UC-NRLF 
 
 ^S^^^^^i^^^^^^vc^i-p*, 
 
 'NPO^?? 
 
 
 ^«>;--'0^^',;^o:^'C^::-c.-'^-^-;^^: 
 
 
 iililili^liiiliii 
 
 
 i-n ■^ij ,fci 
 
 
 V^.^/^^^^^, 
 
 
 J- a-aAAaA a«. .a4A.^^. aA 
 
CElfY % 
 
 !ARY 
 
 (SITY OF 
 ORNIA 
 
 Z^lb 
 
THE 
 
 6tbU h\) C0uer^ale 
 
 (^ 
 
 M D X X X V. 
 
 REMARKS ON THE TITLES; THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION 
 THE PRELnHNARV; THE WATER -ISIARKS, &c. 
 
 WITH FAC-SnHLES. 
 
 FRANCIS FRY, F.S.A. 
 
 MYLES COVERDAI.E 
 
 LONDON: WILLIS & SOTHERAN. liRISTOL: LASBURV 
 
 1867. 
 

 CONTENTS 
 
 Page 1. 
 
 M 2. 
 n 3. 
 
 M 4. 
 
 10. 
 
 11. 
 
 \-2 
 
 HE First Bible in English was finished October 
 
 I 
 dj 4th, 1535. 
 
 -Myles CovercUile the Translator. 
 
 -When Coverdale began the work not known. 
 
 -Where Coverdale resided while translating not 
 
 known, nor where the Bible was pi-inted. 
 -The text is preceded by eight leaves, all of which 
 
 are prmted in English black-letter, except two 
 
 copies of one title and one leaf. 
 -The diflerent titles described. 
 -The title with the List of Books on the reverse 
 
 cannot be intended to precede the same List. 
 -The Title, 1536, supposed by some authors to have 
 
 been the title with which the Bible was first issued. 
 -Lewis, Professor Walter, &c., suppose the Bible 
 
 was kept back by Coverdale from the 4th of 
 
 October until the King was married to Jane 
 
 Seymour, in May, 1536. 
 -The first leaf of the Dedication to the King sup- 
 posed to have been reprinted to substitvite Queen 
 
 Jane for Queen Anne. 
 -Opinions of various authors, based on an error. 
 -The leaf of Dedication with "Queen Jane" proved 
 
 to be a leaf of Nvcolson"s edition, 1537. 
 
 724 
 
CONTENTS— CONCLUDED. 
 
 PAt;E 12. — Tlie Title, in English bhK-k-k'ttcr, 15:5;"), belonging 
 to the Mnnj^uis of Northampton, descril)ed. 
 .1 13. — It is suggested that Coverdale may not have wished 
 to i)ublish the statement on the title "translated 
 out of Douche and Latyn." 
 i> 1-4. — Passage from a letter by Coverdale and Grafton. 
 It 15-16. — Opinions on Coverdale's Version as au original 
 
 translation. 
 II 17. — We do not know why the leaves before Genesis 
 printed with the type of the text were disused. 
 n II -18. — The preliminary leaf belonging to the Earl of 
 
 Leicester described. 
 M 11). — Copies completed with a fac-simile title should have 
 
 one from the Northampton title. 
 
 n 20. — The wood-cuts of the titles of 1.53-3 and 1536 differ. 
 
 11 II — The error made by Lewis and others shows tliat 
 
 bibliographers should know that the copy of the 
 
 work they use is correct. 
 
 II 21. — Different editions of the BiVdo and New Testament 
 
 often mixed. 
 ti 22-23. — Examples given. 
 
 II 24-25-26. — Water-marks in eleven copies of the Bible. 
 11 27. — Opinions of Wanly, &c., where the Bible was printed. 
 II 28.- — Filty-three works printed by Froschover examined. 
 M 29-30-31. — Egenolph suj^posed by Dibdin, <kc., to have 
 vised the same Avood-cuts as were used for the 
 Bible. 
 M 32. — The wood-cuts in the Bible shown not to be the 
 
 same as those printed by Egenolph. 
 II 33. — The type used by Egenolph for his Bible in German 
 not the same type as the page of the Bible, 1535. 
 11 II &c. — Some books named containing types or wood- 
 cuts the same as are in tlie Bible. 
 N.B.— Collation of the First Bible in English, pp. vi., vii. 
 
CONTENTS OF THE PLATES. 
 
 No. 1.— I 
 
 M.Q 
 
 HE centre of the Title, 1535. Printed with the 
 same ty])e as the Bible. 
 
 2. — The centre of the Title, 1535. English black-letter. 
 
 3.— The centre of the Title, 153G. English black-letter. 
 
 4. — The centre of tlie Title. Nycolson, 1537. 
 
 5. — Passages from the first leaf of the Dedication. The 
 Bible, 1535. 
 
 0. — Head lines, Signatures, Preliminary leaves of the 
 Bible, 1535. — Passage from "To the reader" in the 
 Earl of Leicester's copy of the Bible, 1535. 
 
 7. — Passages from the first leaf of the Dedication. The 
 Bible printed by Kycolson, 1537. 
 
 8. — Head lines, Signatures, Preliminary leaves of the Bible, 
 Nycolson, 1537. — The conclusion of the Dedication 
 from the Bible, 1535, and the Bible, 1537. 
 
 9.— Three Water-marks. The Bible, 1535. 
 
 10.— Two u H n 
 
 11. — Three n " " 
 
 12. — Two 11 II ti 
 
 13. — Seven Capital Letters. n " 
 
 11. — Two passages first page Genesis. — One line first page 
 
 Esay. — The Imprint on the last page. 
 15. — Fac-siniile of a l)age of the Bible, 1535. 
 
 N.B. — This book consists of 15 Plates Fac-siinile-s, No. 1 to 
 15; Title and three leaves, signature A, pp. i. to viii. ; 
 signatures B to F 2, pp. 1 to K). 
 
COLLATION 
 
 OF THE FIRST BIBLE IN ENGLISH. 
 
 Eight leaves before the text printed in English black-letter. 
 
 1.— The Title. —Re verse: blank. Date 1535. [Plate 2. ] The letter- 
 l)ress is surrounded with wood-cuts of subjects from the Scriptures, 
 and Henry VIII. under a canopy with attendants and Royal Arms, 
 and six quotations from the Bible. 
 
 2. •!• ii- — "Unto the most victorious Prynce." [Plate 5.] 
 
 S. 4* hi-' — Dedication, continued. 
 
 4. ^ iiii. — Dedication, concluded. [Plate 8, No. 7.] 
 
 Rev. : "A prologe Myles Couerdale Unto the Christen reader." 
 
 5. ^ v.— To the reader, continued. 
 6. — To the reader, continued. 
 
 7. — To the reader, concluded. 
 
 Reverse: "The bokes of the hole Byble" as far as Malachy. 
 8. — The List of the books, concluded. — Reverse: "The first boke 
 of Moses/ called Genesis, what this boke conteyneth. " 
 
 There is a title dated 153o, [Plate 1] and one leaf of pre- 
 liminary, [PI. 6, No. 5] printed in the same type as the Bible. 
 
 There is a title, dated 1536, printed in English bl.-let. [PL 3.] 
 
 The contents of the chapters are placed before each book, 
 except that none are given to " Salomons Balettes," " The 
 Laments' of Jeremy," " The songe of the iij. children," "The 
 story of Susanna," and "The story of Bel," and that the contents 
 are placed before each chapter of Hester in the Apocrypha. 
 
 The Bible begins, " The first boke of Moses, called Genesis." 
 [PI. 14, No. 1.] Fol. 1, signature a. Half this page is occupied 
 with wood-cuts of the six " dayes worke." The first chapter 
 commences with a capital I fourteen lines deep. [PI. 14, No. 2.] 
 
