Chap. ii.
External
History.

A division among the people.

'stocks together, and to conceal it laid it under the bed-
'straw and read it at convenient times. One night his
'father being asleep he and his mother chanced to dis-
course concerning the crucifix, and kneeling down to it
and knocking on the breast then used, and holding up
'the hands to it when it came by on procession. This
'he told his mother was plain idolatry....His mother
enraged at him for this said, "Wilt thou not worship
'the cross which was about thee when thou wert chris-
'tened and must be laid on thee when thou art dead?"
'In this heat the mother and son departed and went to
'their beds. The sum of this evening's conference she
'presently repeats to her husband; which he impatient
'to hear and boiling in fury against his son for denying
'worship to be due to the cross, arose up forthwith and
'goes into his son's chamber and, like a mad zealot,
'taking him by the hair of his head with both his hands
'pulled him out of the bed and whipped him unmerci-
'fully. And when the young man bore this beating, as
'he related, with a kind of joy, considering it was for
'Christ's sake and shed not a tear, his father seeing
'that was more enraged, and ran down and fetched an
'halter and put it about his neck, saying he would hang
'him. At length with much entreaty of the mother and
'brother he left him almost dead'.'

It would be impossible to paint in more vivid colours
the result of the first open reading of the English Bible,
and the revelation which it made of the thoughts of
many hearts.
Classes and households were divided.
On the one side were the stern citizens of the old
school to whom change seemed to be the beginning of
license: on the other young men burning with eager
zeal to carry to the uttermost the spiritual freedom of
1 Strype's Cranmer, 1. 9

which they had caught sight. And between them were those to whom all they had been taught to reverence was still inestimably precious while yet they could not press to extremity those by whom the old tenets were assailed,

Chap. ii.
External

History.

§ 5. TAVERNER.

Bible a

Matthew's.

While Crumwell was hurrying forward his Bible in Taverner's Paris, another edition was being printed in London. revision of This also was based on Matthew, and seems to have been executed in considerable haste. The editor was a layman and a lawyer, R. Taverner, who had a great reputation as a Greek scholar. At an earlier time he was one of the students of 'Cardinal College,' Oxford, who had suffered persecution upon the first circulation of Tyndale's New Testament. He was acquainted with Crumwell, and by his influence the king appointed him to be one of his clerks of the signet. In the reign of Edward VI. he had a special license to preach, and a quaint account has been preserved of the studiously unclerical habit-with a velvet bonnet and damask gown, and gold chain and sword-in which he discharged the duty. It was his humour also, as we are told, 'to quote the law in Greek.' These little touches are important, for they throw no small light upon the spirit in which he accomplished his revision. In one respect he stands above his predecessors. His Dedication to Henry is couched in language full at once of respect and manliness. He gives the king due credit for what he had done and speaks with modesty of his own labours :... This one thing I dare full well affirm, that amongst all 'your majesty' deservings...your highness never did thing more a unto God, more profitable to the

Taner's

account of

his work.

Chap. ii.
External
History.

Superseded by the Great Bible.

'advancement of true christianity, more unpleasant to 'the enemies of the same and also to your grace's ene'mies, than when your majesty licensed and willed the 'most sacred Bible containing the unspotted and lively word of God to be in the English tongue set forth to 'your highness' subjects...

'Wherefore the premises well considered, forasmuch Was the printers hereof were very desirous to have this 'most sacred volume of the bible come forth as faultless 'and emendably as the shortness of time for the recog'nising of the same would require, they desired me your 'most humble servant for default of a better learned 'diligently to overlook and peruse the whole copy... 'which thing according to my talent I have gladly 'done.

'These therefore my simple lucubrations and labours 'to whom might I better dedicate than unto your most 'excellent and noble majesty, the only author and 'ground, next God, of this so high a benefit unto your ' grace's people, I mean that the holy scripture is com'municate unto the same.'

Taverner's Bible (like Crumwell's) was published in 1539, in two editions, folio and quarto. It is furnished with a marginal commentary based upon Matthew's, but shorter, and containing some original notes. In the same year in which his Bible was printed, Taverner likewise put forth two editions (quarto and octavo) of the New Testament through another publisher; but the appearance of the Great Bible must have checked the sale of his works. The Bible and the New Testament. were each reprinted once, and his Old Testament was adopted in a Bible of 1551. With these exceptions his revision appears to have fallen at once into complete neglect.

Chap. ii.
External
History.

§ 6. A TIME OF SUSPENSE.

of the Bible

After the publication of the Great Bible (1539-1541) The revision the history of the English Version remains stationary suspended. for a long time. Nothing was done to amend it and severe restrictions were imposed upon its use. In 1542 Feb. 17. a proposition was made in convocation in the king's name for a translation of the New Testament to be undertaken by the Bishops. The books were portioned out, but Gardiner brought the scheme to an end by pressing the retention of a large number of Latin terms which would practically have made a version such as the Rhemish one was afterwards'. As this condition was obviously inadmissible, the king, by Cranmer's influence, resolved to refer the translation to the two Universities. Convocation was no more consulted on the subject, and the Universities did nothing.

In the next year Parliament proscribed all translations bearing the name of Tyndale, and required that the notes in all other copies should be removed or obliterated. At the same time it was enacted that no women (except noble or gentle women), no artificers, apprentices, journeymen, serving-men, husbandmen, or labourers, should read to themselves or to others, publicly or privately, any part of the Bible under pain of imprisonment. Three years later (1546) the king repeated the prohibition against Tyndale's books with many others and included Coverdale's New Testament in the same category. Thus the Great Bible alone re

1 The list of words is a very practically proper names like Chrisstrange one. With words like ec- tus, zizania, didrachma, tetrarcha, clesia, pænitentia, pontifex, peccatum, and others again which have aphostia, pascha, impositio manuum, parently no special force, as simconfessio, which have a dogmatic plex, dignus, ejicere, oriens, tyransignificance, are others which are nus.

Restrictions

on the use of

the Bible.

Chap. ii.
External
History.

Bibles

destroyed.

mained unforbidden, and it was probably at this time that the great destruction of the earlier Bibles and Testaments took place. And even where the book has been preserved, the title-page has been in many cases destroyed that the true character of the volume might escape the observation of a hasty inquisitor.

For the proclamation was not allowed to remain. idle. The party of the 'old learning' even outran the letter of the edict. This had enjoined 'the burning of 'certain translations of the New Testament,' but, 'they were so bold as to burn the whole Bible, because they 'were of those men's, Tyndale's or Coverdale's, translation; 'and not the New Testament only. Nay more, they were anxious to escape from the responsibility which they had incurred by sanctioning the Great Bible. Tunstall and Heath, who had been appointed to overlook 'the translation' at the time of Crumwell's execution, and had set their names thereunto, when they saw 'the world somewhat like to wring on the other side V'denied it; and said they never meddled therewith'.'

Reaction on

the accession of Edward VI.

But in the midst of this reaction Henry died (Jan. 28, 1547). The accession of Edward restored the reforming party to power, and the young king himself is said to have shewn a singular devotion to the Bible. According to some the English Bible was first used at his coronation. When three swords were brought,' so Strype writes, 'signs of his being king of three king'doms, he said, there was one yet wanting. And when 'the nobles about him asked him what that was, he an'swered, The Bible. "That book," added he, "is the

1 A Supplication of the poor Commons, printed in Strype's Eccles. Memorials, 1. 633 ff.

2 The fact is not mentioned in the order of the Coronation printed

by Burnet, and in part by Strype, Cranmer, 1. 202 ff.

3 Eccles. Mem. 11. 35, on the authority of Bal. de viris Illustr.