rudnes of the worke, nowe at THE FYRST TYME, offende them not." No such expression or idea is conveyed in the prologue to the 4to. with the glosses; but, on the contrary, he says: "After hit had pleasvd God to put in my mynde, and also to geve me grace to translate this forerehearced newe testament into oure englyshe tonge, howesovers we haue done it, I supposed yt very necessary to put you in remembraunce of certayne poyntes," &c.

From this it appears that he first published the text, and then proceeded to republish it with a prologue and notes. This agrees exactly with the words of Sir Thomas More, when, charging Tyndale with mistranslating certain terms, he says: 'But surely the worde congregacyion, wyth the circumstaunces in the texte : wolde not haue serued when he translated yt fyrste, to make the englyshe reader to take it for the chyrch, no more then idolys for ymages; But mary he hath added vnto his translacion such circumstaunces synnys,—But all his glose is therin, that he wyll saye he taketh them for none heresves."

George Joye, in his controversy with Tyndale in 1535, refers to this octavo as the first edition. Joye having altered some important words in the text, and published an edition of the New Testament, as Tyndale's correction, without his knowledge, he thus endeavoured to defend himself: "Wherfore according to his owne desier in the ende of hys first new testament, desyering all that be able to mende that as was amysse in it, and to geue the wordis (where he did it not himself) their right significacions: for he confesseth euen there that hys first translacion was a thinge borne before the tyme, rude and imperfit, rather begun then fynished, not yet hauing her right shape."

With regard to the time when these volumes were published, Strype has recorded, from a private paper left by John Fox, that one John Pykas, when in trouble for alleged heresy, deposed, March 7, 1527, that, about two years previously, he bought in Colchester, of a Lombard merchant, the New Testament in English for four shillings he does not say that it was printed; but, supposing it to be one of the first importation of printed Testaments, when manuscript copies were selling for very considerable sums, and the sale was attended with great risk, it may account for the charge of four shillings for so small a volume.

In the preface to the Wicked Mammon, published in May, 1528, Tyndale states, that the New Testament was completed two years previously; thus confirming the account given by Cochlaeus, one of the most active enemies of the Reformation. In his Memoir of the Life and Writings of Luther, he thus narrates the routing of the two pious aliens, Tyndale and Frith. Roy had quitted them, and gone to Strasburg.

ANNO DOMINI M. D. XXVI.

"Two English heretics, who had formerly been at Wittemburg, not only sought to convert the merchants who had secretly maintained them during exile, but even hoped that the whole of the English nation, without consulting the king's feelings, would in a short time

become Lutherans, by means of Luther's New Testatment, which they had translated into the English language. They had come to Cologne, that they might forward many thousand printed copies of the Testament thus translated, secreted under other goods, into England. Such was their confidence in the success of this attempt, that at their first interview they ordered the printers to put six thousand copies to press; but fearing that a great loss would be sustained if the enterprise failed, they agreed to print only three thousand, it being easy, if they sold well, to print another edition. Pomeranus had already sent letters to the saints among the English, and Luther himself had written to the king. When he supposed that the New Testament would soon appear, such was his delight, that he inflated his followers with vain expectations, and they became intoxicated with joy, and revealed the secret before due time with their useless boasting." The narrative goes on to state that Cochlaeus, having prepared an edition of Rupert's Commentary on Matthew, went to Cologne to superintend the printing of it, and happening to employ the same printers, he heard such whispers as led this divine to ply some of the workmen with drink, and while intoxicated, he drew from them their master's secret. His narrative thus continues.— "Here having become better accquainted with the printers, he hears them occasionally ejaculate over the glass with confidence-let the English king and cardinal be willing or not, all England shall in a short space of time become Lutherans. He heard also that two Englishmen there, LEARNED, ELOQUENT, AND SKILLED IN LANGUAGES, made it a matter of exultation, but he never found an opportunity of seeing or speaking to them. Having invited some of the printers to his house, when they had become heated with wine, one of them in private conversation revealed to him the secret, how England was to be brought to Luther's side; namely, that three thousand copies of Luther's New Testament, translated into English, were printing, and that they had already advanced as far as signature K, in fours. That the cost would be abundantly supplied by the English merchants, who would secretly convey the work, when finished, throughout all England, and extensively distribute it before the king or the cardinal (Wolsey) could know of or prevent it. Cochlaeus, agitated with fear and wonder, outwardly dissembled his sadness, but soon revolving sorrowfully in his mind the extent of the danger, he devised means to paralyze this effort. He went privately to Herman Rinck, Bart., a counsellor and senator of Cologne, who was personally acquainted with the emperor and with the king of England, and opened to him the whole affair, as (thanks to the wine) he had discovered it. The baronet, to satisfy himself that the information was correct, sent a man to search the house where the work was carried on; the printer acknowledged that it was in hand, and that a quantity of paper was purchased for it. Upon this he went to the senate, and obtained an injunction, forbidding the printer to proceed. The two English heretics taking with them the printed sheets, escaped and sailed up the Rhine to Worms, where the people were immoderately in favour of Luther, that they might there finish their undertaking. VII.