 Deuteronomy ends on the recto, folio 90, p 6. — The reverse : 
 blank. Then follows a map the size of two leaves — no doubt a 
 wood-cut — it measures to the outside line, 15-| inches by 11 1. 
 Above the map is printed " The descripcion of the londe of 
 promes called Palestina/ Canaan/ or the holy londe." The map is 
 drawn with the north to the bottom and the south to the top. 
 
COLLATION— CON ( ' L L' D E D. 
 
 A title : " The seconde pai-te of the olde Testament,'' witli a 
 list of books, Joshua to Hester. — On the revei'se of the title, 
 the contents of Joshua. Joshua begins folio 2, aa ij. Part 2 
 ends on the reverse of folio 1 20, vv G. 
 
 Job begins folio 1, A a. There is no title here as in other 
 parts where the folios and a signature commence again. Job, 
 the Psalms, &c., end folio 52, J i i. — Reverse: blank. 
 
 A title: "All the Prophetes in Englishe," with a list of 
 books, Esay to Malachy. — On the reverse: the contents of Esay. 
 Esay begins folio 2, Aaa ij, and Malachy ends on the reverse of 
 folio 102, Err. G. 
 
 A title: "Apocripha," and list of books, Esdras to Maccabees. 
 — On the reverse : The translator to the reader and the contents 
 of Esdras. The 3rd book of Esdras begins folio 2, A ij. The 
 2nd Maccabees ends on the reverse of folio 83, for 81, O 5. 
 
 A title: "The new testament," with a list of books, Matthew 
 to The Revelation. — On the rev. the contents of Matthew. Mat- 
 thew begins folio 2, A A ij. The Revelation ends on the rev. 
 folio 113, TT 5. The Impiint is on this page. [Plate U, No. 4.] 
 
 The letter-press of the last four titles is surrounded with 
 wood-cuts. Scriptural and ornamental. 
 
 I have seen vai-iations in six leaves : — folio 67, ith book of 
 Moses, in some copies the signature is m, in one copy, M. — In 
 five leaves these misprints: 2nd Esdras, folio 113, in eri'or 112 
 — Esay, folio 5, in error 2 — Jeremiah, folio 46, in error 45 — 
 2nd Corinthians, folio 81, in error 71 — Lamentations, foKo 49, 
 ta repeated. Probably these errors were corrected in the 
 progress of printing, and not an evidence of another edition, as 
 has been supposed. See Herbert, p. lo4o. 
 
 There are many wood-cuts placed in the text. [See PI. 15.] 
 
 A full page contains 57 lines. 
 
 '■'({^!^^^^V2)®))t.M. 
 
?;^HEN we consider Coverdale's character 
 .,_ r3^i in all its different bearine-s, and, above 
 all, his labours in presenting- to the inhabitants 
 of this country, and all the nations of the world 
 who si3eak the English language, the scriptures 
 in their native tongue; the name of Coverdale 
 is one which will be always mentioned with vene- 
 ration and respect. 
 
 Bemalns of Mylt.-i Coverdale, Parker Sockfi/, ji. xix. 
 
THE BIBLE BY COVEEDALE. 
 
 HE BIBLE FIRST FEINTED in the 
 English hiuguage is known as the Version 
 by M3'les Coverdale, because the "Epistle 
 unto the KjTiges hyghnesse." bears his name at the 
 conclusion of it, thus, — "youre graces humble sub- 
 iecte and day lye oratour, Myles Couerdale." [See 
 Plate 8, No. 7.] The laborious work of translating 
 and printing the Bible was completed in the reign 
 of Henry the Eighth. ' 
 
 There are many circumstances relating to the 
 production of this interesting book of which we 
 should like to have been informed: but after much 
 research the information that has reached us is 
 exceedingly scanty. 
 
 We know wdien the Volume w^as printed. It con- 
 cludes with the Imprint, which is on the reverse of 
 
 B 
 
THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 the last leaf, tlius, — "Pr^aited in the yeare of onre 
 LORDE M.D.XXXV. and finished the fourth daye 
 of October." 
 
 As to the Translator, perhaps no more is knoT\Ti 
 than Coverdale himself has communicated to us. 
 In the Dedication he says — " Considerynge now 
 (most gracyous prynce) the inestimable treasure, 
 frute & prosperite euerlast^^nge, that God geueth 
 with his worde, and trustjTige in his infynite good- 
 nes that he woulde brynge my symple and rude 
 laboure herin to good effecte, therfore as the holy 
 goost moued other men to do the cost herof, so was 
 I boldened in God, to laboure in the same." 
 
 " I thought it my dutye and to belonge vnto my 
 allegiaunce, whan I had translated this Bible, not 
 onely to dedicate this translacyon -vnto youre hy- 
 ghnesse, but wholy to commytte it vnto the same." 
 "And as I do with all humblenes submitte mjne 
 ^^lderstondynge and my poore translacyon vnto the 
 spirite of trueth in your grace, so make I this pro- 
 testacyon (hauyng God to recorde in my conscience) 
 that I haue nether wrested nor altered so moch as 
 one worde for the mayntenaunce of any maner of 
 secte : but haue with a cleare conscience purely & 
 faythfully translated this out of fyue sundry inter- 
 preters, hauyng onely the manyfest trueth of the 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 
 
 scripture before myne eyes." In his Prologue to the 
 reader he says, " Considerynge " ''how weake I am 
 to perfourme the office of translatoure, I was the 
 more lothe to medle with this worke." Further on 
 he says, " (acordyng as I was desyred) I toke the 
 more vpon me to set forth this speciall translacyon." 
 In several places he alludes to the work as his o^vti, 
 thus, — "And this maner haue I vsed in my transla- 
 cyon, calling it in some place pennaunce, that 
 in another place I call repentaunce." We have no 
 information that he was assisted by any scholars of 
 the day, whilst from the passages quoted it is clear 
 that Coverdale intended that he should be regarded 
 as the sole translator. 
 
 We do not know when Coverdale began the 
 work of translating. In the Dedication to King 
 Edward the Sixth, in the quarto edition, 1550, he 
 says, "therfore was I boldened in God sixtene yeares 
 agoo, not only to laboure faythfully in the same, 
 but also in most humble wyse to dedicate this my 
 pore translation to your graces moost noble father." 
 In the Prologue to the same edition, we read, 
 "(accordinge as I was desyred. Anno, 1.5.34.) I 
 toke the more vpon me, to set forth this specyall 
 translacion." These passages do not I think imply 
 that he began the work of translating in the year 
 
 B2 
 
THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 1534, although it has been argued from this state- 
 ment that Coverdale translated and printed the 
 Bible in eleven months. Can it mean more than 
 that he commenced the printing necessary to the 
 publication of it? Indeed it would have been im- 
 possible to have achieved so gigantic a work in the 
 time mentioned. The Editor of the " Kemains of 
 Myles Coverdale," pubhshed by the Parker Society, 
 p. ix., says, "It is probable that Coverdale was 
 labouring by himself in retirement," "as we lose 
 sight of him almost entirely after the year 1528 
 till 1535, when he published, on the fourth of 
 October, his translation of the whole Bible ; a work, 
 on which it is probable that he had been employed 
 for some years, although we have no evidence at 
 what time he commenced it." 
 
 We have not been informed where Coverdale re- 
 sided whilst he was engaged in the work of translation. 
 The title and some prehminary matter were printed 
 in the same type as the Bible and also in the English 
 black letter, but why these were twice printed, or by 
 whom, we do not know; nor has any Bibhographer 
 yet been able to inform us with what title-page this 
 most interesting book was first issued in this country. 
 
