81 CHAPTER XXI. THE LARGEST BIBLE PRINTED. Some ac count of Bible. THE largest English Bible coming forth in print this printing year, wherein our archbishop, out of his zeal to God's the English glory, had so great an influence, I shall here take occasion to give some account of the translation of, as well as I can; there having been no exact story thereof any where given as I know of. New Testa The first time the holy Scripture was printed in English, ment printed in 1526. (for written copies thereof, of Wickliff's translation, there were long before and many), was about the year 1526. And that was only the New Testament translated by Tindal, assisted by Joy and Constantine, and printed in some foreign parts, I suppose at Hamburgh or Antwerp. For in this year I find that cardinal Wolsey and the bishops consulted together for the prohibiting the New Testament of Tindal's translation to be read. And Tonstal bishop of London issued out his commission to his archdeacons And burnt. for calling in the New Testament. This year also Tonstal Foxe'sActs, and sir Thomas More bought up almost the whole impression, and burnt them at Paul's Cross. I think it was this first edition that Garret, alias Garrerd, curate of Hony-lanem, afterwards burnt for heresy, dispersed in London and Oxford". p. 929. [See Foxe's Acts and Monuments, pp. 1017. et sqq.] m "[A narrow lane in Cheapside nearly opposite Bow Church, of which Robert Forman, S. T. P. was rector, and Thomas Garret, curate."-See Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, vol. i. p. 92.] n [Id. vol. i. pp. 91-95. See also Foxe's Acts and Monuments, pp. 1194. et sqq. and abp. Cranmer's Works, vol. ii. pp. 310, 376. Park. Soc. ed.] about 1530. Soon after Tindal revised his translation of the New Reprinted Testament, and corrected it, and caused it again to be printed about the year 1530. The books finished were privily sent over to Tindal's brother, John Tindal, and Thomas Patmore, merchants, and another young man; who received them and dispersed them. For which having been taken up by the bishop of London, they were adjudged in the Star-Chamber, sir Thomas More being then lord chancellor, to ride with their faces to the horse-tail, having papers on their heads and the New Testaments and other books, (which they dispersed), to be fastened thick about them, pinned or tacked to their gowns or cloaks, and at the standard in Cheap themselves to throw Burnt again. them into the fire made for that purpose; and then to be fined at the king's pleasure. Which penance they observed. The fine set upon them was heavy enough, viz. eighteen thousand eight hundred and forty pounds and ten pence: as was extant to be seen in the records of the Star-Chamber. ture pro at the Star Anno 1531, the bishops came into the Star-Chamber, The scripand communing with the king's counsel, and alleging hibited, in that this Testament was not truly translated, and that a meeting in it were prologues and prefaces of heresy and raillery Chamber. against bishops; upon this complaint the Testament, and other such like books, were prohibited. But the king gave commandment to the bishops at the same time, that they, calling to them the best learned out of the Universities, should cause a new translation to be made; so that the people might not be ignorant in the law of God. But the bishops did nothing in obedience to this commandment P. • [John Stokesley.] P[" In the beginning of this year, which we are now about, [A. D. 1531.] through the complaint of New Testa ments burnt The same year, viz. 1531, in the month of May, Stokesly, the third bishop of London, (as Tonstal, his predecessor, had done 82 four or five years before), caused all the New Testaments time. Foxe, p. 937. of Tindal, and many other books which he had bought up, to be brought to Paul's church-yard, and there openly burnt9. with a great number of other books, were forbidden. For the bishops coming into Star Chamber the 25th day of May, and communing with the king's council, after many pretences and long debating, alleged that the translation of Tindal and Joy were not truly translated, and moreover that in them were prologues and prefaces, that smelled of heresy, and railed against the bishops, wherefore all such books were prohibited, and commandment given by the king to the bishops, that they calling to them the best learned men of the universities, should cause a new translation to be made, so that the people might not be ignorant in the law of God. Notwithstanding this commandment, the bishops did nothing at all to the setting forth of any new translation, which caused the people much to study Tindal's translation, by reason whereof many things came to light, as ye shall hereafter hear."-Foxe's Acts and Monuments, p. 1027. ed. Lond. 1583.] 