The following variations taken from ten Psalms collated in Cromwell (C), the Great Bible of April 1540 (Cr,), of November 1541 (TH) and the Sealed Prayer Book of 1662, will illustrate the relation of the

living lawless and
after their own
pleasure.

Cr, TH, Cr

Prayer Book Psalter to the earlier copies. The Prayer Book never preserves the 'italics' of the Bibles. For the collations on which this table is founded I am again indebted to the kindness of Mr F. Fry.

Ps. i. I stood and sat (1662) for stand and sit in all the representative editions of the Great Bible, and the early Psalters.

viii. 3 works TH2: work C Cr1.

6 of the works TH2 : in the works C Cr..

xxvii. 1 of whom Cr, TH2: for of whom C.

5 hide me and Cr, TH2 : keep me and C.

2

7 an oblation with great gladness Cr, TH2: the oblation of thanksgiving C.

xxviii. 1 if thou make as though : if thou make thee as though C Cr, TH. [So Psalter bound with 4to P.B. of 1552 in Univ. Libr. Cambridge.]

hearest not [so Psalter 1552]: heardest not C Cr, TH2.

9 is my strength [so Psalter 1552]: is their strength C C, TH2 xxxiv. 15 from the earth [so Bible 1553]: from off the earth C Cr, TH2

[so Psalter 1552].

xlvi. 2 into the midst [so Psalter 1552]: in the midst C Cr, TH.. 4 tabernacle [so Psalter 1552]: tabernacles C Cr ̧ TH2.

-

lvii.
lxv.

xci.

8 destruction [so Psalter 1552]: destructions C Cr, TH2.
11 refuge: defence C Cr, TH2. So Psalter 1552.

9 awake up my [so Psalter 1552]: awake O my C Cr, TH2.
5 in thy righteousness [so Psalter 1552] : in righteousness
C Cr, TH2

I most high [so Psalter 1552]: most highest C Cr, TH2.

6 in darkness in the darkness C Cr, TH2 [so Psalter 1552].

:

cxl. 6 I said unto the Lord Cr, TH2 : But my saying is unto the

Lord C.

8 O Lord let not his mischievous imaginations prosper lest they
be too proud Cr, TH, O Lord let him not have his pur-
pose lest they be too proud C

11 evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him Cr, TH2:
a malicious and wicked person shall be hunted away and
destroyed C.

In no one of these examples is a rendering taken from Cromwell's Bible (C). In one case (Ps. i. 1) an archaism seems to have been removed in 1662. In ten places (xxviii. 1 (bis), 9; xlvi. 2, 4, 8; lvii. 9; lxv. 5; xci. 1, 6) changes have been introduced (apparently) without any authority. In xlvi. I a rendering has been adopted from the Genevan Bible. In the American Prayer Book Psalter two other changes made (apparently) from the Genevan version have fallen under my notice: v. 6 lies (for leasing); lvi. 8 wanderings (for flittings).

One of the most remarkable variations in the Psalter was due to a blunder and has been (unauthoritatively) corrected. In Ps. lxviii. 4 the

Great Bible of April 1540 reads in
his name Ja and with a in the
margin to indicate a proposed note
upon the sacred name. But in Nov.
1541 the curious misreading in his
name yea and is found, and this cor-
ruption passed into the later editions
of the Great Bible (e.g. 1553), from
which the first Psalters were taken.
The error was continued throughout
the 17th century even in the Prayer-
Book of 1662. I do not know when
the true reading was first restored.
The earliest Prayer Book in which I
have noticed it is one printed at Ox-
ford in 1703, while the error is found
in an Oxford edition of 1698. In
London editions the blunder was
continued several years later (1709).

§ 5. TAVERNER.

Chap. iii.
Internal

History.

Taverner's
Testament

revision of
the Old

The work of Taverner is very different from that of any of the revisers noticed before, and stamped with a very distinct individuality. Its character might be an-superficial. ticipated from the description of the man himself which has been already quoted'. Throughout he appears to aim at vigorous and idiomatic language, and his New Testament at least deserves more attention than has yet been paid to it. Probably he undertook this part of

1 See supr. p. 85.

Chap. iii.
Internal
History.

His revision of the New

more important.

the work, for which his scholarship fitted him, first, and only afterwards extended his labours to the Old Testament, for which he had no special aptitude. As far as I have observed he used no help but the Vulgate in the Old Testament, and this only partially'. But scarcely a page perhaps will fail to shew changes which are made for the sake of clearness and force. Thus the child of death' becomes worthy of death' (2 Sam. xii. 5): ‘of 'mine own mind' is altered to 'of mine own head' (Num. xvi. 28): 'but and if' is made simply 'but if': 'like as a 'branch' simply 'like a branch', and so on. But in a passage like Is. liii. 1-5, where Coverdale is greatly at fault, he introduces no real change in the text before him3.

In the New Testament Taverner aims equally at Testament compression and vividness, but he was familiar with the original, and therefore could deal more happily with the translation of Tyndale, which still, like Coverdale, he followed very closely. A few verses will shew the method which he followed. Thus in the beginning of St John's Gospel for 'the same' he reads 'this' (i. 2, 7), for to bear witness' simply 'witness' (7, 15); for Tyndale's 'verity' he writes 'truth' (14); for Tyndale's 'con'fessed and denied not, and said plainly' he repeats the first word as in the Greek 'confessed and denied not 'and confessed' (20). Sometimes in his anxiety to keep to the Greek text he becomes even obscure or inaccurate, as 'all were made by it' (3), 'to be made the sons of 'God believing on his name' (12), 'into his own' (11), ‘he 'was first ere I was' (15). But he introduced substantial improvements into the translation by his regard for the

1 A good example occurs Josh. xxiv. 27, 'lest that after this time ye 'will deny and lie unto your God.'

2 In Mr Offor's MS. collections for a history of the English Bible

(Brit. Mus. 26,670-3) there is a collation of Tyndale's Pentateuch (1537, 1549) with Taverner (1539, 1551), Vol. II. pp. 153-158.

article: 'that was the true light (a tr. 1. Tynd.) which... 'coming into...' (9): 'Art thou the Prophet?' (21, 25): ‘I 'am a voice of one crying...' (23). Two consecutive verses of the first Epistle of St John furnish good examples of his endeavour to find English equivalents for the terms before him. All the other versions adopt the Latin 'advocate' in 1 John ii. I, for which Taverner substitutes the Saxon 'spokesman.' Tyndale, followed by Coverdale, the Great Bible, &c. strives after an adequate rendering of xaopès (1 John ii. 2), in the awkward periphrasis 'he it is that obtaineth grace for our sins:' Taverner boldly coins a word which if insufficient is yet worthy of notice: 'he is a mercystock for our sins1.

The following characteristic fourteen chapters of St Matthew most changes introduced by Taverner have kindly placed at my disposal by Probeen selected from a collation of fessor Moulton.

Chap. iii.
Internal
History.

xiv.

XV.

XV.

xviii.

5 counted

31 thou of little faith

36 vesture only

2 transgress
6 made that...

is without effect

13 plants

18 proceed out of
22 the son
piteously

26 whelps

33 as should suffice

37 the broken meat
3 fashion

23 godly things
worldly things

24 forsake

I the greatest

4 greatest

7 wo be unto

wickedness

righteous
fair

ended

because of their unbelief

held

little faithful

garment
break
defeated...

planting

come forth of
thou son
sore

dogs to fill

the fragments

countenance

things of God
things of men
deny

greater
greater man
wo worth

Chap. iii.
Internal
History.

It would be tempting to dwell longer on this version, but it appears to have exercised no influence whatever