 It yet remains a mystery from what Press it was 
 issued. 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 
 
 It is with the intention of clearing up the difficulty 
 that has been felt relating to the titles, that I com- 
 mence these Kemarks, feeling sure that any infor- 
 mation in addition to that already recorded, cannot 
 be devoid of interest to all conversant with this 
 branch of bibliogi-aphy, and especially to those who 
 are possessors of the First Bible in English. I 
 propose also, to allude to a few questions which 
 have been raised by some authors who have written 
 on this subject. 
 
 The text is preceded by one gathering of eight 
 leaves, of which the second, third, fourth, and fifth 
 only have the signature, as copied, Plate 6. These 
 eight leaves contain the Title, — the Dedication to 
 King Henry the Eighth and ''with your dearest and 
 iust wyfe, and most vertuous Pryncesse, Queue 
 Anne." — "A prologue. Myles Couerdale Unto the 
 Christen reader."— "The bokes of the hole Byble," 
 — and "The first boke of Moses/ called Genesis 
 what this boke contejTieth." All copies or parts of 
 this preliminary matter knowii to exist, with the ex- 
 ception of two copies of one title and one leaf, which 
 will be described, are printed in black-letter type 
 such as was used in England at this time. This is 
 so far plain, but it has been difficult to decide with 
 what title the Bible was published. Four copies of 
 
THE BIBLE, lo35, 
 
 the title-page have been known, two of which have 
 the date 1535, and the other two that of 1536. One 
 of those of 1535 is in the Bible belonging to the 
 Earl of Leicester, Holkham Hall — the other is in 
 the Library of the British Museum, but not quite 
 perfect. These titles read thus, — " Bibha The 
 Bible/ that is, the holy Scripture of the Okie and 
 New Testament, faithfully and truly translated out 
 of Douche and Latyn in to Enghshe. M.D.XXXV." 
 [See Plate 1.] The letter-press of the title, with 
 the list of the Books as far as Malachi, on the re- 
 verse, is from the same t3^pe as that with which the 
 text is printed. One of the titles of 1536 is in the 
 Bible belonging to the Earl of Jersey, and the other 
 is in the Bible in the Library of Gloucester Cathe- 
 dral. The letter -press of the titles of 1536 is 
 Enghsh black-letter, and reads thus, — "Bibha The 
 Byble : that is/ the holy Scrypture of the Olde 
 and New Testament, faythfully translated in to 
 Englyshe. M.D.XXXVL" [See Plate 3.] Dibden, 
 in his "Spenceriana," vol. 1, p. 81, says, "The Earl 
 of Northampton has a perfect copy:" but he does 
 not allude to the title. 
 
 If the title of 1535, as described, is placed in a 
 Bible with the Dedication, &c., printed in Enghsh 
 black-letter, it is obvious that the first part of the 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE, 
 
 List of the Books occurs twice, namely, on the 
 back of the title and on the reverse of the seventh 
 leaf; but it cannot be supposed that the Volume 
 was so issued, with the contents of one page in 
 duplicate. Anderson, in his ''Annals of The English 
 Bible," (vol.1, p. 562,) gives ''the Title and Collation" 
 of the first Bible, and describes the title, j^Plate 1.] 
 omitting the List of the Books which is on the re- 
 verse of it; perhaps because he did not know how 
 to account for such an error as the contents of a 
 page repeated in the same volume. To avoid this 
 error of a duplicate List of the Books, the title of 
 1536, which is blank on the reverse, has been con- 
 sidered by some writers to be the title with which 
 the Bible was first issued, and because the letter-press 
 is from the same type as the preliminary leaves one 
 of which contains the List of the Books. But by 
 recei\'ing this title as the one which was issued in 
 the Bible on its publication, a new difficulty arises. 
 Why was the publication postponed, from the time 
 when the printing was finished, October the fom-th, 
 1535, to 1536, the date on the title in English type; 
 which, if not issued until after the death of Queen 
 Anne, was about eight months ? 
 
 Lewis, in his History, is the first writer, as far as 
 I have been able to trace, who has endeavoured to 
 
THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 explain tins supposed delay of the publication. He 
 describes Coverdale's Bible with the Dedication to 
 the King and Queen Jane, and then the Imprint, 
 the fourth of October, 1535; and adds, "This is a 
 plain inconsistency with the Title or Preamble of the 
 Dedication," "wherein, as has been before observed. 
 Cover dale mentions the King's dearest just wife 
 JANE, whereas it is certain, that the I^ng was 
 not married to Her till May, 20, 1536. more than 
 half a Year after the Date of finishing this Bible. 
 The only way I can think of to reconcile this Difi'er- 
 ence, is this; That, after this Bible's being finished 
 at the Press in October, Coverdale, hearing from his 
 Friends in England, that Queen Anne was declining 
 at Court, thought it prudent to defer the Publica- 
 tion of it till he saw what Turn Affairs would take, 
 and after the King's marr^dng Queen Jane, who was 
 thought to favor the Keformation, then made the 
 fore-mentioned Dedication to the King, or however 
 altered the Title of it as it stands now, and reprinted 
 it." (Lewis' History, folio, 1731, p. 25.) This 
 suggestion has been adopted by subsequent writers 
 and become current as if it was an established fact. 
 
 I may here also notice the opinions of Professor 
 Walter and Chr. Anderson, who adopt the same 
 mode of accounting for the supposed delay. 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 
 
 Professor Walter in his Letter says, " Coverclale's 
 Bible, though not pubHshed till 1536, bears the date 
 of 1535." ''The interval between the date on the 
 title-page and the actual publication is clearly marked 
 by a curious alteration in the dedicatory letter to 
 Henry YIII. which contains these words, " your 
 dearest just wife, and most vertuous pryncesse Qu. 
 JAne." Tliis is not as it was printed; for Anne has 
 been altered into JAne by the pen."* Professor 
 Walter must have supposed that the alteration was 
 so made, generally in the edition, as one copy altered 
 \sdth the pen would not be sufficient ground on 
 which to argue that the name had been changed by 
 the direction of Coverdale himself, which is what 
 appears to be intended by the remark. 
 
 Anderson adopts the opinion of Professor Walter, 
 and at considerable length endeavours to show that 
 this Bible was not published till 1536. He says, 
 "The death of Queen Anne in May 1536, having 
 proved fatal to the appearance of this book till after 
 the event, various expedients were then tried to 
 ensure success." The passage already given from 
 Walter's Letter is then quoted, and Anderson goes 
 
 * "A Letter to the Et. Rev. Herbert, Lord Bishop of Peter- 
 borough," "on the Independence of the Authorized Version of 
 the Bible. By Henry Walter, B.D. and F.R.8.," &c. London, 
 1823. Svo., p. 72. 
 
10 THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 on to say that the British Museum copy has Anne 
 altered to Jane with the pen, "Lambeth Library 
 has one copy with Anne, another with Jane. The 
 Bodleian has Anne. Sion College has Jane, and 
 in some copies the name of the Queen had been 
 expunged." "Only one other device remained to be 
 tried, which was that of a new title, as if it were 
 a different book; changing the year to the next, 
 or 1536, and leaving out the words "translated out 
 of Douch and Latyn." " (Annals, vol. 1, p. 563.) 
 
 The late Mr. Botfield held the same opinion. 
 Describing the Bibles by Coverdale in Lambeth 
 Library, he says, ' ' The second of these copies, has 
 the dedication to Queen Jane Seymour, belonging 
 to the edition 1536," (Cathedral Libraries, p. 193.) 
 There does not appear to be any authority for the 
 supposition that this leaf with "Queen Jane" was 
 printed for the edition of 1536; the evidence is 
 quite the other way, for neither of the only two 
 copies with the title of 1536 have the "Jane" leaf, 
 but they have the Dedication with " Queen Anne." 
 
