the most learned of the modern Greek clergy. To obtain the latter, M. Sebastiani expressly travelled through the whole of Greece. In all doctrinal points, this version is made conformable to the tenets in culcated by the church of Rome.1

The Latin version of M. Schott, which is printed with his critical edition of the Greek Testament, has already been noticed in page 137. supra: to this professor Keil has added the two following, neither of which has fallen under the writer's observation.

(1.) Chr. Guil. Thalemanni Versio Latina Evangeliorum Matthæi, Lucæ, et Johannis, itemque Actuum Apostolorum, edita a C. C. Tittmanno. Berolini, 1781, 8vo. The remaining books of the New Testament were translated by M. Iaspis, and intitled,

Versio Latina Epistolarum Novi Testamenti, perpetua annotatione illustrata a Godofredo Sigismundo Iaspis. Lipsiæ, Vol. I. 1793, Vol. II. 1797, 8vo.

(2.) Sacri Novi Testamenti Libri omnes, veteri Latinitate donati ab Henrico Godofredo Reichardo. Lipsia, 1799, 8vo.

SECTION III.

VERSIONS IN THE MODERN LANGUAGES OF EUROPE.

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I. GERMAN VERSION of Luther. Notice of Ten Versions derived from it.Notice of other German Versions by Protestants, and by Roman Catholics. Jewish German Versions. II. VERSIONS IN THE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN THE BRITISH ISLES. 1. English Versions, particularly Wickliffe's Bible. - Tindal's Bible.Coverdale's Bible. Matthewe's.. Cranmer's or the Great Bible.-Geneva Bible. - English Versions by Roman Catholics at Rheims and Douay.-King James's Bible, or the authorised Version now in use. — History of it. Notice of its best editions. Its excellency vindicated against recent Objectors. - Testimonies of eminent critics to its fidelity and excellency.-2. Welsh Version. -3. Irish Version. 4. Gaelic Version.-5. Manks Version. -III. FRENCH VERSIONS.-IV. DUTCH VERSION.-V. ITALIAN VERSION. - VI. SPANISH VERSIONS. VII. RUSSIAN VERSION. -VIII. CROAT VERSION. -IX. BASQUE VERSION.-X. HUNGARIAN VERSION. XI. POLISH VERSIONS.XII. BOHEMIAN VERSION. XIII. ROMAIC or Modern GREEK VERSIONS. XIV. XV. BULGARIAN and WALLACHIAN VERSIONS.XVI. ROMANESE VERSIONS.-XVII. TURKISH VERSIONS.XVIII. PORTUGUESE VERSION. XIX. ALBANIAN VERSION. - XX. MALTESE VERSION.

THE translations of the Scriptures into the different modern languages of Europe are so numerous, that it is difficult to obtain cor

1 M. Sebastiani's translation is intitled "Novum Testamentum, ob frequentes omnium Interpretationum Hallucinationes, nunc demum ex Codice Alexandrino, adhibitis etiam compluribus manuscriptis variantibusque Lectionibus editis, summa fide ac curâ Latine redditum. Omnibus Sacris Auctoribus Græcis, Sacris Criticis, Glossariis, et Instructioribus per totam Græciam Ecclesiasticis Viris diligentissime consultis. Interprete Leopoldo Sebastiani Romano. Londini, 1817." Royal 8vo. 2 Keili Elementa Hermeneutices Novi Testamenti, p. 158. Lipsia, 1811, 12mo.

reet accounts of all of them. The following table exhibits at one view the chief translations which have been made, together with the years of their appearance, the names of their authors where these could be ascertained, and the places where they were severally printed.1

Of the various translations above enumerated, the following are more particularly worthy of notice.

1 This table is copied from Messrs. Thomson and Orme's Historical Sketch of the Translation and Circulation of the Scriptures, p. 45. with some corrections,