9 ["This year also, in the month of May, the bishop of London caused all the New Testaments of Tindal's translation, and many other books which he had bought, to be brought unto Paul's Churchyard, and there openly to be burned." Id. ibid. "Strype and several other writers erroneously have ascribed this burning of books to Stokesly, as he was then bishop of London elect, but all this was Tunstal's doing alone. Stokesly was then in Italy...Tunstal had been translated to Durham, by a bull dated 18th Feb. 1530, and confirmed to that see on the 25th of March.—Rymer, [vol.] xiv. p. 364.-In June he was at Bologna, very busy in Henry's service, and there is a dispatch from him, as late as 23rd of September, [Lord] Herbert, [Life of Hen. VIII.] p. 329. [ed. Lond. 1672.] Probably he did not arrive in England for some time after this, as he was not installed bishop of London till the 20th of December. Wood's Fasti, [vol. ii. col. 35. ed. Bliss. 181320.] And hence it is, that when he consigned Bayfield to the flames, [see Foxe's Acts and Monuments, p. 1024.], on the 20th of Nov. 1531, he dates it [i. e. the letter of requiry of the previous day directed to the mayor and sheriffs of London] the first year of our Bible printed 1537. that is, Bible. In the year 1537, the Bible, containing the Old and The whole New Testaments, called Mathews' Bible, of Tindal's and. Rogers' translation, was printed by Grafton and Whitchurch at Hamburgh, to the number of fifteen hundred copies. Which book obtained then so much favour of the king, by Crumwel's and Canterbury's means, that the king enjoined it to be had by all curates, and set up in all parish churches throughout the realm. It was done Mathews', by one John Rogers, who flourished a great while in Rogers' Germany, and was superintendent of a church there; being afterwards a prebend of St. Paul's, and the first martyr in queen Mary's days. He is said by my author to have translated the Bible into English from Genesis to the end of the Revelations, making use of the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, and English [that is, Tindal's] copies. He added prefaces, and notes out of Luther; and dedicated the whole book to king Henry, under the name of Thomas Mathews, by an epistle prefixed; minding Balai to conceal his own name'. Grafton, and the rest of the merchants concerned in the work, thinking that they had not stock enough to supply all the nation, and this book being of a volume not large enough, and considering the consecration."-See Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, vol. i. p. 263. n. 25. See also Le Neve's Fasti, p. 180. ed. Lond. 1614, in which it is stated, that John Stokesley had the temporalities of the see of London delivered to him July 14th 1530, and was consecrated the 27th of Nov. following, and died Sept. 8. 1539.] ["Grande bibliorum opus, Tindalum secutus, a vertice ad calcem, a primo Geneseos ad ultimum Apocalypseos vocabulum, perlustratis Hebræorum, Græco- Centur. About 1538, the Bible printing again in Paris. prologues and marginal notes gave offence to some, and being put on by those that favoured the gospel, that as many as possible could be might be printed, for the dispersing the knowledge of Christ and his truth; they resolved to imprint it again, which they intended should be of a larger volume than any before: and therefore it was called, when it came forth, "The Bible in the largest volume." They intended also, in order to this edition, to have the former translation revised, and to omit several prologues and annotations. And Miles Coverdale was the man now that compared the translation with the Hebrew, and mended it in divers places, and was the chief overseer of the work. But though they left out Mathews', that is, Rogers' notes, yet they resolved to make hands and marks on the sides of the book; which meant, that they would have particular notice to be taken of those places, being such texts as did more especially strike at the errors and abuses of the Romish churchs. Grafton resolved to print this Bible in Paris, if he could obtain leave, there being better paper and cheaper to be had in France, and more dexterous workmen. For this purpose the lord Crumwel, who stood by him in this enterprise, procured letters of the king, as Foxe relates, to Francis the French king, which were conveyed to Boner, then ambassador at that court, for him to present them to that king. The contents of which letters of king Henry were to this effect; "For a subject of his to imprint the Bible in English in his dominion, both in regard of his paper and workmen." The king at the same time wrote to his said ambassador to aid and assist the undertakers of this good work in all their reasonable suits. Boner did only present this letter to Francis, and obtained S [See Anderson's Annals of the English Bible, vol. ii. sec. xiv. p. 551. et sqq.] |