 All these arguments have arisen from an error. 
 Had those authors examined the " Queen Jane " 
 leaf of Dedication they would have found that it is 
 none other than a leaf of Nycolson's Coverdale of 
 1537, which had been inserted to complete the copy. 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 11 
 
 I have fac-siniiles of all the preliminary leaves of 
 this Bible of 1537; aud, in order to be very sure, I 
 have compared the first leaf of the Dedication with 
 the original in the Baptist College, Bristol, and 
 placed line against line, and most carefully examined 
 every letter. The fac-simile being correct, in the 
 same way I compared it ■s\dth the "Jane" leaf in 
 Sion College, and I can say that the Sion College 
 leaf is identical with Nj^colson's leaf of 1537. On 
 the second page of this edition, t is omitted from 
 traytoure, being printed "trayoure;" [See a copy, 
 Plate 8, No. 3.J it is the same in the Sion College 
 leaf: such an eiTor is not likely to have occurred in 
 two editions. That this '* Jane" leaf is one of Nycol- 
 son's edition is confirmed by the fact that the four 
 following leaves in the volume are from Nycolson's 
 Bible. The second leaf of Nycolson's Dedication 
 has, in line thirty, "CHRIT" for CHRIST; this 
 error is in the leaf following the "Jane" leaf in 
 the Sion College Bible of 1535. I have also ex- 
 amined all the "Jane" leaves named by Anderson, 
 and those also are of the edition of 1537. The 
 head-lines of the Dedication and Prologue in the 
 Bible of 1535, are in very different tv-jie from 
 those in Nycolson's Bible, 1537. Compare Plate 
 6, No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and Plate 8, No. 1, 2, 4, 5. 
 
 C2 
 
12 THE BIJBLE, 1535, 
 
 The signatures differ — compare those on Phites 6 
 and 8. 
 
 The first Bible has been always designated as a 
 book of 1535, but if the title of 1536 was that 
 with which it was issued, it should be placed under 
 153G — and I believe no bibliogi-apher has ever so 
 arranged it. And further to show that this Bible 
 has been generally admitted to be of the year 1535, 
 copies have been usually completed with a fac-simile 
 of the title of 1535 like the text, though followed 
 by the seven leaves printed in the English type, — 
 thus making the anomaly of the List of the Books 
 in duplicate. 
 
 The difficulties which have been described, at once 
 vanish when we leam that there is in existence a 
 title with the date 1535, printed in the English 
 black-letter. It has, I believe, never been described. 
 The Marquis of Northampton has a very fine copy 
 with this title. The volume is perfect, with the 
 exception of the Map. The title is printed from 
 wood blocks, no doubt the same as those used for 
 the other title of 1535, and for that of 1536. 
 The letter-press is from the English type, and the 
 year 1535 is plainly printed. It reads — " BibHa 
 The Byble : that is/ the holy Scry^^ture of the 
 Okie and New Testament, faythfully translated in to 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 13 
 
 Euglyslie. M.D.XXXV." [See Plate 2.; It will 
 be observed that there is an important difference 
 between the two titles of 1535; the one now des- 
 cribed does not contain these words "translated out 
 of Douche and Latjn" which occur on the other 
 title. If the preliminary leaves and the title as part 
 of it in the type of the text, were not issued in this 
 country with the Bible, — and the evidence seems to 
 show that they were not, — may we not fairly con- 
 clude that M3^1es Coverdale did not wish to publish 
 such a statement on the title as the character of 
 his version. We know also, that these words were 
 omitted from the title of 1536, from the editions 
 by Nycolson, 1537, in folio and quarto, and from 
 all subsequent editions. 
 
 There is a great mistake in the title of the quarto 
 edition of Coverdale's Bible, 1550, printed by Fros- 
 chover, with his name and his device of the tree 
 and frogs, which is preserved in the Library at 
 Zurich. It reads thus, "truly and purely transslated 
 into Englische/ by Mayst. Thomas Mathewe." We 
 cannot suppose that Coverdale himself, or any one 
 on his behalf, could have originated so great an error 
 as to call his version by the name given to that by 
 Tyndale and Rogers of 1537. There is also this 
 error in the title of the New Testament printed by 
 
U THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 Froscliover, 1550. It reads — "translated by Miles 
 Couerdal." whereas it is Tyudale's Version. As we 
 know these errors have been made, it is quite pos- 
 sible that the printer of the Bible of 1535 may have 
 inserted words which the great translator would not 
 adopt : and the introduction of the words ' ' out of 
 Douche and Latyn " may have been one reason why 
 the title with these words was suppressed, whether 
 placed there by Coverdale himself, or by some one 
 else. This view is confirmed by his own statement 
 in the Dedication to the King, where he says he has 
 ' ' with a cleare conscience purely & faythfuUy trans- 
 lated this out of fyue sundry interpreters, hauying 
 onely the manyfest trueth of the scripture before 
 myne eyes." 
 
 In the Letter to Lord Cromwell, — dated Paris, 
 June 23, 1538,— by Coverdale and Grafton, is this 
 passage, "For we follow not only a standing text 
 of the Hebrew, with the interpretation of the 
 Chaldee and the Greek; but we set also in a private 
 table the diversity of readings of all texts, with 
 such annotations in another table, as shall doubt- 
 less elucidate and clear the same." [Eemains, p. 
 492.] Although this was written when Coverdale 
 was engaged in revising the "Great Bible" of 1539, 
 vet we may fairlv conclude he used the books to 
 
BY MYLES COVEKDALE. 15 
 
 wliicli he alludes when he was translating the 
 Bible of 1535. 
 
 J. "W. Whittaker, M.A., has gone very fully into 
 the merits of Coverdale's Version as an original 
 translation. He shows, by an examination of many 
 passages, that Coverdale did translate from the 
 Hebrew, although he used the five interpreters to 
 help him. He says, if "this statement" (trans- 
 lated out of Dutch and Latin,) "is taken out of the 
 title-page, which I can neither deny nor confirm, 
 not ha^'ing been able to consult a copy in which it 
 is preserved," " the title-page contains a very great 
 misrepresentation."''-' 
 
 The next passage I shall quote is from Todd's 
 Life of Bishop Walton, (p. 98.) "At the head of 
 those in the reign of Henry VIH, who have benefitted 
 their country by their skill in languages, must ever 
 stand the names of T}Tidale and Coverdale; men, 
 who eminently proved themselves by their knowledge 
 of learning, meet for the people " "in presenting 
 them with Versions of the Sacred Text from the 
 original tongues ; men to whom the sound scholar 
 still appeals with admiration." 
 
 * The Interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptxires, &g. J. W, 
 Whittaker, M.A.. 1819, p. 59. 
 
IG THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 Anderson (vol. 1, p. 564) reviewing this subject, 
 considers that "With reference, however, to the 
 Bible brought into Enghind in 1530, of Coverdale's 
 quahfications as a Translator from the original, there 
 can be little or rather no question," and concludes 
 that the w^ords " translated out of Douche and 
 Lat}Ti" were withdrawn! by Coverdale himself in 
 1536. 
 
 The author of the Biographical Notice of Myles 
 Coverdale (The Remains, p. xvii) comes to the same 
 conclusion. He says it is not consistent with his 
 object " to enter into an elaborate discussion of the 
 merits of Coverdale as a translator ; yet it may be 
 permitted to remark, that although he professes to 
 have consulted both the Latin and German transla- 
 tions, his version throughout bears marks of a close 
 attention to the original." 
 