1. GERMAN VERSIONS. As Germany has the honour of being the country where the art of printing was first discovered, so it was distinguished in the annals of sacred literature, by being the first in which the Holy Scriptures were issued from the press in the vernacular language of its inhabitants. So early indeed as the year 1466, a German translation from the Latin Vulgate was printed, the author of which is unknown.1 Scarcely, however, had the Reformation commenced, when Luther meditated a new version of the Scriptures for the general use of his countrymen. His first publication comprised the seven penitential Psalms, from the Latin of John Reuchlin. These appeared in 1517, and were followed by the New Testament in 1522; by the Pentateuch, in 1523; by the Book of Joshua, and the remaining historical Books, in 1524; in which year also appeared the books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. In 1526 were published the prophecies of Jonah and Habakkuk; in 1528, those of Zechariah and Isaiah; in 1529, the apocryphal book of Wisdom; in 1530, the book of Daniel, together with the remaining apocryphal books; in 1531, the entire book of Psalms; and 1531 and 1532, the rest of the prophetical books. All these portions of Luther's translation are of extreme rarity in the revision of it he received very important assistance from the learned and candid Philip Melancthon, who also corresponded with eminent men on various topics of biblical criticism, in order to render the translation as correct as possible. Further to ensure its accuracy, a select party of learned men assembled daily with Luther at Wittemberg, to revise every sentence which he had made directly from the Hebrew and Greek. Melancthon collated the Greek original, Cruciger the Chaldee, and other professors the Rabbinical Writings. Justus Jonas, John Bugenhagen, and Matthew Aurogallus, also contributed their aid. The whole Bible thus revised was first published in 1530, and again in 1534, 1541, and 1545.2 Luther made his version directly from the original Hebrew and Greek, and not one of his numerous enemies ever durst charge him with ignorance of those languages. His translation is represented as being uncommonly clear and accurate, and its style in a high degree pure and elegant. Having originally been published in detached portions, as these were gradually and succes

1 A copy of this very rare work is in the splendid collection of Earl Spencer. See a description of it in Mr. Dibdin's Bibliotheca Spenceriana, vol. i. PP. 42-47. 2 For further particulars relative to Luther's German Version of the Scriptures, the reader is referred to the life of Philip Melancthon, by Francis Cox, M. A. pp. 206-213. (2d edit.) and also to Mr. Townley's Illustrations of Biblical Literature, vol. ii. pp. 271-300. Of the editions of Luther's version above noticed, the venerable Reformer bestowed the greatest care in revising and correcting that of 1541. It was beautifully printed in two folio volumes, and ornamented with wood-cuts. An Unique Copy of this edition upon vellum, which had been Luther's own copy, and constantly used by him until his decease, was in the possession of the late Mr. Edwards, (formerly an eminent bookseller) of Manor House, near Harrow-on-theHill. On the sale of his choice Library by auction, in 1813, these precious volumes were purchased by Geo. Hibbert, Esq. for the sum of 891. 5s. 6d. See a description of these volumes copied from the sale catalogue (No. 812.) in Mr. Dibdin's Bibliograpical Decameron, vol. iii. pp. 123, 124. or in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. lxxxv. part i. p. 254.

sively circulated among the people, Luther's version produced sudden and almost incredible effects, and contributed more than any other cause, to extirpate the erroneous principles and superstitious practices of the church of Rome, from the minds of a prodigious number of persons. Since that time it has been printed times without number; and as the reformation spread, it served as the basis of several other translations, viz.

1. The Lower Saxon Translation was printed at Lubeck, in 1533-4. Its authors are not known.2 This version was undertaken at the suggestion of Luther himself, and under the direction of John Bugenhagius, who wrote a preface, and supplied short notes, and als arguments to the different books.

2. The Pomeranian Version was printed in 1588, in quarto, by the command of Bogislaus XIII. duke of Pomerania: it was made from the Wittemberg edition of Luther's Bible, printed in 1545.

3. The Danish Version was undertaken by command of Christian III. king of Denmark, and at the suggestion of Bugenhagius: it was printed at Copenhagen in 1550, and is of extreme rarity. Previously to the publication of this version, the New Testament had been translated from the Vulgate, as well as the Psalms, and the five books of Moses. The Danish version was subsequently revised and corrected, in the reigns of Frederick II. and Christian IV. kings of Denmark; the revision, made by command of the last-mentioned monarch, is, we believe, the standard of the succeeding editions of the Danish Scriptures, which, however, are said to vary considerably from Luther's German version.-In 1823 the gospel of Matthew was printed at Copenhagen, in the dialect of the Danish language spoken by the inhabitants of the Faroe Islands: the Danish and Faroese texts are printed in parallel columns.

