Gloss, or Comment, upon it in English. Richard Rolle, or, as he is sometimes called, Richard Hampole, was a doctor of divinity, a hermit of the order of St. Austin, and lived about four miles from Doncaster in Yorkshire. Of his translation and commentary an imperfect copy is preserved in the king's library. The following is a specimen: "Here bigynneth the Sauter. Psalmus primus. Beatus vir.-In this psalme he spekith of crist and his folewris blaundishyng to us, bihotyng blisfulhede to rightwise men. Sith en he speketh of veniaunce of wikkede men that thei drede peyne, sith thei wolle not love ioye. He begynneth at the goode man and seith, Blessed is that man the whuche ghede not in the counsel of wikede, and the wey of synfule stood not, and in the chayer of pestilence satte not.'

At the end of another manuscript of Hampole's Psalter are placed several canticles taken from various parts of the Bible. As a matter of curiosity, the following specimen is presented: "Canticum Isaie XII. Confitebor tibi Domine, &c. Lord I schal knowleche to the for thou were wrooth to me strong veniance is turned, and thou hast comfortid me."

In the Harleian library is a somewhat different translation of the Psalter, with a Gloss. And in the king's library is still another.

Similar translations also remain of nearly all the books of the New Testament. These, together with the selections from the Old Testament, were made from the Latin version; and appear to have been made not so much for public use, as for private purposes.

3. WICLIF'S TRANSLATION.

We have now come to the time of the celebrated Dr. John Wiclif.

Wiclif was born in the year 1324, in Yorkshire, and was educated in Merton college, Oxford. He was considered a prodigy of learning. He distinguished himself by his warm opposition to popes and friars. In 1356, he wrote a treatise exposing the corruption that was practised in procuring ecclesiastical benefices. He also defended the university of Oxford against the encroachments of the mendicant friars. Soon after this, he was

appointed warden of Baliol Hall; and in 1365, warden of Canterbury Hall. After the death of the archbishop, from whom he received this last dignity, being ejected from the office by the pope, he read lectures on divinity in the university, and widely extended his reputation. The friars, dreading his influence, drew up against him eighteen or nineteen accusations, which they presented to the pope. They failed, however, in their endeavors to compass his death. He died in 1384, after suffering two or three years with palsy.

It was probably soon after this attempt of his enemies, that Wiclif undertook to translate the whole Bible into English. He did not sufficiently understand the original languages to warrant his translating from the Hebrew and the Greek text. He therefore employed the Latin Bible, then in common use. His translation was extremely literal, not regarding even the idioms of the different languages. The prologues, or prefaces, which Jerome prefixed to the Gospels, are retained in this translation, with some additions by the translator.

This attempt of Wiclif's called forth heavy complaints from the papal clergy. One of them thus wrote: "This Master John Wiclif translated out of Latin into English the Gospel which Christ had entrusted with the clergy and doctors of the church, that they might minister it to the laity and weaker sort according to the exigency of times and their several occasions. So that by this means the Gospel was made vulgar, and laid more open to the laity and even to women who could read, than it used to be to the most learned of the clergy and those of the best understanding: and so the gospel jewel or evangelical pearl was thrown about and trodden under foot of swine." Nay, so offensive was this translation of the Bible to those who wished not the general spread of knowledge, that a bill was introduced into the House of Lords, in 1390, during the reign of Richard II., for entirely suppressing it.

This was the occasion on which the duke of Lancaster, the king's uncle, nobly declared: "We will not be the dregs of all; seeing other nations have the law of God, which is the law of our faith, written in their own language." The duke was seconded by others, and the bill was thrown out of the house. Encouraged by this suc

cess, some of Wiclif's followers prepared a more correct translation.

4. OBSTACLES TO TRANSLATION.-EDITIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THE LATIN AND THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGES.

Several other attempts at translation appear to have been made. But at last, in 1408, about twenty-four years after Wiclif's death, it was decreed by archbishop Arundel, in a convocation of his clergy assembled at Oxford, that no one should thereafter translate any text of Holy Scripture into English by way of a book, a little book or tract, and that no book, &c., of this kind should be read that was composed lately in the time of John Wiclif, or since his death."

