For the words ought to serve to the intent and sentence, and else the words are superfluous or false.

[He then states various rules of grammar observed in translating the bible.]

At the beginning I purposed with God's help to make the sentence as true and open in English as it is in Latin ; or more true and more open than it is in Latin. And I pray for charity and common profit of christian souls, that if any wise man find any default of the truth of the translation, let him set in the true sentence and open the holy writ. But look that he examine truly his Latin bible; for no doubt he shall find many bibles in Latin full false, if he look at many. And namely new and the common Latin bibles have more need to be corrected, as many as I have seen in my life, than hath the English bible lately translated. And where the Hebrew, by witness of Jerome,* of Lyra, and set other expositors, discordeth from our Latin bibles, I have in the margin by manner of a gloss, what the Hebrew hath, and how it is understood. And I did this most in the Psalter, which of all our books discordeth most from Hebrew. For the church readeth not the Psalter by the last translation out of Hebrew into Latin, but by another translation of other men that had much less wisdom and holiness than Jerome had, as it may be proved by the proper originals of Jerome which he glossed. And where I have translated as openly and openlier in English as in Latin, let wise men judge that know well both languages, and know well the sentence of holy scripture. And, whether I have done thus or not, no doubt, they that know well the sentence of holy writ, and English together, and will travail with God's grace thereabout, must make the bible as true and as open; yea, and openlier in English than it is in Latin. And, no doubt, to a simple man, with God's grace, and great travail, men might expound much openlier and shortlier the bible in English, than the old great doctors have expounded it in

Jerome is distinguished among the early fathers of the church for his biblical labours. Towards the close of the fourth century he revised the Latin scriptures by the hexaplar text of Origen, which included a literal version of the Hebrew text, and the new testament he revised after the original. Afterwards he completed a translation of the old testament from Hebrew into Latin, which is that called the vulgate; from this Wickliff made his English version. The Latin vulgate is allowed to be in general a faithful version. It sometimes preserves the true readings where the modern Hebrew copies are corrupted.

Latin, and much sharplier and groundlier than many late postillators or expositors have done.

But God of his great mercy give to us grace to live well, and to say the truth in a becoming manner, and acceptable to God and his people, and spill not our time, be it short, be it long, at God's ordinance. But some that seem wise and holy say thus; If men now were as holy as Jerome was, they might translate out of Latin into English, as he did out of Hebrew and Greek into Latin; and else they should not translate now, as they think, for default of holiness and knowledge. Though this reply seem colourable, it has no good ground; neither reason, neither charity. For why? This reply is more against St. Jerome, and against the first seventy translators, and against holy church, than against simple men that translate now into English. For St. Jerome was not so holy as the apostles and evangelists, whose books he translated into Latin; neither had he such high gifts of the Holy Ghost as they had. And much more the seventy translators were not so holy as Moses and the prophets, and especially David. Neither had they such great gifts of God as Moses and the prophets had.

Furthermore, holy church* approves, not only the true translation of mean christian men, stedfast in christian faith, but also of open heretics that did away many mysteries of Jesus Christ by guileful translation, as Jerome witnesses in one prologue on Job, and in the prologue on Daniel. Much more let the church of England approve the true and holy translation of simple men, that will for no good on earth with their knowledge and power put away the least truth, yea, the least letter or tittle of holy writ, that bears substance or charge. And dispute they not of the holiness of men now living in this mortal life, for they know not thereon, and it is reserved only for God's doom. If they know any notable fault of the translators, or the helpers of them, let them blame the default with charity and mercy; and let them never condemn a thing that may be done lawfully by God's law, as wearing of a good cloth for a time, either riding on a horse for a great journey, when they know not wherefore it is done. For such things may be done by simple men with as great charity and virtue, as by some that hold them great and wise, and can ride in a gilt saddle, or use cushions and beds, and clothes of gold and of silk, with other vanities of the world. The church of Rome.

May God grant pity, mercy, and charity, and love of common profit, and put away such dooms as are against reason and charity.