4. The Icelandic Translation of the entire Bible was printed at Holum, in Iceland, in 1584, under the patronage of Frederick II. The New Testament had been translated by Oddur Gottshalkson (whose father filled the episcopal see of Holum,) and printed in Denmark, in 1539, at the expense of Christian III. This was followed by an Icelandic Version of the Epistles and Gospels, for all the Sundays in the year, published in 1562, by Olaf Hialteson, the first Lutheran Bishop of Holum; which may be considered as a second edition of certain portions of Oddur's New Testament, the compiler having availed himself chiefly of that version, in writing out the lessons of which the work consists. In 1580, the Proverbs of Solomon were translated by Gissur Eincerson, the first Lutheran Bishop of Skalholt, who also translated the book of Sirach, printed in the same year at Holum. At length, in 1584, as above noticed, the whole of the Old and New Testaments was printed in Icelandic, through the unremitting zeal and pious liberality of Gudbrand Thorlakson, Bishop of Holum, who not only contributed largely to the undertaking himself, but also obtained a munificent donation from Frederick II. with authority to raise a rix-dollar in aid of the work from every 1 Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, vol. iv. p. 60.

2 Another Lower Saxon Version from the Vulgate was printed at Lubeck in 1494, in two folio volumes. The reader will find a bibliographical notice of it in the Bibliotheca Spenceriana, vol. i. pp. 55-58.

church in Iceland. It is not known what share this eminent prelate had in the translation, which is considered as the production of different hands. Gottshalkson's version of the New Testament, as well of some parts of the Old Testament, was adopted, after having been revised by Gudbrand. This edition has always been very highly esteemed, on account of the purity of its diction; and, even at this day, it is preferred before more modern translations. A second edition of the Icelandic Bible appeared at Holum in 1644, under the editorial care of Thorlak Skuleson, bishop of that see; by whom it was carefully revised and corrected. This is the standard text from which the two most recent impressions of the Icelandic Version have been printed.1

5. The Swedish Version was made from the first edition of Luther's German translation: it was begun by Laurence Andreas, and finished by Laurence Petri, and was printed at Upsal, in 1541, by the command of Gustavus I., king of Sweden.

6. The Dutch Translation appeared in 1560, and after being repeatedly printed, was superseded by a new Protestant translation, of which an account is given in page 264. infra.

7-10. The Finnish Version was printed at Stockholm, in 16429, and again in 16443, the Lettish (or Livonian) at Riga 16894; the Sorabic or Wendish (a dialect spoken in Upper Lusatia), at Bautzen (Budissa), in 1728, and again in 1742; and the Lithuanian, at Königsberg (Regiomonti), in 1735.

Valuable as Luther's German translation of the Scriptures confessedly is, it was severely attacked, on its publication, by the enemies of the reformation, whose productions are enumerated by Walchius.5 Luther's translation, reformed by the Zuinglians and Calvinists, was printed, in various editions at Neustadt, between the years 1679 and 1695; at Herborn in 1695, 1698, 1701-5-8, and 21; at Heidelberg in 1617 and 1618, and many times since; at Cassel in 1602; and at Basle in 1651, 1659, and in the last century very frequently.

Between the years 1525 and 1529, Leo Juda published at Zurich a German-Swiss translation of the Scriptures. As far as he could, he availed himself of such parts of Luther's version as were then printed. In 1667 a new and revised edition of Leo Juda's translation was published at Zurich: the alterations and corrections in it are so nume

1 The above particulars are abridged from the Rev. Dr. Henderson's 'Historical View of the Translation and different editions of the Icelandic Scriptures,' in the second volume, (p. 249-306.) of his very interesting Journal of a Residence in Iceland, during the years 1814 and 1815, 8vo. Edinburgh, 1818.

2 This edition was accompanied with a translation in the Esthonian language, spoken in the province of Esthland or Esthonia. It is a totally distinct language, being closely allied to the Finnish. Bp. Marsh's History of Translations, p. 4. note. There is also a dialect of the Esthonian, called the Dorpatian Esthonian, into which the New Testament was translated and published in the year 1727.

3 A translation of the Scriptures into the Karelian language (spoken in Karelia, a province of East Finland), was printed in 1822 under the direction of the St. Petersburg Bible Society; but it is not known whether this version is made from the Finnish, or not.

4 An edition of the New Testament, both in Livonian and Esthonian, had been already printed at Riga, in 1685 and 1686. The Lettish or Livonian is a Sclavonian dialect.

5 Walchii Bibliotheca Theologica Selecta, vol. iv. pp. 79–81..