Chap. ii. A new revision proposed. Jan. 16, 1656 (i. e. 1657). Feb. 6. The Royal Bible una nimously received from the Some steps indeed were taken for a new version during the time of the Commonwealth. The Long Parliament shortly before it was dissolved made an order (April 1653) that 'a Bill should be brought in for a new 'translation of the Bible out of the original tongues,' but nothing more was done at that time'. Three years afterwards the scheme was revived, and Whitelocke has preserved an interesting account of the proceedings which followed. 'At the grand committee [of the House] for Religion, 'ordered That it be referred to a sub-committee to 'send for and advise with Dr [Brian] Walton, Mr 'Hughes, Mr [Edmund] Castle, Mr [Samuel] Clark, Mr Poulk, Dr [Ralph] Cudworth, and such others as 'they shall think fit, and to consider of the Translations ‘and impressions of the Bible, and to offer their opinions 'thereon to this Committee; and that it be especially 'commended to the Lord Commissioner Whitelocke to 'take care of this business.' 'This committee often met at my house,' writes Whitelocke, 'and had the most learned men in the 'Oriental tongues to consult with in this great business, 'and divers [made] excellent and learned observations 'of some mistakes in the Translations of the Bible in English; which yet was agreed to be the best of any 'Translation in the world. I took pains in it, but it | 'became fruitless by the Parliament's Dissolution". With this notice the external history of the English Version appropriately ends. From the middle of the seventeenth century, the King's Bible has been the 1 Lewis, Hist. of Translations, 354. 2 Mr J. E. B. Mayor informs me that this can be nothing but an error for Mr [Matthew] Poole. 3 Whitelocke, Memoirs, p. 654. 4 Since the first edition of this book appeared the work of revision has been resumed. See App. ix. Chap. ii. the xviith acknowledged Bible of the English-speaking nations throughout the world simply because it is the best. A revision which embodied the ripe fruits of nearly a century of labour, and appealed to the religious instinct of century. a great Christian people, gained by its own internal character a vital authority which could never have been secured by any edict of sovereign rulers'. 1 The labours of Hugh Broughton Lamentations, and Job, and offered on the English Bible ought not to be his help towards the execution of the passed over without notice. This royal version. His overbearing temgreat Hebraist violently attacked the per, as it appears, caused him to be Bishops' Bible, and sketched a plan excluded from the work; but his for a new version which his own ar- printed renderings were not without rogance was sufficient to make im- influence upon the revisers: e.g. Dan. practicable. He afterwards published iii. 5. Lewis, Hist. of Translations, translations of Daniel, Ecclesiastes, 297 ff. CHAPTER III. THE INTERNAL HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BIBLE. Oh, if we draw a circle premature Heedless of far gain, Greedy for quick returns of profit, sure Bad is our bargain! Was it not great? did not he throw on God, (He loves the burthen) God's task to make the heavenly period Perfect the earthen...... That low man seeks a little thing to do, Sees it and does it: This high man, with a great thing to pursue, Dies ere he knows it...... That has the world here-should he need the next, This throws himself on God, and unperplext Seeking shall find Him...... Lofty designs must close in like effects: Loftily lying, Leave him-still loftier than the world suspects, Living and dying. |