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Twelves, a Book, of which Mr. Lewis transcribes this Account from Maunfell's Catalogue of Lord Oxford's Bibles, &c." Myles Coverdale conferred with the Tranflation of William Tindal. Printed "by R. Wolf, 1550, Octavo. The Title of it runs thus: The Newe Teftament diligently tranЛlated by Myles Coverdale, and conferred with the "Tranflacyon of William Tyndale, with the neceffary Concordances alleged. AN. M. D. L. "Underneath is a wooden Cut of a Fox and a "Wolf, with thefe Letters by them REIN. "WOLF. being the Printer's Rebus. On the "other Page is An Almanack for ix Years. Then "follows The Kalendar, and Directions for to knowe what Sygne the Sonne is in, and to fynde the Newe Moone; and the following Note; In the "Newe Teftamente the Evangeliftes have rekened the Hours after the Manner of the Babilonians, "begynnyng the Day at the rifing of the Sonne. At "the Ende is a Table to fynde the Epiftles and Go

fpels. Imprinted at London at the Signe of the "Brazen Serpent in Paule's Church Yarde by Rey"nold Wolf, Anno 1550 in June."

The fame Year was likewife printed, in a large Octavo, a fourth Edition of the New Teftament, in English and Latin, the common Verfion in the outer Column, and Erafmus's Latin in the inner one.

The next Year, 1551, was published in a small thick Folio, another Edition of Thomas Matthews's Bible. This Edition, our Author fays, was printed by different Printers, at the Coft of feveral Bookfellers, whofe Names were accordingly fet to their respective Parts of the Impreffion, For Intance :

Nicholas Hyll for John Wyghte.

Richard Kale.

By

Thomas Petite.

John Day for

Thomas Petite.

At

The fame Year, 1551, was printed in Folio the

Bible in English. After a Specification of the prin-
cipal Maters contained in this Edition, Mr. Lewis
tells us, that all Tyndal's Prologues are here infert-
ed, but the Notes at the End of the Chapters in
Matthews's Bible, till we come to Job, are omit-
ted, only fome are placed in the Margin; and the
Notes afterwards, with the Contents of the Chap-
ters, are altered in abundance of Places.The
Old Teftament is divided into three Parts. Hands
pointing, as in the Great Bible of 1539, are in a
great many Places, fometimes where there are
Notes, fometimes where there are none, and often
before the Contents of the Chapters. Before the
Four Gofpels are placed wooden Cuts of the four
Evangelifts. That of St. Matthew has a very par-
ticular Infcription about it, thus:

A Prince of the Publicans, a Taker of Tolles,
Is become a Preacher, a Fader of Soules. Mat. ix.

*How these laft Lines are to be reconciled with what is
afore faid concerning the Printers and Proprietors of this Edition,
I cannot tell: Mr. Lewis has taken no Notice of any Difagree-
ment, tho' there feems to be a wide one.

In St. Paul's Library there is, Mr. Lewis fays, an Edition of the New Teftament, in a small Folio, with the following Title: The Newe Teftament of our Savioure Jefu Chrifte, diligently tranflated according to the Greke, with certyne Notes folowynge the Chapters, wherein the hardest Doutes are declared for the better Understanding of the unlearned Reader. Anno M.D.LI. To this Edition is prefixed a Preface of Tyndal's; in the Margin are Scripture References, and at the End a Table of Matters.

About this Time was alfo an Edition of the New Teftament in English printed in Octavo, without any Date affix'd to the Title. The feveral Books are in the fame Order as in that called Cranmer's Bible, with parallel Texts in the Margin. At the End are The Epiftles taken out of the Old Testament, read in the Church of England upon certain Daies: After which follow the Notes and Expoficions of the darke Places throghe all the Bokes of the New Teftament, Chapter after Chapter, in order; containing in all about fixty Pages. In the laft Page of all is this Colophon.