 I am aware that some writers have taken a dif- 
 ferent view of the question, but my object is not to 
 prove that Coverdale translated from the Hebrew, 
 but only to show that it is probable the title-page 
 in the same ty|3e as the text, was not intended by 
 Coverdale himself to have been prefixed to any 
 copies of the Bible of his translation. 
 
 The Title, the Dedication, and the other leaves 
 before the text in the Marquis of Northampton's 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 17 
 
 copy are printed from the English type, and are the 
 same as those in other copies of this Bible. The 
 fii-st eight leaves are in the same type, and the date 
 on the title and on the last leaf of the Bible agree. 
 The reverse of the title is blank, and the first part 
 of the List of the Books is on the reverse of the 
 seventh leaf. Lord Compton very courteously in- 
 formed me that this title was in the Library at Castle 
 Ashby, and through his Lordship's introduction I 
 have been allowed to have a copy taken and to 
 describe the title. 
 
 In the Bible of 1535 belonging to the Earl of 
 Leicester, at Holkham Hall, having the title before 
 described, is one leaf printed in the same t}^e as 
 the title and as the volume itself. It is the only 
 one known to exist printed in this type, and is most 
 interesting as pro\'ing that some introductory matter 
 was printed in the same t}^e as the work; it also 
 affords strong e^ddence that the title wath the List 
 of Books on the reverse of it, was not intended to 
 accompany the Dedication, &c., which w^as printed 
 in the English black-letter. This leaf has on the 
 recto the conclusion of the Prologue to the reader, 
 of which there is more on this page than there is on 
 the corresponding page of the Prologue in English 
 black-letter. The first line begins "are able to 
 
make satisfaction unto G-od." [See Plate 6, No. 5.] 
 It reads the same as the other Prologue, except that 
 "God of his mercy preserue all his," in the English 
 black-letter Prologue reads, "god of his mercy and 
 plenteous goodnes preserue all his." and that on 
 the reverse of this leaf there is " &c." after " Chap, 
 vi " more than there is in the contents of Genesis 
 in the other leaf. On the reverse of the Earl of 
 Leicester's leaf we find " The first boke of Moses, 
 called Genesis. What this boke conteyneth." Cor- 
 responding to this, that is on the reverse of the last 
 page of the Prologue in the usual preliminary 
 matter, is the page "The bokes of the hole Byble," 
 while the last part of the List of the Books and the 
 contents of Genesis, fill the next or eighth leaf. 
 
 It is very satisfactory that this particular leaf has 
 been preserved, because it shews a different arrange- 
 ment of the introductory matter: we may conclude 
 from it that the first part of the List of the Books 
 which formed part of the preliminary matter in the 
 same type as the Bible, was printed only on the re- 
 verse of the title. The List of the Books being 
 printed on the reverse of the seventh leaf of the 
 English printed preliminary leaves, proves that it 
 was intended to follow a Title without a List of 
 the Books on the reverse. Through the courtesy of 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 19 
 
 the Earl of Leicester I was permitted to examine the 
 leaf -wliicli I have described, and to have a tracing 
 taken of it. As to tlie leaves wliicli followed the 
 title in the Earl of Leicester's Bible we know not 
 why they were disused. We know only what the 
 one leaf now remaining shows us; as it does not 
 contain the beginning of the Prologue to the Keader 
 there must have been more than one leaf of prehm- 
 inary, but how many we do not know. Although the 
 title and the preliminary leaves in the type of tbe 
 text, may have been set aside for the reasons 
 suggested, there may have been other motives for 
 the course which was adopted, of wliich we are 
 ignorant. If the lost leaves should be discovered 
 it will be seen wherein they differ from those that 
 were probably printed by Nycolson. Let the facts 
 wliich are brought forward have their due weight, 
 be the conclusions from them what they may. 
 
 By a happy coincidence I am able to describe at 
 the same time, the title belonging to the Marquis 
 of Northampton, and the leaf in the Earl of Leices- 
 ter's copy of the Bible, as the evidence afforded 
 by each clearly points to the same conclusion. 
 
 As all copies, except the Earl of Leicester's, 
 which have any original leaves before the text, have 
 those which are supposed to have been printed in 
 
20 THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 England, it now appears certain that such as are 
 completed with a fac-simile title should have one the 
 same as that in the Bible belonging to the Marquis 
 of Northampton, if it is intended that the copy 
 should represent the Bible as it was first sent out by 
 Myles Coverdale. It also follows that all copies 
 which have fac-similes of the title the same as the 
 text inserted, are incorrect, and do not represent any 
 edition of the Bible. 
 
 The Enghsh black-letter titles of 1535 and 1536 
 differ from the other title by two lines. Those 
 in the woodcuts below A and B, Plate 1, are not 
 found in either of the other titles, nor in that by 
 Nycolson, 1537. [See Plates 2, 3, and 4.] The tyi3e 
 of the usual preliminary matter and that of the 
 Northampton title and the two of 1536 appear to be 
 the same as that used for the introductory matter of 
 the folio edition of 1537; some of the pages of 
 which read with it line for line. Can there be any 
 doubt, therefore, that James Nycolson, of Southwark. 
 printed these two titles and the following leaves ? 
 Compare fac-similes on Plates 5 and 6 with those 
 on Plates 7 and 8. 
 
 The error which Lewis, Professor Walter, and 
 others have made in supposing that the first leaf of 
 the Dedication was reprinted for the editions of 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 21 
 
 1535 or 1536, shows how neccessaiy it is for bibho- 
 gi'aphers to know that the copy of the work ou 
 which they ^Tite is a correct example of the edition. 
 This is particnhirly important when describing early 
 editions of the Bible, which are often fomid made up 
 of two or more editions. When we remember the 
 persecution the Sacred Volume had to endure, as 
 well as the injury to which it was subjected from 
 frequent use, it may easily be conceived that many 
 copies became imperfect, and needed repair at no 
 very distant period from the time of publication: 
 and, therefore, that missing leaves were occasionally 
 supplied from any edition which would answer the 
 purpose. Many Bibles and New Testaments were 
 no doubt so made up at an early period, whilst 
 others were first issued composed of two or more 
 editions which would read together. Thus, portions 
 of the three editions of Tyndale's New Testament 
 in quarto, 1536, are sometimes found in the same 
 volume. So, hkewise, the two editions of the New 
 Testament in quarto, printed by Nycolson, 1538. 
 The Great Bible, 1539, and the six editions of 
 Cranmer's Version, and also the Large Fohos of 
 the Authorised Version, are much mixed, which is 
 proved in a work lately pubhshed.* I have seen 
 
 • "A DESCEIPTIOX OF THE GREAT BiBLE, 1539, .O^D THE 
 
22 THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 the last leaf of Cranmer's Version, by Whitchurch, 
 1553, in the edition of 1549, with which that leaf 
 will read; and in a co-pj of Matthew's Version, 
 1537, the List of the Books of the edition by 
 
 SIX EDiTioN^s OF Cranmer's Bible, 1540 and 1541, printed by 
 Grafton and Wiiitchtjrch : also of the editions, in large 
 FOLIO, OF the Authorized Version of the Holy Scribtures 
 
 PRINTED IN THE YEARS IGll, 1613, 1617, 1634, 1640. By FllANCIS 
 Fry, F.S.A. Illustrated wdtli Titles and with passages from the 
 editions, the Genealogies, and the Maps copied in fac-simile; also 
 with an identification of every leaf of the first seven, and of many 
 leaves of the other editions; on 51 Plates. Together with an 
 original leaf of each of the editions described. Dedicated by 
 permission to the Earl of Ashburnhani." London: Willis & 
 Sotheran, Strand. Bristol: Lasbury. 
 
