delightful contrast with the opinion formed by a modern papist, justly esteemed for his liberality and candour, and eminent as a profound scholar. "With respect to Tyndale's translation, it is astonishing how little obsolete the language of it is, even at this day; and, in point of perspicuity and noble simplicity, propriety of idiom and purity of style, no English version has yet surpassed it. The criticisms of those who wrote against it (we are sorry to find Sir Thomas More among them) are generally too severe, often captious, and sometimes evidently unjust." He adds: “Burning suspicious books is the readiest way to multiply them as persecuting for religion is the surest mean of propagating it."* * Dr. Geddes' Prospectus to a New Translation, p. 89. In vindication of the motives which induced Tyndale to undertake this dangerous and arduous labour, of translating the Holy Scriptures, his learned and admirable colleague, John Fryth, a short time before his martyrdom, thus addressed Sir Thomas More:—“ And Tyndale I truste lyueth; well contente with suche pore apostles lyfe, as God gaue hys sonne Christ, and hys faythfull mynysters in thys worlde, whych is not sure of so many mytes, as you be yearely of many poundes, although I am sure that for hys learnynge and iudgement in scripture, he were more worthye to be promoted then all the byshoppes in Englande. I receyued a letter from hym, whych was wrytten sens Christmas, wherin amonge other matters he wryteth thus: I call God to recorde agaynst the daye we shall appeare before oure Lorde Jesus Christ to geue rekonynge of oure doinges, that I neuer altered one syllable of Godes worde agaynst my conscyence, nor wolde do thys daye, yf all that is in earthe, whether it be honoure, pleasure, or ryches myght be geuen me.” Fryth adds," Judge, good Christen reader, whether these words be not spoken of a faythfull, clere, and innocent herte. And as for hys behau youre is suche, that I am sure no man can reprove hym of any synne, howbeit no man is innocent before God whych beholdeth the herte." His motives are thus declared in the prologue prefixed to the 4to. Testament with glosses, 1526. "I haue here translated (brethren and susters, moost dere and tenderly beloued in Christ) the Newe Testament for youre spirituall edyfyinge, consolacion, and solas: the causes that moved me to translate, y thought better that other shulde ymagion, then that y shulde rehearce them. Moreover y supposed yt superfluous, for who ys so blynde to axe why lyght shulde be shewed to them that walke in dercknes, where they cannot but stomble, and where to stomble ys the daunger of eternall damnacion, other so despyghtfull that he wolde envye eny man (y speake nott his brother) so necessary a thinge, or so bedlem madde to affyrme that good is the naturall cause of yuell, and derknes to procede oute of lyght, and that lyinge shulde be grounded in trougth and verytie and nott rather clene contrary, that lyght destroyeth dercknes, and veritie reproveth all manner lyinge." In 1528, Tyndale published the most valuable of his own compositions, The Obedience of a Christian Man. In the preface, he, at considerable length, proves the necessity of a free circulation of the Scriptures in the vernacular language of every country. After his christian salutations, he says: "Let it not make thee dispayre, neither yet discorage thee (oh reader) that it is forbidden thee in peyne of lyfe and goodes, or that it is made breakynge of the kynges peace, or treason vnto his highnes, to reade ye worde of thy soules health. But muche rather be bolde in the lorde and comfort thy soule. For as much as thou art sure and haste an euydent token thorow suche persecutyon, that it is the true worde of God, whiche worde is euer hated of the worlde." He argues, that as the Jews, and those to whom the scriptures were immediately delivered, had them in their own tongue, so ought all mankind. That Jerome felt the great importance of a vernacular translation, and with much labour made one in Latin. That since the scriptures have been shut up, gross darkness has covered the people. "The curates, alas, themselves, for the moost part, wotte no more what the Newe or Olde Testament meaneth, than do the Turkes."-" Moreouer seynge that one of you euer preacheth contrary to another. And whan two of you mete, the one disputeth and brauleth with the other, as it were two scoldes. And for as moche as one holdeth this doctor, and another that, one foloweth Duns,* and another S. Thomas," &c., enumerating fifteen different sects in the then Roman Catholic church in England, he adds, "In so great dyuersyte of spyrites howe shal I knowe who lyeth and who sayeth trueth: wherby shall I trye them and iudge them? Verely by Goddes worde, whiche onely is true. But howe shall I that do, whan thou wylte not let me se the scrypture?" Tyndale speaks familiarly of the original languages: "The Greke tongue agreeth more with the Englyshe than with the Latyne, and the properties of the Hebrue tongue agreeth a thousande tymes more with ye Englysshe than with the Latyne." He winds up this interesting preface with a serious charge. "Fynally that the threatenyng and forbyddynge the laye people to rede the scrypture is not for loue of your soules (whiche they care for as the foxe doeth for the gese) is euydent and clerer than the sonne, in as moche as they permytte and suffre you to reade Robyn Hode, and Beuys of Hampton, Hercules, Hector and Troylus, with a thousande hystoryes and fables of loue and wantones, and of rybaudrye, as fylthy as herte can thynke, to corrupte the myndes of youth with all, clene contrary to the doctryne of Chryst and of his apostles." This book fell into the king's hands through the zeal of Tyndale's enemies to prevent his seeing it. Queen Anne Boleyn had lent her copy to one of the ladies in waiting, who had formed an attachment to a handsome page, named Zouch; he playfully seized the book, and made his escape with it to the chapel, as a * Duns Scotus, a celebrated monk, born in Scotland, of whom Camden gives the following character, as drawn by an Italian poet : "All learning taught in humaine bookes and couched in holy writ, secure place for private reading; but unfortunately Dr. Sampson caught him before he could conceal the proscribed treasure, and with severe threats took away the book, and gave it to Cardinal Wolsey. When the queen asked for her book, the lady, falling on her knees, told her what had happened: the amiable queen raised her with kindness, saying, it shall be the dearest book the cardinal has got. She went to the king, and told him the conduct of the doctor and cardinal. Henry immediately called for the stolen volume, when she with irresistible tenderness besought the king to examine its contents, which he did, and appeared to be delighted with it, saying, "This book is for me and all kings to read." During this time Tyndale was incessantly employed, and published a number of tracts and books, which, though small in size, were mighty in pulling down the strongholds of superstition in England. The original editions of many of these tracts are in my cabinet, and have afforded me much instruction and information, as well as amusement: among them is a copy of The Obedience of a Christen Man, small 4to. published May, 1528, once the property of the princess, afterwards Queen Elizabeth. It has her autograph beautifully written, but with all the pomp worthy of a Tudor: "Elizabeth, doughter of England and France." This book, probably, assisted to fix her principles in favour of the Reformation. In 1529, having finished his translation of the first books of the Old Testament, Tyndale commenced the publication of them in separate tracts, ornamented with wood-cuts, and accompanied with notes, which gave great offence to the clergy. When the manuscript of the book of Deuteronomy was ready for the press, thus completing the Pentateuch, he was visited, by the inscrutable dispensation of Divine Providence, with a heavy calamity. Minding to print the fifth book of Moses at Hamburgh, he on his way thither suffered shipwreck on the coast of Holland; and lost his books, money, and manuscript; his life was saved, for in the goodness of God he was not wrecked on the English coast, where, if the sea had |