Newly imprinted at Worcester by John Ofwen, Printer appointed by the Kyng's Majeftie and his Highnefs bonorable Counfail for the Principalitie of Wales, and the Marches of the fame: They be alfo to fell at Shrewefbury.

The fame Year, 1551, was printed another Edition of Taverner's Bible, of which our Author gives a very particular Defcription; as he does likewise of an Edition of the New Teftament in Quarto, which was published the enfuing Year, 1552. The latter of these was Imprynted at London by Richarde Jugge, who dedicates it to Edward VI.-Another Edition of this Teftament was printed the next Year by the fame Perfon; and a third without any Date in Queen Elizabeth's Reign, as will be seen hereafter.

The

The fame Year, viz. 1553, was the Quarto Edition of Coverdale's. Bible, printed at Zurich 1550, republished, with an Addition of a new Title-Page. They are exactly alike, Mr. Lewis fays, and both of a foreign Print, tho' Hefter and Jugge pretended that the latter was printed at London.

The fame Year was there another Edition of the Great Bible, by the King's Printer Edward Whitchurche, in Folio; which, fo far as our Author can find, was the laft that was printed in this fhort Reign.

Before Mr. Lewis enters upon his Account of the next enfuing Edition (that was likewife a new Tranflation) of the Bible, he entertains us with a few fhort hiftorical Paffages, which help to give us an Idea of the State of Religion, immediately after Queen Mary's Acceffion to the Throne. The Face of Affairs at that Time had as terrible an Aspect on the Reformed as can be imagined. It foreboded the horrid Perfecution which afterwards befel them; and which will blemish the Memory of that bigotted Princess thro' all future Ages. I know not in Hiftory a more affecting Monument of the execrable Nature of Superftition than this Queen; to whofe Charge no one Vice was ever laid, as I remember, by any Party: She was devout, fincere, and virtuous; grave, but without any native Cruelty or ill Nature; a Lady of no mean Understanding, and confiderable Acquirements; poffefs'd of many amiable Qualities, without the Mixture of any odious ones; and yet, notwithstanding, actuated by an irrational religious Zeal, she performed the Part of a Devil, if the did not at length degenerate into the Temper of one. With Accomplishments becoming a Saint fhe refembled Nero or Domitian, in the vileft of their Barbarities, torturing and deftroying those whofe Characters she should above all others have venerated,

whom,

whom, if he had known and loved God as she ought, fhe would have principally esteemed and cherished, as entirely devoted to his Will, and valuing his Favour beyond Life itself. What a deteftable Thing muft that be, that can defeat all that is excellent in human Nature, and diabolize it! But I return to our Author, who tells us,

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That there being an obvious Profpect of the Re-establishment of Popery, many of the Gentry and Clergy left their native Country and went abroad. Of the latter of these he has mentioned feven, of whom he relates a few Particulars, "be"caufe he finds it faid, that fix of them, viz. Bishop Coverdale, Goodman, Gilby, Wittingham, Sampfon, and Cole, undertook to make a new Tranflation of the Holy Bible into English; to whom "fome add John Knox, John Bodleigh, and John "Pullain." It was Coverdale's Judgment that a Variety of Translations was of great Ufe, and that his own might be much improved. It's no Wonder therefore, Mr. Lewis fays, that he should very readily join in a Defign of a new Verfion. This, as he adds, they feem to have fet about foon after their being fettled at Geneva, 1555, fince two Years after, 1557, there was printed in a small Twelves.

The New Testament of our Lorde Jefus Chrift, conferred diligently with the Greke and beft approved Tranflations. With the Arguments as wel before the Chapters, as for every Book and Epiftle; alfo Diverfities of Readings, and most profitable Annotations of all bard Places: Whereunto is added a copious Table. Printed by Conrad Badius. M. D. LVII. This xth of June.

A Copy of this Geneva Edition is in the Poffeffion of Dr. Thomas Baker, of St. John's College, Cambridge. It is printed, Mr. Lewis fays, in a fmall but very beautiful Character, and is the firft New Teftament in English with the Distinction of

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