 "I have with great labour compared every leaf of 113 copies 
 of the Bibles of 1539, 1540, and 1541. Of these I found 31 to 
 be correct so far as they were perfect. I also examined 33 
 which I was not able to compare all through, and of these 32 
 were mixed. Thus, of 146 compared and examined, 114 proved to 
 be copies of mixed editions, and 31 only proved to be correct. 
 
 ' ' The only plan that suggested itself, by which I could obtain 
 conclusive evidence on the differences existing in the First Edition 
 of the Authorised Version, was to compare the same leaf in many 
 copies at the same time. I have in this way comjiared 100 copies 
 of the 4 editions of the Large Folios, and examined 10 more. 
 Of these 70 were of the edition of 1611: 40 consisted of both 
 the Issues, 23 were the 1st Issue correct, 7 were the 2nd Issue 
 and Reprints; whilst 18 copies contained portions of subsequent 
 editions in the preliminary leaves or text." Of 30 copies of 1617, 
 1634, and 1640, 21 copies consisted of different editions mixed, 
 pp. 21, 22 23. Nearly all the copies both of the 1539 and the 
 Cranmer's and the Authorized Version wore impei'fect. 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 23 
 
 Whitchurch, 1553, — both inserted apparently very 
 long since. This mixing of editions is of common 
 occm*rence ; I could name many more instances. 
 
 From the facts brought for\yard it is certain that 
 there was some introductory matter as well as the 
 title printed in the same type as the text, and probable 
 that the first part of the List of the Books occm's 
 only on the reverse of the title ; that the Bible was 
 issued in England in 1535 with a title bearing that 
 date printed in the English black-letter, and blank on 
 the reverse, the introductory matter being in the 
 same type with a List of the Books on the seventh 
 leaf. It has also been shoi\Ti that the leaf of the 
 Dedication with "Queen Jane" is that of the edition 
 by Nycolson, 1537, and that all the known copies of 
 the Dedication to Henry YIIL, which are of the 
 edition of 1535, and those in the copies of 1536 
 read, "Queen xinne," therefore we may consider that 
 there is not the least ground for supposing as Lewis, 
 Professor Walter, and Anderson have done, that 
 the publication of the First Bible in Enghsh was 
 retarded imtil the year 153C, in order that the first 
 leaf of the Dedication to the King might be re- 
 printed with the name of Queen Jane. 
 
 If these views are coiTect the copy of the Sacred 
 Scrii)tures. in the Libraiw at Castle Ashbv is of the 
 
24 THE BIBLE, 1.53o, 
 
 highest mterest, since it must he regarded as the only 
 example that is known to us of the First Bihle in 
 the English Language, surviving (except the map) 
 exactly in the state in which it was issued in 
 this country, and in the same year in which the 
 printing of the text was finished. 
 
 I have thus endeavoured as clearly as possible to 
 explain the facts which have come to my knowledge, 
 and if I have been able to clear up the doubts which 
 have hitherto existed relating to the titles and the 
 year of the publication of the Bible translated by 
 Myles Coverdale, I shall be amply rewarded for the 
 time I have spent in the interesting investigation. 
 
 I take this opportunity to give a short notice of 
 the Water-marks in the paper of the Bible 1535, 
 having examined every leaf of 11 Copies for the 
 purpose. I find a Crown, a Bull's Head, a Bull's 
 Head and Serpent, and seven other marks which 
 are figured in Plates 9, 10, 11, 12, No. 1 to 10. 
 As only one leaf with the mark No. 2, has occured 
 in these copies, it is not improbable that there may 
 be other water-marks in copies which I have not 
 examined. 
 
 The knowledge of these water-marks may be of 
 little value, but as facts are sometimes useful, it 
 is well to record them, and they may possibly assist 
 
BY 
 
 MYLES COYERDALE. 25 
 
 in clecidiiig who 
 
 was the printer. As there are in 
 
 the 11 copies, oi 
 one of No. 2, 
 
 ily thirty-seven examples of No. 1, 
 and four of No. 3, the Bibles in 
 
 which most of them occm^ may be cited. j 
 
 Sion College .... 
 
 ... The Crown No. 1, in the New 
 
 
 Testament title, and in the 
 
 
 following leaf. 
 
 
 The Bull's Head and Serpent, 
 No. 3, in the last leaf of 
 
 
 Deuteronomy, folio 90. 
 
 British Museum 
 
 .... Grenvelle Copy, no example 
 
 
 of either No. 1, 2, or 3. 
 
 British Museum 
 
 .... Second Copy, the Bull's Head 
 
 
 and Serpent, in foho 85, 
 
 
 Deuteronomy, and the 
 
 
 Cromi on the title to the 
 
 
 "seconde parte." 
 
 Bodleian Library 
 
 .... The Crown in the title to 
 
 
 the "seconde parte." 
 
 Francis Fry's.... 
 
 .... The Bull's Head and Serpent, 
 in the last leaf of Deuter- 
 
 
 onomy, foho 90. 
 
 Baptist College, 
 Bristol 
 
 .... The Crown in seventeen leaves. 
 
 One Copy 
 
 .... The Bull's Head and Serpent, 
 
 E 
 
 foho 85, Deuteronomy. 
 
2G THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 Glos'ter Cathedral.... The Crown m five leaves. 
 One Copy The Crown m the New Testa- 
 ment title. 
 
 One Copy The Bull's Head, No. 2, in 
 
 folio 14, Esay; the only one 
 of this mark I have seen. 
 One Copy The CroTvn in the New Testa- 
 ment title, and in eight 
 other leaves. 
 No. 7 differs in shape considerahly from the other 
 water-marks; the nnmher in each of the 11 copies 
 varies from 20 to 50. There are many of the other 
 six shapes in all the Bibles, but they cannot always 
 be distinguished. Nos. 4, 5, 6, are much alike; 
 the number of these in each copy varies from 80 to 
 170. Nos. 8, 9, 10, are somewhat alike, and the 
 number of these varies in the same way from about 
 24 to 102. The water-mark No. 5 in Coverdale's 
 Bible is very nearly of the same form as the large 
 one in Tyndale's First New Testament and that in 
 Schoeffer's Bible in German, 1529. These are figured 
 in my Introduction to " The First New Testament 
 in Enghsh, (1525 or 26,) Reproduced in fac-simile 
 1862," page 25: and are more like No. 5, than 
 Nos. 4, 6, and 8 in Coverdale, are to No. 5, though 
 in design the same. 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE, 27 
 
 I liaA'e said that it yet remains a mystery where, 
 and hy whom, this Bible was printed. It has been 
 taken for granted by many if not by all writers on 
 this subject, that the volume was printed on the 
 Continent, probably judging from the type, and from 
 the fact that the preliminary matter was printed 
 with such type as was commonly used in England. 
 But I belieye even this much is not known. Lewis, 
 in his History, folio edition, p. 23, says " The late 
 Humphrey Wanly thought by the T}^es, that it 
 was printed at Zurich, in the Printing-House of 
 Christoioher Froschover." And this ojjinion appears 
 to have been followed by most bibliographers to the 
 present day. Including Wanly and Lewis, I have a 
 list of fourteen writers who say that it is probable 
 that this Bible was printed either in Zurich, Frank- 
 fort, Cologne, or Paris. The list includes Dibdin, 
 Pearson Editor of "Remains of Coverdale," Ander- 
 son, and Lo"UTides. 
 
