French BIBLES.—The oldest French Bible we hear of is the version of Peter de Vaux, chief of the Waldenses, who lived about the year 1160. Raoul de Presle translated the Bible into French in the reign of Charles V. king
Bibli. king of France, about the year 1380. Besides these, there are several old French translations of particular parts of the Scripture. The doctors of Louvain published the Bible in French at Louvain, by order of the emperor Charles V. in 1550. There is a version by Isaac le Maître de Sacy, published in 1672, with explanations of the literal and spiritual meaning of the text, which was received with wonderful applause, and has been often reprinted. As to the New Testaments in French, which have been printed separately, one of the most remarkable is that of F. Amelotte of the oratory, composed by the direction of some French prelates, and printed with annotations in the year 1666, 1667, and 1670. The author pretends he had been at the pains to search all the libraries in Europe, and collate the oldest manuscripts. But, in examining his work, it appears that he has produced no considerable various readings, which had not before been taken notice of either in the London Polyglott or elsewhere. The New Testament of Mons printed in 1665, with the archbishop of Cambray's permission, and the king of Spain's licence, made a great noise in the world. It was condemned by Pope Clement IX. in 1668, and by Pope Innocent XI. in 1679, and in several bishoprics of France at several times. The New Testament published at Trevoux in 1702, by M. Simon, with literal and critical annotations upon difficult passages, was condemned by the bishops of Paris and Meaux in 1702. F. Bohours, a Jesuit, with the assistance of F. F. Michel Tellier, and Peter Bernier, Jesuits likewise, published a translation of the New Testament in 1697: but this translation is, for the most part, harsh and obscure, which was owing to the author's keeping too strictly to the Latin text from which he translated.
There are likewise French translations published by Protestant authors; one by Robert Peter Olivetan, printed at Geneva in 1535, and since often reprinted with the corrections of John Calvin and others; another by Sebastian Castellio, remarkable for particular ways of expression never used by good judges of the language. John Diodati likewise published a French Bible at Geneva in 1644; but some find fault with his method, in that he rather paraphrases the text than translates it. Faber Stapalensis translated the New Testament into French, which was revised and accommodated to the use of the reformed churches in Piedmont, and printed in 1524. Lastly, M. John Le Clerc published a New Testament in French at Amsterdam in 1703, with annotations taken chiefly from Grotius and Hammond; but the use of this version was prohibited in Holland by order of the States-General, as tending to revive the errors of Sabellius and Socinus.
Italian Bibles. The first Italian Bible published by the Romanists is that of Nicholas Malerme, a Benedictine monk, printed at Venice in 1471. It was translated from the Vulgate. The version of Anthony Brucioli, published at Venice in 1532, was prohibited by the Council of Trent. The Calvinists likewise have their Italian Bibles. There is one of John Diodati in 1607 and 1641, and another of Maximus Theophilus in 1551, dedicated to Francis de Medicis Duke of Tuscany. The Jews of Italy have no entire version of the Bible in Italian; the inquisition constantly refusing to allow them the liberty of printing one.
Spanish Bibles. The first Spanish Bible that we hear
of is that mentioned by Cyprian de Valera, which he says was published about the year 1500. The Epistles and Gospels were published in that language by Ambrose de Montefin in 1512; the whole Bible by Cassiodore de Reyna, a Calvinist, in 1569; and the New Testament, dedicated to the emperor Charles V. by Francis Enzinas, otherwise called Driander, in 1543. The first Bible which was printed in Spanish for the use of the Jews was that printed at Ferrara in 1553, in Gothic characters, and dedicated to Hercules d'Est Duke of Ferrara. This version is very ancient, and was probably in use among the Jews of Spain before Ferdinand and Isabella expelled them out of their dominions in 1492.