A few partial attempts at translation were made between the death of Wiclif and the time of William Tyndal. But during this period gross darkness covered the people. In 1462 an edition of the Latin Bible was printed, which was followed by several other editions, so that the Scriptures in Latin became more common. In 1488, the Old Testament was printed in Hebrew, and in less than thirty years after, the New Testament was published in the original Greek. All these editions were printed on the continent.

The art of printing was introduced into England in 1474, and a printing-press set up at Westminster. By these endeavors for the progress of knowledge, the monks were much alarmed, and proclaimed from the pulpits, that "there was now a new language discovered called Greek, of which people should beware, since it was that which produced all the heresies; that in this language was come forth a book called the New Testament which was now in every body's hands and was full of thorns and briars; that there was also another language now started up which they called Hebrew, and that they who learnt it were turned Hebrews." Erasmus observes, that even a college in the university of Cambridge absolutely forbade the use of his edition of the Greek Testament. It is also related, that the vicar of Croydon in Surry, declared in a sermon, We must root out printing, or printing will root out us.

5. TYNDAL'S TRANSLATION.

Such was the state of things, when William Tyndal resolved to translate the Scriptures into English from the original Hebrew and Greek.

Tyndal was born in Wales, and was educated at Oxford. From Oxford he removed to Cambridge, and afterwards became private tutor in the family of a distinguished gentleman. While thus employed, he also preached. Being suspected of heresy by the neighboring clergy, he removed to London, where he continued to preach. Here he made an ineffectual effort, in 1522, to become introduced to Dr. Tonstal, then bishop of London. In order to secure an acquaintance with Tonstal, he translated into English an oration of Isocrates, thus proving himself to be uncommonly learned, as Greek was understood at that time by very few in England. Tyndal's aim in seeking this introduction, was to obtain greater security while devoting himself to the work of translating the New Testament into English; for such an undertaking, in his circumstances, would, he knew, incur the hazard of his life. Failing to obtain admittance into the bishop's family, he transported himself to Antwerp, and diligently prosecuted the work of translating, while a generous friend in London furnished him yearly with the means of subsistence.

Having, by the assistance of two other persons, completed his translation of the New Testament into English, he published it in the year 1526, without his name, in an octavo volume. At the end he placed a note, in which he "desired them that were learned to amende, if ought were founde amysse."

This first impression of Tyndal's New Testament, being imported into England, found a ready sale. The ecclesiastical authorities speedily issued orders to bring them all the New Testaments translated into English, that they might be burnt. Still, the very next year the printers at Antwerp published another edition. Soon after, still another edition was printed; and thus, without Tyndal's being directly concerned, as many as five editions were published.

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It is said that Tonstal himself contributed very materially, though undesignedly, to the increase of the printed copies. For being desirous to suppress the work, he eagerly, soon after the appearance of the first edition, bought up the unsold copies and burnt them. But the bishop's money placed it in the power of those who at Antwerp were interested in the work, to prosecute their labors. No means were left unemployed for discouraging the use of this translation. Tonstal publicly declared that there were two thousand mis-translated texts in it. A Dutch merchant was forced, in 1528, to quit the realm, on account of importing these books. Two other merchants were condemned, for importing them, to do penance by riding on horseback with their faces to their horses' tails and the books fastened to their cloaks, to the Standard in Cheapside; at which place they were compelled with their own hands to throw the books into the fire.

These forcible measures not having the intended effect, other means were resorted to for bringing this translation into disrepute. Accordingly, Sir Thomas More, an intimate friend of Tonstal's, received license, in 1527, to read the books and to prepare for the public an account of them, so that the people might be put on their guard. Sir Thomas, in consequence, wrote a humorous dialogue, in which he vindicated the proceedings of the bishop, and brought fresh accusations against the translation. "Tyndal," he said, "had translated three words of great weight which were often repeated in the book; they were the words PRIESTS, CHURCH and CHARITY. The first of these he never calls priests, but seniors; the second he stiles the congregation; and the third he nameth love." Thomas adds, "that Tyndal changed commonly the word GRACE into favor; that he translated CONFESSION into knowledging, PENANCE into repentance, and a CONTRITE HEART into a troubled heart."

Sir

In the mean time, Tyndal employed himself in translating from the Hebrew into English the five books of Moses. Having finished this work, he set sail for Hamburg, in order to print it; but the vessel in which he took passage was wrecked, and all his papers were lost. He was forced to begin anew; so that his translation of the Pentateuch was not printed till 1530. It was printed at different presses, as circumstances would allow. To each