The National Register.
London, England, 1818-06-08 00:00:00

XI.

HISTORY
OF ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE.

MR. Err.TOR.--..AX it Will no doubt be intar.esting to
many of your Readers to see a short detail of the pub-
i cations of the English Bible, I send you what I have
traoed, with the help of Dr. Gray's Key and others.
One of the first translationsinto English, :vas done'
by cne Richard Rolle, a hermit of Hempole in York-
shire—be also added a glosi upon the Psalter, and died
in 1349. John Vltickliffe then translated the whole
with the Apocrypha; his New Testament sold for 4
marks and 40 pence ; it appeared about 1360, hut it was
nee e: printed. The Clergy did not then read latin, and
some students from Ireland were obliged to return from
Oxford because they could not find a latin Bible.
In 1350, Richard 11. a Bill was brought into the
house of Lords, to prohibit the use of English Bibles,
but it was rejected upon the opposition of John Duke
of Lancaster, who said, " We will not be the dregs cf.
an, seeing other uations have the Law of God. which
is the Law of our faith, written in their own language."
—But in !OE great persecutions ensued in consequence
of an order of convocation obtained by Archbishop
Arundel, and supported by Pope Alexander V. for sup..
pressing all translations. In 1526, Tyndare transla-
tion at Antwerp, was the first time that any part was
printed in English. Cardinal Wolsey aad the Bishop
prescribed it as heretical, and Bishop Toasts], acid Sir
Thomas Moreeburnt it at Paurs Cross ; copies however,
were sold at 3s. 6,1. bitt the vendors ware compelled to
.ride with their faces to their horses tails and throw
titem into the fire, and were afterwards amerced. Tye.-
dal afterwards twice translated the Pentateuch, and
received no more dm 149. for it—after which he was
strangled and burnt at Fedora Car,l; about 13 miles
'limn Antwerp, at the instigation of the great reformer
Hen. VIII. Coverdale published another at Zurich,
in 1535, and escaped ; and Crammer, in the sante year,
obtained a petition from the convocation to Hen. VIII.
—who, by the softer influence of his Queen, Ann,
Bolyn, ordered a translation to he set about. •
This rapid transition began the progress which has
never bean checked, except by Queen Mary ; for in
1537, a folio edition. called Mathews was printed at
Hambergle in which Tyndal and Rogers had taken
_netts ; Rogers published it under the fietious name of
Mathews, bacause Tyndal'a name was obnoxious; but
a Paris edition, in the year following, was seised by
the Ingedation, yet some imprcraions were rescued and
reprinted in leralon by the King's authority in. 1539,
which wes called the Grea. Bible, with a frontispiece
by llolbein. The Bishop objected to it as faulty, but
admitted that it did not contain any heresies ; upon
which King Henry said, " Then in God's name let it
go abroad among our people." In the sante year an
edition appeared by Taverner, and a very improved
one by Crinmer in 1518, which was published by
authority in 154.1, and sold at tnelve shillings ; six
copies of which were placed in St. Paul's Cathedral by
Bishop Bonner: In 15t2, en .a et of Parliament
condemned Tyndel's Translation with its notes, but
.Archbishop CraTtuser procured the indulgence, that the
higher ranks might read it in private
During the reign of Edward VI these prohibitions
were removed, and Bishop Gardiner was committed to
tee Fleet and deprived of Lis Sec, for refusing to
:empty with the orders for providing the Churches and
tihers with copies, Arc.
When Queen Mary ascended the throne, she con-
.deatried the Common Prayer lieolt as heretical, and the
..ospler's. as they were culled, fled to Geneva, where,
ec1557, they completed and printed the Genevan Bible
a 156'J, with Calvinistic noies. The New Testament
of this copy is the first which was divided into verses,
which set the example for it in the seleseitient editions
e-F the whole Bible. Daring Queen Eilzabetti's pre-
cession to her coronation, a Bible was pree:ntei to her,
elbieb she acceatel with veneration, aei ordered a
translation, and an Act was pealed 1556 fa: its version
-ate the Welch language.
The Bishops, Bible did net appear till :569 in large
Seto. under the direction of Archbishop Parker, aml the
initials of each translation was subjoined to his portion ;
was used in the public service for forty years, hut
".e Genova Bible being more adapted to the prevailing
r.ninioes, was more used in private. l'o remedy all
dif-
aeterces of opinion a new translation was undertaken
the r inn ofiaines I. by fifty-fray Divines, of whom
tleolin el the task, whish was tieished by the