German Bibles. The first and most ancient translation of the Bible in the German language is that of Ulphilas bishop of the Goths, about the year 360. This bishop left out the book of Kings, which treat chiefly of war, lest it should too much encourage the martial humour of the Goths. An imperfect manuscript of this version was found in the abbey of Verden near Cologne, written in letters of silver, for which reason it is called Codex Argenteus; and it was published by Francis Junius in 1665. The oldest German printed Bible extant is that of Nuremberg, printed in 1447; but who the author of it was is uncertain. John Emzer, chaplain to George Duke of Saxony, published a version of the New Testament in opposition to Luther. There is a German Bible of John Eckius in 1537, with Emzer's New Testament added to it; and one by Ulembergius of Westphalia, procured by Ferdinand Duke of Bavaria, and printed in 1630. Martin Luther having employed eleven years in translating the Old and New Testament, published the Pentateuch in 1522, the historical books and the Psalms in 1524, the books of Solomon in 1527, Isaiah in 1529, the Prophets in 1531, and the other books in 1530: he published the New Testament in 1522. The learned agree, that his language is pure, and the version clear and free from intricacies: it was revised by several persons of quality, who were masters of all the delicacies of the German language. The German Bibles which have been printed in Saxony, Switzerland, and elsewhere, are for the most part the same as that of Luther, with very little variation. In 1624 John Piscator published a version of the Bible in German, taken from that of Junius and Tremellius: but his turn of expression is purely Latin, and not at all agreeable to the genius of the German language: the Anabaptists have a German Bible printed at Worms in 1529. John Crellius published his version of the New Testament at Racoia in 1620; and Felbinger his at Amsterdam in 1660.
Flemish Bibles. The Flemish Bibles of the Romanists are very numerous, and for the most part have no author's name prefixed to them, till that of Nicolas Vinck, printed at Lovain in 1548. The Flemish versions made use of by the Calvinists till the year 1637, were copied principally from that of Luther. But the synod of Dort having in 1618 appointed a new translation of the Bible into Flemish, deputies were named for the work, which was not finished till the year 1637.
Danish Bibles. The first Danish Bible was published by Peter Palladius, Olaus Chrysolomus, John Synnigius, and John Maccabeus, in 1550, in which they followed
lowed Luther's first German version. There are two other versions, the one by John Paul Refenius bishop of Zealand, in 1605; the other, being the New Testament only, by John Michel, in 1524.
Swedish Bible.—In 1534 Olaus and Laurence published a Swedish Bible from the German version of Martin Luther. It was revised in 1617, by order of king Gustavus Adolphus, and was afterwards almost universally received.
Bohemian, Polish, Russian or Muscovite, and Slavonian Bibles.—The Bohemians have a Bible translated by eight of their doctors, whom they had sent to the schools of Wittenberg and Basel, on purpose to study the original languages. It was printed in Moravia in the year 1539. The first Polish version of the Bible, it is said, was that composed by Hadewich wife of Jagelon Duke of Lithuania, who embraced Christianity in the year 1390. In 1599 there was a Polish translation of the Bible published at Cracow, which was the work of several divines of that nation, and in which James Wiecek, a Jesuit, had a principal share. The Protestants, in 1596, published a Polish Bible from Luther's German version, and dedicated it to Uladislau IV. king of Poland. The Russians or Muscovites published the Bible in their language in 1581. It was translated from the Greek by St Cyril, the apostle of the Slavonians; but this old version being too obscure, Ernest Gliik, who had been carried prisoner to Moscow after the taking of Narva, undertook a new translation of the Bible in Slavonian; who dying in 1705, the Czar Peter appointed some particular divines to finish the translation: but whether it was ever printed, we cannot say.
English-Saxon Bibles.—If we inquire into the versions of the Bible of our own country, we shall find that Adelm bishop of Sherburn, who lived in 709, made an English-Saxon version of the Psalms; and that Eadfrid, or Ebert, bishop of Lindisferne, who lived about the year 730, translated several of the books of Scripture into the same language. It is said likewise, that venerable Bede, who died in 785, translated the whole Bible into Saxon. But Cuthbert, Bede's disciple, in the enumeration of his master's works, speaks only of his translation of the Gospel; and says nothing of the rest of the Bible. Some pretend, that King Alfred, who lived in 890, translated a great part of the Scriptures. We find an old version in the Anglo-Saxon of several books of the Bible, made by Elfric abbot of Malmesbury: it was published at Oxford in 1699. There is an old Anglo-Saxon version of the four Gospels, published by Matthew Parker archbishop of Canterbury in 1571, the author whereof is unknown. Dr Mill observes, that this version was made from a Latin copy of the old Vulgate.
Saxon Bibles.—The whole Scripture is said by some to have been translated into the Anglo-Saxon by Bede about the year 701, though others contend he only translated the Gospels.