4 G

Rinck and Cochlaeus admonished the king, the cardinal, and the bishop about these proceedings, that all diligence might be used to stop this pernicious merchandize from entering any of the English ports. It is reported that Lord C. Tonstall, a most learned man, at that time bishop of London but now of Durham, when he had obtained one of these copies, declared to a great assembly in London that he had found upwards of two thousand errors and corruptions in that book."

This narrative bears every mark of authenticity, written by an eye-witness of repute, who published it to the world in 1549, at which time his accuracy was not questioned. Yet, as that ingenious antiquary, Mr. Lewis, had treated it lightly, I visited Cologne, in 1830, to ascertain, if possible, how far it was correct. The city secretary, Mr. Vaux, aided by Dr. Ernst Weyden, most readily and kindly searched the Archives, and found that Herman Rinck was a senator in 1526, and exactly such a man as he is represented to be by Cochlaeus. These gentlemen pointed out the printer's house in which this occurrence took place, and expressed the fullest confidence in the statement which I have extracted from the Life of Luther.

It is worthy of remark, that the printers supposed that this English New Testatment was translated from Luther, which has probably given rise to the supposition that Tyndale's version was not made from the Greek. Lutheran was then a general term of reproach. The zeal of the monks to keep the people in ignorance, led them to assert, that these heretical Lutherans had invented two new languages, which they called Hebrew and Greek-that all who studied Hebrew became Jews-that the New Testament was a modern invention by Luther; so that every translation, however faithfully rendered from the Greek, was called Luther's New Testament. Tyndale would have found it impracticable to translate from the German, but exceedingly easy to render it from the Greek, with which he had been familiar from his youth. A careful and minute comparison of the text with the Greek, the vulgate Latin, and Luther's German, will fully prove that it is translated faithfully from the Greek, although there can be no doubt that he availed himself, in revising his labours, of every aid within his reach. He might also have been assisted by conferring with the German Reformers on difficult passages, as any wise man would have done under similar circumstances; but he never deviated from his conscientious idea of the meaning of the Greek text, to please any man or party. It is more my province to exhibit a faithful narrative, drawn from authentic sources, than to notice the errors which have been made by others relative to this book; but the very singular mistake of Dr. Townley cannot be passed by. The Dr. has printed in a large black letter, what he calls a specimen of Tyndale's first translation, with the gloss. At the sale of his library, the volume from which the extract was made, came into my possession. It proved to be Coverdale's; a totally distinct translation from that of Tyndale, an edition hitherto unknown, and which probably preceded his Bible in 1535. In addition to this strange blunder, there are twenty-nine errors in printing a short quotation.

Many pirated editions of this book were printed by the Dutchmen,

and particularly at Antwerp: the object being profit only, they were negligently printed, without Tyndale's knowledge, and were exceedingly incorrect. The most correct of the surreptitious editions was edited by an exile, G. Joy; but he, without acknowledgment, made some important alterations in the text, for which he afterwards apologized. This edition was printed by the widow of Christopher of Endhoven, in Antwerp: her husband had perished in England during his imprisonment for selling a pirated edition, in 1531. Three years previously to this, John Raymond, a Dutchman, severely suffered, for causing 1500 of Tyndale's New Testatment to be printed at Antwerp, and for bringing 500 into England. The price at which they were usually sold, was thirteen pence for the small editions, and half-a-crown with the glosses; a considerable sum in those days.

