1551.]

SPECIMENS OF THE TRANSLATION.

197

sygne of the Maydens heade. Cum gracia et privilegio ad Imprimendum solum, VI day of Maye, M. D. LI."1

Ps. XXIII. A. The Lorde is my shepherde, I can want nothynge.

He fedeth me in a grene pasture and leadith me to a fresh

water.

He quickeneth my soule, and bringeth me forthe in the waye of ryghteousness for hys names sake.

B. Though I shoulde walcke nowe in the valley of the shadowe of death, yet I feare no euyll, for thou arte with me; thy staffe and thy shepehoke comforte me. Thou preparest a table before me agaynste myne enemyes: Thou annoyntest my heade with oyle, and fyllest my cuppe full. Oh let thy louinge kyndnes and mercye folowe me all the dayes of my lyfe, that I may dwell in the house of the Lorde for euer.

I. Cor. XIII. A. Though I spake with the tonges of men and angels, and yet had no loue, I were euen as soundinge brasse; or as a tikenlynge cymball. And thoughe I coulde prophesye, and vnderstode all secretes, and al knowledge; yea, yf I had all faythe, so that I coulde moue mountains out of their places, and yet had no loue, I were nothynge. And thoughe I bestowed all my goodes to fede the poore, and thoughe I gaue my bodye euen that I burned, and yet had no loue, it profyteth me nothynge.

B. Loue suffreth longe and is corteous. Loue enuyeth not. Loue dothe not frowardly, swelleth not, dealeth not dishonestly, seketh not her owne, is not prouoked to angre, thyncketh not euell, rejoyseth not in iniquite; But rejoyseth in the trueth, suffreth all thynges, beleueth all thynges, hopeth al thynges, endureth in all thynges. Though that prophesyinge fayle, other tongues shal cease, or knowledge vanyshe awaye, yet loue falleth neuer awaye.

D.

For oure knowledge is vnperfecte, and our

pro

phesyinge is vnperfecte. But when that whiche is perfecte, is come, then that whiche is vnperfecte, shall be done awaye. When I was a chylde, I spake as a chylde, I vnderstode as a chylde, I imagined as a chylde. But as soone as I was a man, I put awaye chyldishnes. Nowe we see in a glasse, euen in a

1 Taken from a copy in Boston Public Library.

darcke speakynge; But then shall we see face to face. Nowe I knowe vnperfectlye; But then shall I knowe euen as I am knowen. Nowe abydeth faythe, hope, and loue, euen these thre; But the chiefe of these is loue.

The above extract by comparison with Tyndale's revised edition of 1534 will be found to correspond with it word for word; as we might expect, since the New Testament of Matthewe's Bible is based upon Tyndale's last revision.

1

This edition of 1551, of Matthewe's Bible, bears the nickname of the "Bug Bible," from the reading of Psalm xci. 5. So shalt thou not be afraid of any Bugges by nighte. Though this reading is not peculiar to this edition, as it is found in the edition of 1537; also in Coverdale's Bible, 1535, On account of the opposition of the bishops to the prologues and notes of the Bible of 1537, together with the desire on the part of Cromwell to put forth a Bible of a still greater volume, a new enterprise was projected soon after the first appearance of this Bible of 1537, which resulted in the publication of Cromwell's Bible, 1539, which was the beginning of a series of publications known as "Great Bibles" or "Bibles. of the Largest Volume."

1 See above on pages 123, 124.

CHAPTER VI.

BIBLES OF THE LARGEST VOLUME. A. D. 1539, 1540.

YROMWELL'S Bible 1 is the first of a series of editions

CROMWE

known by the comprehensive name of Bibles of the Largest Volume. These great Bibles, though issued at different times and under different auspices, owe their origin to the enterprise of Lord Cromwell, the first fruit of which was the edition of 1539. The Bible of 1537 met with serious opposition at the hand of Romish bishops on account of its anti-papal notes and prologues; and while, as yet, the first edition was unsold, Cromwell resolved to publish a Bible which for size and text, should excel all previous editions.2 The work of revising and editing he put into the hands of Myles Coverdale, in whom he found not only a familiar friend, but one in whose scholarly attainments, conscientious spirit, and familiarity with the work of Bible revision, he could confide for the faithful setting forth of the Scriptures in English. Matthewe's Bible was chosen as the basis of this new Bible. Grafton and Whitechurch, the publishers of the Matthewe's Bible, were induced to lay aside that enterprise and enter upon this. Paris was chosen as the place of publication, on account of the facilities offered there for procuring the most skillful printers and the best paper.

