard to the general good, and to do it immediately, because the work was in the press, and printing with great expedition.

After his return to Wittemberg, Luther proceeded to the translation of the Old Testament. On the 2d of November, 1522, he thus expressed himself in a letter to a friend: "In my translation of the Old Testament I am only in Leviticus. It is inconceivable how much writing letters, business, conversation, and many other things, have interrupted my progress. I am now determined to shut myself up at home, and to use despatch, so that the five books of Moses may be sent to press by January. We shall print them separately after that we proceed to the historical parts of Scripture, and lastly to the Prophets. The size and price render it necessary to make these divisions in the publication."

In accomplishing this translation, Luther had to encounter various difficulties, not only from the different idioms of the Hebrew and German languages, but from the proper names of the animals

mentioned in the Pentateuch, and the parts of them noticed relative to the Jewish sacrifices. In a letter to Wenceslaus Lincus, he exclaims, "How difficult and laborious the task, to force the Hebrew writers to speak German, which they resist, like the nightingale refusing to quit its delightful melody to imitate the coarse notes of the monotonous cuckoo !" And in another to Spalatin, he writes, "We find so much difficulty in translating Job, arising from the sublimity of his style, that he appears much more impatient of our translation, than of the consolation of his friends, or he would certainly have sat for ever on the dunghill. Unless, perhaps, the author meant that his book should never be translated. This has caused the delay of the press in this third part of the Bible."

By the friendly aid of Spalatin, he obtained much information. respecting different species of insects and reptiles, as well as of wild beasts and rapacious birds. He also employed butchers to dissect different animals, at his own house, that by examining their different parts, he might accurately express the sacrificial terms. But Luther was not satisfied with inquiries only of this nature, for he wisely called in to his assistance in this great work several singularly learned and pious professors of divinity, that each might contribute toward the perfection of the whole. Their method was to assemble from time to time, when each came prepared, by having previously studied the particular parts of the Bible then under consideration. Some of the professors excelled in an acquaintance. with the Chaldee paraphrases, or Targums; others in the Rabbinical writings; while others brought various lights from the Greek Septuagint, and the fragments of the Greek translations of Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. Luther, who presided, had always before him the Hebrew Bible, the Latin Vulgate, and his own manuscript version; Melancthon brought the Greek, and Cruciger the Chaldee, and the other professors the Rabbinical writings. Thus they proceeded to examine the whole, sentence by sentence, till, after sufficient deliberation, it was agreed, either to confirm, alter, correct, or improve the translation, as occasion required; and so desirous were they of producing a correct translation, that they sometimes returned fourteen successive days to the reconsideration of a single line, or even a word!

The Old Testament was published in parts as well as the New, but the writers who have written concerning Luther's version, differ considerably respecting the times at which they appeared. The following is the statement of Walch, which, from the dates affixed to copies of some of the portions in the library of the king of Wur

temberg, seems to be tolerably correct. The Pentateuch, or five books of Moses, appeared in 1523; the book of Joshua, and the rest of the historical books, except Job, in 1524; and later in the same year, Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Solomon's Song. In 1526 were printed the Prophecies of Jonah and Habakkuk; in 1528 Zechariah, and afterward Isaiah In 1529 the Book of Wisdom was published; in 1530 the Prophecy of Daniel, and during the same year the remainder of the Apocryphal books. In 1531 Luther published a new and more liberal translation of the Psalms and in 1531 and 1532 completed the rest of the Prophets.* In 1534 the Bible was first published complete the Psalms in this edition were those of the translation of 1531. The eagerness with which copies of this translation were sought after, called for numerous editions, so that besides several printed at Nuremberg, Strasburg, Augsburg, and other places in Germany, editions were printed under the inspection of Luther, and his learned coadjutors, at Wittemberg, in 1535, 1536, 1538, 1539, 1541, 1543, 1544, and 1545; which was the last edition that Luther superintended, his decease occuring in 1546. After his decease, editions of the German Scriptures were multiplied so rapidly, that between the years 1534 (when John Lufft, of Wittemberg printed the first edition of the Bible) and 1574, a hundred thousand copies were issued from the office of one printer only !† The king of Wurtemberg's library, at Stutgard, contains many of the rarest editions of Luther's Bible, among which we notice the following in folio, viz.: the New Testament, without date, but known to be the first edition of 1522; two editions of the Pentateuch, without date, said to be of the year 1523; Joshua and Esther, without date, but printed, according to the catalogue, in 1523; the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon, 1524; the Prophets, 1532; the first edition of the whole Bible, 1534; (the third part of the Old Testament wanting ;) several other of the rarest editions, viz. 1535, 1536, 1539, 1541, 1543, 1545, all printed at Wittemberg, by John (Hans) Lufft. There are also in the same valuable collection three editions of the Prophecy of Habakkuk, all dated 1526, 4to., but differing from each other in the translation; two of Jonah, of the same date, in 4to., differing from each other in the translation; one of Daniel, 1530, 4to.; and also Jonah and Habakkuk, 1526, 4to.; besides many other rare editions of the * Walchii (J. G.) Bibliotheca Theologica, tom. iv, cap. viii, p. 82. Jenæ, 1765, Svo. Adleri Bibliotheca Biblica, olim Lorckiana, pars iii, pp. 7-18. Altonæ, 1787, 4to. + Walch., ut sup., p. 86.

whole, or parts of Luther's German translation of the Bible, printed during his life.*

* Adleri Bibliotheca Biblica serenissimi Würtemburgensium Ducis, olim Lorckiana, sec. xxviii, pt. iii, pp. 7–22.

The following anecdotes, relative to the king of Wurtemberg's library, will be interesting to the Biblical student. In 1768, Charles, the late duke of Wurtemberg, who was distinguished for his knowledge and love of books, began to collect for his library at Stutgard, which in 1804 contained upward of one hundred thousand volumes, and was every day increasing. The duke travelled into various countries, and purchased books at very high prices. The collection of Bibles is unique, and comprises upward of nine thousand different editions; and three thousand more were said to be wanting in 1804, to complete the collection. In 1784 the duke went to Copenhagen, where he purchased the collection of Bibles which had been made by a clergyman of the name of Lorck, amounting to more than four thousand editions; and shortly after bought M. Panzer's collection, consisting of one thousand six hundred and forty-five volumes. Of that part of the Biblical collection which the duke purchased of the Rev. Mr. Lorck, Adler printed the above-mentioned catalogue, comprising notices of five thousand one hundred and fifty-five articles, in 4to., at Altona, in 1787. Bishop Marsh pronounces it "a catalogue of great merit, and great utility." As it is become rare, even on the continent, an analysis of it from one now before me may be acceptable to the reader.

The first part, containing the Hebrew, Greek, and Oriental versions, has the following list of dialects and editions, comprehending 998 articles:

Editions of the whole, or distinct parts of the Bible.

The second part contains the Latin and its dialects; including 1157 articles, viz. : Latin Bibles, &c..

Portuguese

Spanish

790 | Italian

43

290

1

The third part exhibits the Teutonic, or German versions, and contains 1158 articles, viz.: