nances in this behalf shall be clearly avoided in my diocese hereafter. Not doubting also, but if every bishop in this realm had commandment to do the same in their diocese, it would avoid both much disobedience and contention in this said realm. I would fain, that all the enmity and grudge of the people in this matter should be put from the king and his Council; and that we, who be ordinaries, should take it upon us. Or else I fear lest a grudge against the prince and his Council, in such causes of religion, should gender in many of the people's hearts a faint subjection and obedience. But, my lord, if in the Court you do keep such holy days and fasting days as be abrogated, when shall we persuade the people to cease from keeping of them? For the king's own house shall be an example unto all the realm to break his own ordinances.-At Ford, the xxviijth day of August, [1537.]"

These exertions of the archbishop could not but afford great encouragement to the reforming party. To the expectations of that party the birth of Edward in the following October was also considered favourable. It at least de

1 The sentence in Italics was written by the archbishop himself: the preceding part by his secretary. Strype. The delicacy in thus conveying the reproof is very observable.

pressed the hope of their opponents, that Mary would be the immediate successor of Henry. To Edward, as he had been to Elizabeth, the archbishop is now said to have been a godfather.

VOL. I.

1 Burnet.

CHAPTER XI.

1538.

Visitation of the see of Hereford, and Injunctions to the clergy, by Cranmer-The Bible of 1537 gladly received—the edition of Cranmer's Bible, as that of 1539, is called, commenced at Paris-The history of it—The original letters of Coverdale and Grafton on the subject-The New Testament of Coverdale-Coverdale's letter in behalf of Regnault, the French printer-Taverner's Bible of 1539-Cranmer's original letter to Cromwell relating to the price of the Great Bible in 1540, and to his own Preface.

In the summer of 1538, the church of Hereford being then vacant, the archbishop by commission to Dr. Curwen, prebendary of that church, visited the see. The clergy of the diocese he enjoined to teach moral duty; to allow no young persons to receive the sacrament of the altar who had not first recited in the vulgar tongue, before the congregation, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten

1 Burnet. The Injunctions, vol. i. B. 3. Rec. No. xii. They should precede the Injunctions of Cromwell, No. xi. Ibid. Those of the archbishop having been issued in the summer, those of Cromwell not before September. Stow, 972.

Commandments; and to suffer no intrusion of friars or other unlicensed ecclesiastics into their cures or churches. In regard to the Holy Scriptures, he directed them to procure by the first of August a whole Bible in Latin or English, or at least a New Testament in both languages; to study every day one chapter in them, conferring the English and Latin together; and to encourage the laity for the reformation of their lives, and the knowledge of their duty, to read the same in either language. The royal declaration, to be read publicly by the clergy, that the Bible was thus open to all, had now been issued. "It was wonderful," says Strype, "to see with what joy this Book of God was received, not only among the learned and those who were noted lovers of the Reformation, but generally all over England, among all the common people; and with what greediness the Word of God was read, and what resort there was to the places for reading it. Every one, that could, bought the book, and busily read it, or heard it read; and many elderly persons learnt to read on purpose.' But the setting forth of this Book," one who witnessed it observes, "did not a little offend Gardiner and his fellow-bishops both for the prologues, and especially because there was a table in the Book chiefly about the Lord's Supper, the Marriage of

1 Foxe.

Priests, and the Mass, which there was said not

2

to be found in Scripture." Without the prologues which are Tindal's, and without his notes as well as those of others, in the Bible of 1537, Cranmer agreed to a new impression of the sacred volume. The Bible of Matthewe was now revised. Many alterations were made in the translation; and of the whole Coverdale was the chief overseer. Coverdale too accompanied Grafton to Paris, where the skill of printing was greater, and where paper was better as well as cheaper, than in England, in order to complete the magnificent volume. But the jealousy of the Romanists had planned an entire destruction of it. At the commencement of their labour, indeed, Grafton and Coverdale expressed their fears of this hostility. We will hear them in their own words; and subjoin other important letters which they, as well as the archbishop, addressed to Cromwell upon the progress and completion of the work. These are new and interesting appendages to the history of this remarkable edition.

From the French king Henry himself requested, and obtained, the permission for Coverdale and

1 Bale seems to have considered this removal as effected by the power of the Romish party: "Already have they taken in England," he says, "from the Bibles, the annotations, tables, and prefaces, &c." Image of both Churches, p. 2. sign. f. i. b. 2 Foxe. Burnet.