That Cromwell was the leading spirit in this enterprise we

1 Sometimes called Cranmer's Bible, the occasion being that Cranmer's prologue is occasionally found in copies of this edition. But the prologue belongs originally to Cranmer's Bible, 1540, and is distinctly referred to the title-page. See Preface, Bagster's Hexapla, p. 27. London, N. D.

3 Coverdale's Bible, 1535, and Matthewe's Bible, 1537, were both in

1

have abundant evidence in the letters written to him by Coverdale and Grafton from Paris. In one of these, they write: "We be entred into your worke of the Byble, wherof (accordynge to our moost bounden dutie) we have here sent unto your Lordship 2 ensamples; one, in parchment, wherein we entende to prynt one for the Kynges Grace, and another for your Lordship; and the second, in paper, wherof all the rest shalbe made; trustynge that it shalbe not onlye to the glorye of God, but a synguler pleasure, also, to your good Lordship the causer therof." After stating something of their manner of proceeding, that they followed not only the Hebrew, "with the interpretacion of the Caldee, and the Greke, but we set, also, in a pryvate table, the dyversite of redinges of all textes, with such annotacions, in another table, as shall douteles delucidate and clear the same." They further express an assurance, that "the prynt" would please him, also that the paper was of "the best sorte in France." And that they look to him, not only for means to carry on the work, acknowledging at the same time that "the charge certaynly is great," but also for "favourable letters....ether to the Bysshop of Wynchester, or to some other, whome your Lordship shall thinke moost expedyent.”2

In another letter dated August 9, 1538, almost two months after the above, they write: "Pleaseth the same to understand, that your worke going forward, we thought it oure moost bounden du tie to sende unto your Lordship certain leaves therof, specially seynge we had so good occasyon, by the returnynge of your beloved servaunt Sebastian. And as they are done, so will we sende your Lordship the residue, from tyme to tyme." After explaining the hands and marks introduced into the text, they add: "this (amonge other oure necessarie laboures,) is the waye that we take, in this worke; trustynge, verely, that as God Allmightie moved youre Lordship, to set us unto yt, so shall it be to His glorie, and right

1 Coverdale's Memorials, Letter to Cromwell, June 23, 1538. App., pp. 195, 196. 2 Ibid, p. 196.

1538.]

CROMWELL, "A GREAT HELPER."

201.

welcome to all them that love to serve Him, and their Prince, in true faithfull obedyence." 1

There is still another letter extant from Grafton and Coverdale to Cromwell bearing date of Sept. 12, of this same year, in which they bespeak the favor of Cromwell in behalf of Francis Reynold, their host, at whose press the printing was being done. After mentioning some particulars, they add : "Yf your Lordshippe shewe him, this benifyte, we schall not fare the worsse in the readynesse and due expedicion of this your Lordshippes worke of the Bible, which goeth well forwarde, and within few monethes, will draw to an ende." "

After perusing these letters, or even the above extracts, there can be no doubt of the fact that Cromwell was the chief patron of this enterprise. It is noticeable that the name of Cranmer nowhere appears in this correspondence, and yet it has been very common to designate the Bible of 1539, as Cranmer's Bible. Foxe in setting forth Cromwell's connection with this Bible, says: that he procured of the kyng of England his gracious letters to the Frenche kyng, "to permit and licence a subjecte of his to imprint the Bible in Englishe, within the Universitie of Paris because paper was there more mete....and more store of good workemen." In giving a further account of this edition, he says: "the Printers whereof were the foresayd Richard Grafton, and Whytchurch whiche bare the charges. A great helper therto was the Lord Cromwell. The chiefest ouerseer was Myles Couerdale." 4 Grafton and Coverdale must have gone over to Paris early in the spring of 1538, since on the 23d of June they had entered fully upon the work of printing. They were encouraged, not only by Cromwell's support, but by the license

1 Coverdale's Memorials, pp. 196, 197. This letter is dated from Paris and signed by "your faithfull Oratours, MYLES COVERDALE, RICHARD GRAFTON and WILLIAM GREY."

2 Ibid, p. 198.

Strype's Memorials of Archbishop Cranmer. The original document is in the Appendix, pp. 56, 57.

4 Acts and Monuments, p. 1363.