We have certain books or parts of the Bible by several other translators; as, 1. The Psalms, by Adelm bishop of Shireborn, contemporary with Bede; though by others this version is attributed to King Alfred, who lived 200 years after. Another version of the Psalms in Anglo-Saxon was published by Spelman in 1640. 2. The Evangelists, still extant, done from the ancient
vulgate, before it was revised by St Jerom, by an author unknown, and published by Matth. Parker in 1571. An old Saxon version of several books of the Bible, made by Elfric abbot of Malmesbury, several fragments of which were published by Will. Lilly in 1638, the genuine copy by Edm. Thwaites in 1699, at Oxford.
Indian Bibles.—A translation of the Bible into the North American Indian language by Elliot was published in 1760 at Cambridge in 1685.
English Bibles.—The first English Bible we read of was that translated by J. Wickliffe about the year 1360; but never printed, though there are MS. copies of it in several of the public libraries. J. de Trevisa, who died about the year 1398, is also said to have translated the whole Bible; but whether any copies of it are remaining, does not appear.
Tindal's.—The first printed Bible in our language was that translated by Will. Tindal, assisted by Miles Coverdale, printed abroad in 1526; but most of the copies were bought up and burnt by Bishop Tunstal and Sir Thomas More. It only contained the New Testament, and was revised and republished by the same person in 1530. The prologues and prefaces added to it reflect on the bishops and clergy; but this edition was also suppressed, and the copies burnt. In 1532, Tindal and his associates finished the whole Bible except the Apocrypha, and printed it abroad: but while he was afterwards preparing for a second edition, he was taken up and burnt for heresy in Flanders.
Matthew's.—On Tindal's death, his work was carried on by Coverdale, and John Rogers superintendent of an English church in Germany, and the first martyr in the reign of Queen Mary, who translated the Apocrypha, and revised Tindal's translation, comparing it with the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and German, and adding prefaces and notes from Luther's Bible. He dedicated the whole to Henry VIII. in 1537, under the borrowed name of Thomas Matthews; whence this has been usually called Matthew's Bible. It was printed at Hamburg, and licence obtained for publishing it in England by the favour of Archbishop Cranmer and the Bishops Latimer and Shaxton.
Cranmer's.—The first Bible printed by authority in England, and publicly set up in churches, was the same Tindal's version, revised, compared with the Hebrew, and in many places amended, by Miles Coverdale afterwards bishop of Exeter; and examined after him by Archbishop Cranmer, who added a preface to it: whence this was called Cranmer's Bible. It was printed by Grafton, of the largest volume, and published in 1540; and, by a royal proclamation, every parish was obliged to set one of the copies in their church, under the penalty of 40 shillings a month; yet, two years after, the Popish bishops obtained its suppression of the King. It was restored under Edward VI. suppressed again under Queen Mary, and restored again in the first year of Queen Elizabeth, and a new edition of it given in 1562.
Geneva.—Some English exiles at Geneva in Queen Mary's reign, Coverdale, Goodman, Gilbie, Sampson, Cole, Whittingham, and Knox, made a new translation, printed there in 1560, the New Testament having been printed in 1557; hence called the Geneva Bible; containing the variations of readings, marginal annotations, &c. on account of which it was much va-
Bibles. lued by the puritan party in that and the following reigns.
Bishop's.—Archbishop Parker resolved on a new translation for the public use of the church, and engaged the bishops and other learned men to take each a share or portion. These being afterwards joined together, and printed with short annotations in 1568, in a large folio, made what was afterwards called the Great English Bible, and commonly the Bishop's Bible. The following year it was also published in 8vo, in a small but fine black letter: and here the chapters were divided into verses; but without any breaks for them, in which the method of the Geneva Bible was followed, which was the first English Bible where any distinction of verses was made. It was afterwards printed in large folio, with corrections, and several prolegomena, in 1572: this is called Matthew Parker's Bible. The initial letters of each translator's name were put at the end of his part: e. gr. at the end of the Pentateuch, W. E. for William Exon; that is, William Bishop of Exeter, whose allotment ended there: at the end of Samuel, R. M. for Richard Menevenis, or bishop of St David's, to whom the second allotment fell: and the like of the rest. The Archbishop oversaw, directed, examined, and finished the whole. This translation was used in the churches for 40 years, though the Geneva Bible was more read in private houses, being printed above 30 times in as many years. King James bore it an inveterate hatred on account of the notes; which at the Hampton-court conference he charged as partial, untrue, seditious, &c. The Bishop's Bible too had its faults. The King frankly owned he had yet seen no good translation of the Bible in English; but he thought that of Geneva the worst of all.