 Botfield, before quoted, says it is " supposed to 
 have been printed in the house of Christopher Fros- 
 chover, at Zurich; but more prol)ably by Christian 
 Egenolph, at Frankfort." * We are not f\ivored 
 with the gi'ounds on which it was " more probably" 
 
 * "Miscellanies of the Philobiblion Society, vol. 2, article 3, 
 London, 1855," p. .3. 
 
 E2 
 
28 THE JUIJLK, 1,>35, 
 
 printed at Frankfort, which place is not again alluded 
 to, but (p. 25) the writer quotes Wanly's opinion 
 that the volume was printed at Zurich, and devotes 
 several pages to the praise of Froschover and his 
 printing. 
 
 These opinions, however, are only suppositions on 
 a subject where evidence should be adduced. How is 
 it that not one of the fourteen writers alluded to, 
 has cited a work or even a line printed by Fros- 
 chover, with type like any in Coverdale's Bible. 
 
 It occurred to me that as Froschover printed 
 many works from 1522 to 1586 (see Mattaire) that 
 if he had printed the Bible in English in 1535, he 
 probably used the same type in other works. With 
 the view to obtain evidence on the subject, I have 
 examined 53 works printed by him, 41 of these 
 in the British Museum Library, and 12 of my 
 own, both before and after the year 1535. Many 
 of the books are chiefly in Koman type. I find 
 some type used in the following books the same 
 as the two larger sizes of letters that are used in 
 Coverdale's Bible. In the title pages of the Bible 
 in German, 5 vols., 1527 — 9 ; in the Title of the 
 Latin and Swiss New Testament, 1535, 4to., and in 
 the New Testament in Enghsh, 1550, all printed 
 by Froschover, Zurich. This is all the type I 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 29 
 
 have found of this printer, like that in Coverdale's 
 Bible. 
 
 The two sizes of type alluded to are seen in the 
 second and third lines in the title " The Bible that, 
 is the holy Scripture of the " [see Plate No. 1] and 
 in the first and second lines of the first folio of Gen- 
 esis, [see Plate 14, No. 1] also in the second and 
 third titles, and at the beginning of the several 
 books in Coverdale's Bible. 
 
 I have examined the -works printed by Froschover 
 for the water-marks ; some of them have none in 
 them, in the others are several varieties, but none of 
 them are in the least like those in Coverdale's Bible. 
 
 The most important rival to Froschover for the 
 honor of having been the printer of the First Bible 
 in English is Christian Egenolph. His claim is 
 chiefly derived, I presume, from the fact that he 
 printed Illustrations of Scripture subjects with the 
 monogram of Hans Sebald Beham, of Nuremberg, 
 some of which are the same size and design as those 
 in Coverdale's Bible. This has no doubt led to the 
 cm'rent opinion that the wood-cuts in the Bible are 
 by Beham, and that as Egenolph printed these 
 illustrations therefore he printed the Bible. 
 
 Dibdin in the Decameron (vol. i. p. 169) describ- 
 ing the woodcuts in this Bible, says, "They are the 
 
30 THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 spirited productions of my favorite Ilans Sebald 
 Beham, and have his monogram or mark expressly 
 introduced. Probably they first appeared in a thin 
 quarto volume, published in the German language, 
 at Frankfort, without date." "Biblicse Historae," kc. 
 ''Egenolphus excudebat." As there is no monogram 
 in the wood-cuts in the Bible of 1535, I conclude 
 that Beham' s mark alluded to, must be that on the 
 title-page of the work printed by Egenolph. 
 
 We find the opinions given by Dibdin followed by 
 other writers. In "Memorials of Myles Coverdale, 
 1838," London, 8vo, the author says, (p. 24,) "It is 
 generally supposed, from a resemblance of the type 
 to that used in the printing-house of" " Froschover 
 at Zurich, to have been printed there." But in a 
 "Note," page 185 is as follows, "An eminent living 
 bookseller, however, is of opinion that this Bible 
 was printed at Franckfort, most probably by Christian 
 Egenolph. This opinion he founds upon the fact, 
 that the identical wood-cuts, which are to be seen in 
 Coverdale's Bible, occur amongst others in two books 
 he has of that printer. The first of these work bears 
 the date of 1533, the other of 1539; the one being 
 thus two years before the date of Coverdale's trans- 
 lation, the other just four years after. Thence 
 follows the presumption, that if these same wood- 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 31 
 
 cuts were used at Franckfort, in 1533, and again in 
 1539, that tkey were also there in the intermediate 
 years. And this view, namely, that Coverdale's 
 Bible was printed at Franckfort, is strengthened by 
 the resemblance that exists between the t}^e used in 
 the first of these books, and that in Coverdale's 
 Bible. Through the kindness of the gentleman 
 above alluded to, the titles of these works are here 
 given verbatim. The first is: "Biblisch historien, 
 Figurlich furgebildet, Durch den wolberumpten Se- 
 bald Behem von Nuremberg." The artist's device 
 P5"[-^ This in a wood-cut border. Beneath " Zu 
 Franckfm't, am Meyn, Bei Christian Egenolph." 
 At the end, the date ''MDXXXILJ." The other 
 is: " Biblicse historiae, magno artificio depictse, & 
 utilitatis publicae causa latinis Epigrammatibus a 
 Georgio ^Emilio illustratse." The same artist's de- 
 vice. In the same wood-cut border. Beneath, "Cum 
 Caes. Maiestatis priuilegio, Francoforti Cbristianus 
 Egenolphus excudebat." At the end, the date, 
 ''MDXXXIX." He has also another book of the 
 same printer, in wiiich some of the wood-cuts used 
 in Coverdale's Bible, occur, of the date 1551. 
 It is entitled, "Biblia veteris Testamenti," &c. 
 Whether or not the foregoing proofs are sufficient 
 to set at rest the question of where Coverdale's 
 
32 THE BIBLE, loS:"!, 
 
 Bible was printed, it must be left to the reader to 
 decide." 
 
 The three works named in this note are in the 
 British Museum, but one of them is of a different 
 year. I have examined all the wood-cuts in these 
 books which correspond to those in Coverdale's 
 Bible, and I can confidently state that there is not 
 one the same. Mr. Reid the Keeper of the Prints 
 and Drawings in the British Museum examined them 
 with me. He allows me to give his opinion, fully 
 supporting this statement, and to say that the differ- 
 ence between the wood-cuts in the books bearing 
 Beham's monogram and the EngHsh Bible is so 
 decided that it can be seen at a glance. Brulhot 
 says, Hans Sebald Beham was an excellent engraver 
 — the execution of the wood-cuts bearing his name 
 shows the hand of a master, and are very superior to 
 those in the Bible by Coverdale, which look Hke 
 close copies. Egenolph printed some editions of the 
 Bible in German, wdth illustrations. The type used 
 in them is supposed also to prove that Egenolph 
 printed the Bible of 1535. I have part of one of these 
 Bibles without date. The wood-cuts in this Bible 
 are the same as those in the books bearing Beham's 
 monogram. If the wood-cuts used by Egenolph 
 had been the same as Coverdale's it would not 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 33 
 
 have been correct that they were in Frankfort 
 from the year 1533 to 1539, because they were used 
 by Nycolson, in Southwark, in 1537. The same 
 type as the two larger sizes of type in Coverclale's 
 Bible appears to have been used in the Bible by 
 Egenolph, but not the type of the pages — though it 
 is veiy much alike and might be taken to be the 
 same. But if the type of two pages under compari- 
 son be not spaced out between the lines, it follows 
 of com-se, that if the type is the same, the lines will 
 range, because the body of the t^^^e is the same. 
 But the lines are not spaced out and they do not 
 range. Fifty three lines of Coverdale's Bible occupy 
 the same space as fifty-four lines of Egenolph's Bible. 
 Therefore the type cannot be the same, because the 
 body of the tj^^e is a difi'erent size. 
 
