Writings and Translations of Myles Coverdale

A Spiri

tual and most pre

cious perle, teachynge all men to loue & imbrace ye crosse as a most swete and necessarye thinge unto the soule: what comfort is to be taken thereof: where and howe bothe consolacion and aide in al ma

ner of afflyccions is to be
sought: and agayne howe

all men should behaue

themselves therin,

accordyng to the

Word of God.

Math. 10.

He that taketh not his crosse

and followeth me, is not

mete for me.

Printed 1550.

A SPIRITUAL

AND

MOST PRECIOUS PEARL.

[This Treatise is a translation from the German of Otho Wermullerus, or Vuerdmullerus, an eminent scholar and divine of Zurich, contemporary of Bishop Coverdale'. Of this we are informed by Hugh Singleton in the Preface to an edition published by him after Coverdale's death, in which he states that in consequence of some spurious editions, which had been published in his name, "he had thought it good to set it forth again according to the true copy of that translation that he received at the hands of M. Doctor Milo Coverdale;" at whose hand he received also the copies of three other works of Wermullerus. The names of these other books are: First, "A treatise on Death;" the second, "Of Justification;" and the third, "Of the Hope of the Faithful."

This work was first sent forth under the especial patronage of the Protector Somerset in 1550, on the conclusion of his troubles at that period, and under the circumstances stated in the Preface prefixed to this edition by the Protector himself. This fact is also mentioned in the title-page to this edition; in which it is said to have been "sett forth by the moste honorable Lorde, the duke his grace of Somerset, as appeareth by hys Epystle set before the same." But no mention is made either of Wermullerus or Coverdale; the fact of its being a translation from the former being, as far as appears, first noticed in the edition of Hugh Singleton.

Copies of this interesting edition are found in the Library of the British Museum, and in that of the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough. This volume contains, in addition to this treatise, a form of prayer composed by the Protector's chaplain, Thomas Becon, which was used daily in his family at Shene during his disgrace. These prayers will be found in the third volume of the works of Becon, (Park. Soc.)

The present edition is taken from the reprint of a subsequent edition of the same year, which appears from internal evidence to have been corrected by Coverdale himself. It has been collated carefully with the Peterborough copy throughout; all the important variations have been noted; the marginal notes have been added from the Peterborough copy; and the scripture references, which are made in that copy according to the division of the chapters employed in Coverdale's bible, have been adapted to the present mode of division into verses. For the opportunity which has been thus afforded of making this edition more conformable to this valuable original edition of the author, the Editor is indebted to the kindness and liberality of the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough.

The following account of this learned person is given in Simler's Bibliotheca, p. 537: "Otho Vuerdmullerus Tigurinus scripsit de dignitate, usu, et methodo Philosophiæ moralis, quam Aristoteles ad Nicomachum conscripsit, lib. 2. Hieron. Curio excudit Basileæ, 1545: item Commentarium perquam eruditum in orationem Ciceronis ad equites Romanos antequam iret in exilium, editum sub nomine Myliandri Tigurini, Basilea apud Rob. Vuinter, 1539, una cum aliorum lucubrationibus in omnes orationes Ciceronis, et Parisiis apud Mich. Vascosan, seorsim, an. 1540; item Tiguri apud Froschoverum in 8. ex recognitione auctoris, et Basileæ apud Oporinum, anno 1553, cum diversorum in omnes orationes commentariis. Idem scripsit de officio concionatoris Christiani sermones 3. excusos Tiguri a Froschovero in 8. Item Germanice edidit De Justificatione, lib. 4. Summam Christianæ fidei. De morte libellum. De afflictionibus. Scripsit etiam commentaria in epistolam ad Galatas, quæ nondum sunt edita. Librum de similibus ab animantibus desumptis, impressum Tiguri apud Gesneros. Item librum de bonis operibus. Obiit Tiguri anno 1551."]