Yet worldly clerks ask greatly, What spirit maketh idiots hardy to translate now the bible into English, since the four great doctors durst never do this? This reply is so ignorant that it needs no answer, nought but stillness, or courteous scorn. For these great doctors were not Englishmen, neither were they conversant among Englishmen, neither knew they the language of Englishmen. But they never ceased till they had holy writ in their mother tongue of their own people. For Jerome, who was a Latin man of birth, translated the bible, both out of Hebrew and out of Greek, into Latin, and expounded full much thereto. And Augustine, and many more Latins, expounded the bible for many parts into Latin, to Latin men, among whom they dwelled. And Latin was a common language to their people about Rome, and beyond; as English is common language to our people. And at this day the common people in Italy speak a corrupt Latin, as true men say that have been in Italy. And the number of translators out of Greek into Latin passes man's knowing, as Augustine witnesses in the second book of christian teaching, and saith thus; "The translators out of Hebrew into Greek may be numbered; but Latin translators, or they that translated into Latin, may not be numbered in any manner." For in the first times of faith, each man, as a Greek book came to him, and as he seemed to himself to have some knowledge of Greek and of Latin, was bold to translate. And this thing helped more than it hindered understanding, if readers were not negligent. For why? The beholding of many books hath showed oft, or declared some darker sentences. Thus saith Augustine there. Therefore Grosthead saith, that it was God's will that divers men translated, and that divers translations are in the church; for where one said darkly, one or more said the same openly.

Since, in the beginning of faith, so many men translated into Latin, and to great profit of Latin men, let one simple creature of God translate into English for the profit of Englishmen. For if worldly clerks look well to their chronicle and books, they shall find that Bede translated the bible, and expounded much in Saxon, that was English, or the common language in this land in his time. And not

only Bede, but also king Alfred, who founded Oxford, translated in his last days the beginning of the Psalter into Saxon, and would have done more if he had lived longer. Also Frenchmen, Bemers, and Britons, have the bible and other books of devotion, and of exposition, translated in their mother language. Why should not Englishmen have the same in their mother language? I cannot tell. Only for falseness and negligence of clerks, or that our people is not worthy to have so great grace and gift of God in pain of their old sins. God for his mercy amend these evil causes, and make our people to have and know and keep truly holy writ, in life and death.

But in translating of words that have many significations under one letter, may be peril. Therefore a translator hath great need to study well the sentence, both before and after, and look that such words accord with the sentence. And he hath need to live a holy life, and to be full devout in prayers; and have not his mind occupied about worldly things, that the Holy Spirit, author of wisdom, and knowledge, and truth, lead him in his work, and suffer him not

to err.

Many adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions are set oft one for another, and sometimes at free choice of authors. And now these should be taken as accords best to the sentence. By this manner, with good living and great travail, men may come to truth and clear translating, and true understanding of holy writ, seem it ever so hard at the beginning. God grant to us all to learn well and keep well holy writ, and to suffer joyfully some pain for it at the last. Amen.

THE

EXAMINATION AND DEATH

OF THE BLESSED MARTYR OF CHRIST,

SIR JOHN OLDCASTLE, LORD COBHAM,

ABRIDGED FROM THE COLLECTION OF JOHN BALE OUT OF THE
BOOKS AND WRITINGS OF THOSE POPISH PRELATES
THAT WERE PRESENT AT HIS CONDEMNATION
AND JUDGMENT.

In the latter time shall many be chosen, proved and purified by fire, yet shall the ungodly live wickedly still, and have no understanding, Dan. xii.

Fox mentions that the book of John Bale," then newly come over," was put into the hands of Hall, when engaged in compiling his chronicle; who was so satisfied by the statements of Bale and the authorities alleged by him, as to cancel what he had written before against sir John Oldcastle and his fellows. The history was compiled principally from the register of archbishop Arundel, which is printed in Fox, and still remains in the library at Lambeth palace. Other documents equally authentic and indisputable were referred to. the following pages a few passages of the original work, chiefly historical reflections, are omitted

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