The first of Tyndale's editions is a small 8vo. handsomely printed: it consists of 336 leaves of which 333 contain the text, the remaining three being occupied by the epistle to the reader and the errata. Of this book only two copies have been discovered: one, wanting fortyeight leaves, is in the Cathedral Library of St. Paul's: the other, from which the present edition is printed, adorns the Baptist Library at Bristol. This rare and precious volume is in the most beautiful preservation, the cuts emblazoned, and every leaf ornamented, as if intended for presentation to some royal or noble personage: the title, if it ever had one, is lost. The type is a neat German character, similar to that of Hans Luft, who, at Wyttenburg, and at Marpurg, printed nearly all Tyndale's works. This literary gem was first discovered by John Murray, one of Lord Oxford's collectors. His Lordship generously rewarded him with an annuity of twenty pounds for his life, and gave him one year's money in advance. On the decease of Lord Oxford in 1741, while the annuity was still paying, the library was bought by Mr. Osborne, who, not knowing the rarity and value of so precious a volume, sold the treasure for fifteen shillings to the celebrated collector, Mr. Ames. On his death in 1760, it was bought by John Whyte for fourteen guineas and a half: he, after keeping it exactly sixteen years, sold it to Dr. Gifford for twenty guineas. In 1784, this volume, together with the finest collection of early English bibles in the kingdom, was left by Dr. Gifford, then one of the librarians at the British Museum, to the Baptist College at Bristol, where it has been most carefully preserved. Through the public feeling and liberality of the principal of the college, permission was cheerfully given to print from it the present edition, which is a literal copy of the original, with fac-similes of the woodcuts and ornaments.

[To be continued.]

IX.-Examination of the London Missionary Society's Institution at Bhowanipur.

This flourishing Institution for the instruction of native youths is under the general superintendence of those Missionaries, belonging to the London Missionary Society, who are

stationed in Calcutta and its neighbourhood, and more immediately under the charge of the Rev. J. Campbell, who gives daily attendance during the hours of teaching, and conducts the studies of the higher classes. Like other Institutions connected with Missionary Societies and superintended by their agents in this country, the Institution at Bhowanipur is conducted upon the principle of making religious knowledge an essential branch of education; and we rejoice to say that we are thereby furnished with another unanswerable proof that, where good education is to be procured, the natives of India will not hesitate to send their children to partake of the offered boon, even should a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ have charge of the Seminary, and avow his anxiety, not only to teach the evidences and doctrines of his own faith, but to gain converts, if possible, from among the votaries of Hindu superstition. There is no room, either in the case of this Institution or in that of any other similar Institution in Calcutta, for the taunt that we practise deception, in communicating Christian knowledge to the pupils who frequent and crowd our Missionary Seminaries. Our motives are avowed in the most open manner. It is altogether impossible for those who commit their children to our charge not to know, that we instruct them in our religion, that we invite them to embrace the hopes and the promises, and the confident assurances of the pardoning mercy of God which are presented to the sinful children of men in the Gospel of His Son. The charge of deception may, with more fairness, be brought against those who, with liberality in their mouths and a show of toleration in their demeanour, avow non-interference in religious matters, yet, on the one hand, do what in them lies to uproot and overthrow the superstition of the people, and on the other hand do not even teach the great doctrines of Natural Religion; nay, in some cases familiar to us, do not allow the youth, to whom knowledge is imparted, freedom of thought or of ac

tion.

The London Missionary Society's Institution is not only founded and upheld on the principle of its being the duty of Christians to teach Christianity; but it is really a Christian Institution, a Seminary originally instituted for the education of poor Christian children who could find instruction no where else; for whom the Government of the country has never made any provision; who, were it not for the efforts which Missionaries and Missionary Societies make in their behalf, might be allowed to fall back into a condition not in any degree better than that of their heathen neighbours. The ground work of the school is a number of Christian boys, the children of converts