9 Let vs do good, and let vs not Let vs not be wery of well doynge. faynte. Several of these changes may not be improvements, but in the great majority of them there is an apparent effort to secure greater accuracy of rendering, and more clearness and concinnity of expression. Many of Tyndale's terms have been changed in the course of successive revisions. Similitude has passed into parable, health into salvation, counterfeit into follow, favour into grace, congregation into church, hallowed loaves into unleavened bread, Easter into passover (except in one instance), it fortuned or it chanced into it came to pass, love into charity, dearth into famine, captain into centurion, laude into praise, &c. George Harman, of Antwerp, had, as recorded on a previous page, been imprisoned along with his wife,1 at the instance of Hacket the English envoy and the authorities at home, and he had been expelled from the "English House." The Lords of Antwerp released him in February, 1529, after seven months confinement, and some years afterwards he visited England, and found a patron in Queen Anne Boleyn who had been crowned on the 1st of June, 1533. A letter from her to Crumwell, dated 13th May, 1534, "at my Lord's Manor at Greenwich," and beginning with “Anne the Queen," has been preserved, telling what penalty he had suffered "in the time of the late Lord Cardinal"; boldly setting forth the crime charged upon him that, “he like a good Christian man, both did with his goods and policy help to the setting forth of the New Testament in English; and asking him" to be restored to his pristine freedom, liberty, and fellowship, and the sooner at our request." 3 Tyndale 1 See p. 178. 2 Cotton MSS., Cleopatra, E. V., fol. 330. Strype's Annals, vol. I, part 1, p. 171. had been informed of this royal interposition, and as a fitting memorial of his earnest gratitude, he threw off a copy of his revised edition on vellum, with beautifully illuminated capitals, but without name, dedication, or preface, and sent the volume to her Majesty. This Testament, not in the original binding, is now in the British Museum, and when the book is kept firmly shut, there may be read in dim red letters on the fore-edge of the leaves, on the top Anna, on the centre Regina, and on the bottom Angliæ. Tyndale published another edition in 1535. Joye in his Apology, intimates that it was then in hand, but before it was printed the translator was betrayed and imprisoned. There were indeed two editions, in 1535, the one no doubt Tyndale's own work, and the other a surreptitious issue. The one edition, 1534-1535, has a second title dated 1534, which had been printed with the text at the end of that year, the preliminary leaves, as being the last portion of the volume thrown off, having the date 1535, and on the title, "yet once agayne corrected by Willyam Tindale." This edition has a monogram G. H. on the second title, and its genuineness may be assumed from the fact that its readings are usually adopted in Matthew's Bible. Having been for a brief period the translator's "own familiar friend," Matthew must have selected it as Tyndale's last and best production. The other edition "fynesshed" in 1535, and "dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale," is to all intents that of 1534, but with 833 changes, few of which, however, can be called scholarly emendations.1 The following collation affords a specimen, and is a portion of Mr. Fry's monograph on the subject, 1 Corinthians being selected: had brought upon herself the suspi- accuracy-"Three New Testaments cion and resentment of Wolsey, a of William Tyndale, that of 1534, short time before his fall-the Seals 1535, 1535-1534, and the text of being taken from him on the 18th of Matthew's first edition "-a portion October. of a larger work on Tyndale New Testaments. There are some misprints and omissions in Matthew. 1 See Mr. Fry's monograph, prepared with marvellous minuteness and XIV.] Ch. Ver. COLLATION. COLLATION OF ED. 1534, GH 1535-34, AND MATTHEW 1537. '34 7 8 233 M (my brethren) of you by '35... (my brethren of you by them M and the wisdom of God ... ... ... them) '35... and wisdom of God preaching were not with GH '35 M preaching was not with M ordained before the word 34 GH '35 ... ordained before the world ... 7 '34 20 ...... 8 '34 GH 6 '34 37 '34 GH 7 '34 GH '35... 9 10 '34 1 '34 8 '34 GH ... are not ye my work or saith not the law M is it a great thing... M have their finding... so also did the Lord ... ... ... '35... I lay to* * not one all GH '35 M and not of commandment he that had married ... ... ... 35... GH '35 M GH '35 M any man loveth God eat as a thing offered are offered to the idol are ye not my work '35 should live of the gospel M without law became I ... ... ... M that a woman pray '34 GH '35 ... 29 '34 GH... M 31 '34 GH '35 33 34 GH '35 3 '34 GH '35 ... ... 8 '34 GH... M 12 '34 GH... M ... '34 GH M '34 GH '35 ... ... ... this cup is the new testa- GH '35 M omitted ment of my blood but by the Holy Ghost ... ... M in remembrance '35... maketh not difference ... ... M we have truly judged M tarry one another M but the Holy Ghost '35... to another given though they be many yet are '35... omitted but one body members of that body... GH '35 M members of the body 23 '34 24 '35... hath given more honour let other judge ... from death ** from death GH '35 M fromthedead** ofthedead The edition of 1535 is also marked by peculiar spelling. Tyndale had promised at Sodbury that “if God spared his life, he would cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than a priest." This strange spelling has been supposed, by Mr. Walter among others, to be a conformity to the rustic dialect of Gloucestershire in fulfilment of his early pledge. But such a theory fails of proof, and the probability is that the flat diphthongal orthography was the fruit of Flemish printing, copy being read off to a compositor who did not know English. Similar pronunciations are yet common in Flanders, and might also have been heard, not many years ago, in some parts of Morayshire. The following are a few specimens:First, an e put after an o, which is the commonest form-aboede, boeke, cloeke. Second, an e put after an a, which is also very common-aege, aere, maey, laey, faether. Third, sometimes the o is doubled-booth, boones, coostes, oonly, hoow, stoone, loo for lo, whoom, moor, moost. Fourth, sometimes an e after a u— ruele, ruelers, truethe. Fifth, sometimes an a after an o―moane for mone. Sixth, an a after an e-hear for her. Seventh, sometimes ee-heere for here. There are other forms, as te for the, tappe for toppe, tought for taught, vyneyaerde for veneyarde, woeld for would, woerde for worde, woere for where, yought for youth. CHAPTER XV. AFTER the publication of the Pentateuch, Tyndale was proceeding with the Hebrew Historical Books, when his work was brought to an abrupt termination. Vaughan had been at a previous period instructed to persuade Tyndale to return to England under promise of protection. But he intimated to Crumwell, 26th January, 1530-31, that the task was hopeless, for "Tyndale daily heareth so many things from thence which feareth him." "Would God," he adds, " he were in England." There was at that time no covert design to entrap him, or to coax him to come over and then seize him. Vaughan afterwards informs the king, 17th April, that he had an interview with Tyndale in the fields near Antwerp; that he had avowed his fervent and patriotic loyalty, and his reluctance to come home, because the king would not be able to keep his promise to protect him against the bishops, for they affirmed that no faith should be kept with heretics. Vaughan's despatch got him into trouble, as he was supposed to be favourably inclined towards the exile, and Crumwell replied, "Withdraw your affection from the said Tyndale, and all his sort; the king's highness would be much joyous of his conversion."1 Vaughan again met Tyndale, and thus reports his words: "If his majesty would grant only a bare text of Scripture to be put forth among his people, like as is put forth among the subjects of the emperor in these parts, and of other Christian princes, be it of the translation of what person soever shall please his majesty, I shall make faithful promise 1 Vaughan seems to have thought Crumwell some secret information that George Constantine had given against him. |