Rheims.—After the translation of the Bible by the bishops, two other private versions had been made of the New Testament: the first by Isaur. Thomson, made from Beza's Latin edition, together with the notes of Beza, published in 1582 in 4to, and afterwards in 1589, varying very little from the Geneva Bible; the second by the Papists at Rheims in 1584, called the Rheims Bible, or Rheims Translation. These finding it impossible to keep the people from having the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, resolved to give a version of their own as favourable to their cause as might be. It was printed on a large paper, with a fair letter and margin. One complaint against it was its retaining a multitude of Hebrew and Greek words untranslated, for want, as the editors express it, of proper and adequate terms in the English to render them by; as the words azymes, tunike, rational, bolocaust, prepuce, pasche, &c. However, many of the copies were seized by the Queen's searchers and confiscated; and Th. Cartwright was solicited by secretary Walsingham to refute it: but, after a good progress made therein, Archbishop Whitgift prohibited his further proceeding therein, as judging it improper the doctrine of the church of England should be committed to the defence of a puritan, and appointed Dr Fulke in his place, who refuted the Rheims with great spirit and learning. Cartwright's refutation was also afterwards published in 1618, under Archbishop Abbot. About 30 years after their New Testament, the Roman Catholics published a translation of the Old at Doway, 1609 and 1610, from the vulgate, with annotations; so that the
English Roman Catholics have now the whole Bible in their mother-tongue; though it is to be observed, they are forbidden to read it without a licence from their superiors.
King James's.—The last English Bible was that which proceeded from the Hampton-court conference in 1603, where many exceptions being made to the Bishop's Bible, King James gave order for a new one; not, as the preface expresses it, for a translation altogether new, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, but to make a good one better, or of many good ones one best. Fifty-four learned persons were appointed for this office by the King, as appears by his letter to the archbishop, dated in 1604; which being three years before the translation was entered upon, it is probable seven of them were either dead or had declined the task, since Fuller's list of the translators makes but 47; who being ranged under six divisions, entered on their province in 1607. It was published in 1613, with a dedication to James, and a learned preface, and is commonly called King James's Bible. After this, all the other versions dropped and fell into disuse, except the Epistles and Gospels in the Common Prayer Book, which were still continued according to the Bishop's translation till the alteration of the liturgy in 1661, and the Psalms and Hymns, which are to this day continued as in the old version.
The judicious Selden, in his Table Talk, speaking of the Bible, says, "The English translation of the Bible is the best translation in the world, and renders the sense of the original best, taking in for the English translation the Bishop's Bible, as well as King James's. The translators in King James's time took an excellent way. That part of the Bible was given to him who was most excellent in such a tongue (as the Apocrypha to Andrew Downs), and then they met together, and one read the translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible either of the learned tongues, or French, Spanish, Italian, &c. If they found any fault, they spoke; if not, he read on."
King James's Bible is that now read by authority in all the churches in Britain.
Welch Bibles.—There was a Welch translation of the Bible made from the original in the time of Queen Elizabeth, in consequence of a bill brought in to the house of commons for this purpose in 1563. It was printed in folio in 1588. Another version, which is the standard translation for that language, was printed in 1620. It is called Parry's Bible. An impression of this was printed in 1690, called Bishop Lloyd's Bible. These were in folio. The first 8vo impression of the Welch Bible was made in 1630.
Irish Bibles.—Towards the middle of the 16th century, Bedell, bishop of Kilmore, set on foot a translation of the Old Testament into the Irish language; the New Testament and the Liturgy having been before translated into that language. The bishop appointed one King to execute this work, who, not understanding the oriental languages, was obliged to translate it from the English. This work was received by Bedell, who, after having compared the Irish translation with the English, compared the latter with the Hebrew, the LXX, and the Italian version of Diodati. When this work was finished, the bishop would have been himself at the charge of the impression, but his
Bibliander design was stopped upon advice given to the lord lieutenant and the archbishop of Canterbury, that it would prove a shameful thing for a nation to publish a Bible translated by such a despicable hand as King. However, the manuscript was not lost, for it went to press in the year 1685.
Erse Bible.—There is also (lately finished at Edinburgh) a version of the Bible in the Gaelic or Erse language.