 The following books, in addition to those by Fros- 
 chover, deserv^e notice as containing types or 
 wood-cuts the same as are in the Bible of 1535; the 
 letters appear to be identical; but it must be ob- 
 seiTed, that as we cannot decide on the body of the 
 type in single lines, there can be little doubt that 
 if they are not identical they were struck from the 
 same punches. 
 
 "EXOMOLOGESIS SIVE MODUS CoNFITENDI," &C., 
 
 8vo, printed by Froben, Balse, 1524. 
 
 F 
 
34 THE BIBLE, 1535, 
 
 111 this book is the same P as occurs First Epistle 
 of Peter, folio 1)5. It is drawn, Plate 13, No. 6. 
 When Froben used this capital it was in a good 
 state, but it appears to have been much worn before 
 it was used for the Bible, 1535. 
 
 "COMMENTARIORUM IN APOCALYPIUM loHANNIS," 
 
 1526, printed by Frans Birckman. 
 
 "Cantica Canticorum," 1532, — 
 
 "De Divinis officiis," 1532, both printed by 
 Arnold Birckman, Cologne, folio. 
 
 The last three works are by " Ruperti Abbatis," in 
 them are A, F, I, P, T, the eight-line capitals, and 
 A, four-line capital, the same as we find in Cover- 
 dale's Bible. These are drawn, Plate 13, Nos. 1, 2, 
 3, 4, 5, 7. 
 
 "The Seconde Parte" of "Wm. Turner's Herb- 
 all," printed by Arnold Birckman, Cologne, 1562, 
 folio. In printing this book some type was used 
 the same as the large type of the Bible, 1535. 
 
 The Bible by Coverdale, Nycolson, fol., 1537. 
 
 It appears probable, as has been shown, that 
 Nycolson printed the titles 1535 and 1536 ; and it 
 is an important fact that he has used in his edition 
 all the wood-cuts and side ornaments of all the titles, 
 and all the same wood-cuts (except two) which are 
 placed in the text, including those of the six "dayes 
 
BY MYLES COYERDALE. 35 
 
 worke " on the lirst page of Greuesis, and tlie wood- 
 cut of the tabernacle, and that of Aaron, which are 
 in the Bible of 1535 : they are undoubtedly the same 
 wood-cuts. The word ''LORDE" in roman appears 
 to be from the same type in both Bibles. There 
 is only one wood-cut, that of Jonah, in the folio 
 Bible of 1537, which is not found in that of 1535. 
 
 I have TWO New Testaments op Coverdale's 
 Version, small 8vo. 
 
 Different editions, but much alike, without name 
 or date, imperfect; the wood-cuts in these are the 
 same as those in the Bible of 1535. These New 
 Testaments were printed, I have no doubt, by Nycol- 
 son, because the capitals, and the t}^3e, and the space 
 occupied by the words are the same as the Quarto 
 Bible, by Nycolson. 1537, and the lines range 
 with it. 
 
 The Bible, 1537, quarto, by Nycolson. 
 
 There are in this the, same wood-cuts of Aaron 
 and the tabernacle as are in the Bible, 1535. 
 
 The Bible in German, printed by Peter Schcef- 
 fer, Worms, folio 1529. 
 
 In the Bible, 1535, Esa}', folio 2, is this line 
 "This is the prophecy of;" [see PL 14, No. 31 no 
 other example of the type of this line appears in the 
 volume, but it is often used in Schoeffer's Bible, and 
 
 F2 
 
'M THE BIBLE, 153o, 
 
 ill the tirst New Testament iii English, by W. Tyndale, 
 which was no doubt also printed by Peter Schceffer. 
 Type like that of this line was used by other printers. 
 
 The German Bible, by Dietenberger, printed 
 by Peter Jordan, Mayence, folio, 1534. 
 
 The large type is found in this book. 
 
 *' The Byble in Englyshe," printed by Petyt 
 and Redman, for Thomas Berthelet, 1540, has the 
 first and the New^ Testament titles printed from the 
 same blocks as Coverdale's Bible. 
 
 The Bible printed by Daye and Seres, 1549. 
 
 In the titles and in the text are 49 impressions 
 from the identical wood-cuts used for the Bible, 1535. 
 I examined stroke with stroke, and counted the lines 
 in a piece of shading, when comparing impressions 
 of wood-cuts. 
 
 In the Bible printed by Raynalde and Hyll, 
 1549, and in the edition by Nicolas Hyll, 1551, 
 the first and the New Testament titles are from 
 the same blocks as those in the Bible by Coverdale, 
 when used by Nycolson. 
 
 I have examined the work entitled "Catechismus 
 Excelsiae Lere unde Handelinge des hilligen Chris- 
 tendoms," &c. "Datum Wulflenbuttel am Sontage 
 Trinitatis Anno 1550." The two larger types of 
 Coverdale's Bible are used in it. The type of the 
 
BY MYLES COVERDALE. 
 
 pages is very much like that of Coverdale, but it is 
 not the same, the hues do not range. The printer 
 of this book, so far as I am aware, is not kno^Yn. 
 
 The Dutch Bible, printed by Liesyelt, Ant- 
 werp, 1542. 
 
 The capitals used at the beginning of the chapters 
 in the Bible, 1535, are the same as those used in 
 some parts of this Bible. 
 
 Richard Jugge used the same wood-cuts of the 
 four Evano-elists in The New Testaments of 1552 
 and 1553, and the large map in the Bishop's 
 Bible, 1574, as were used in the Bible, 1535. 
 
 The large type used in the Bible by Coverdale 
 is found in the folio Bible in German, printed by 
 Hans Lufft, AYittemberg, 1556. 
 
 It would be gratifying to find a work by a known 
 printer, the pages of which are the same as the 
 pages of the First Bible in English, and having the 
 same capitals and wood-<;uts. We should like such 
 proof as I have given* that Peter Schoeffer, of 
 Worms, printed the first New Testament in English. 
 In works by Peter Schoeffer are found all the types, 
 
 * See fac-similes iu the Introductiuu to " The First New 
 Testament printed in the English language (Worms 1525 or 1526,) 
 translated from the Greek by William TjTidale, Reproduced in fac- 
 simile, A\'ith an Introduction by Francis Fry, F.S.A., Bristol, 
 printed for the Editor— 18G2." 
 
38 THE BIBLE, 1535, BY COVEKDALE. 
 
 the lines ranging, the wood-cut of St. Paul, the size 
 of the page, the numerals, and a water-mark the 
 same as in the New Testament. 
 
 A more extensive search than has yet been made 
 among the works which have issued from the Press 
 of Germany may bring to light similar evidence, but 
 I think the investigation here recorded shows that 
 no reliance can be placed on any of the opinions 
 hitherto advanced; and that we must obtain more 
 information before we can arrive at a satisfactory 
 conclusion. 
 
 Probably a fac-simile of a whole page of Cover- 
 dale's Bible has never been published; I have, 
 therefore, given the commencement of the Gospel of 
 Mark. [Plate 15.] The fourteen-line capital which 
 commences Genesis is drawn. [Plate 14, No. 2.1 
 
 FINIS. 
 
THE CHRONIULE BY ClUilSTlAN EUENULi'H, 1533. 
 
 Since the foregoing was printed I have obtained a 
 copy of the work entitled 
 
 " CHRONiCAy Beschreibung vnd gemeyne anzeyge/ 
 Bonn aller Wellt herkommen/ furnamen lannden/ 
 Stande/ Engeuschafften/ Historien/ wesen/ manier/ 
 sitten/ an \Tid ahgang." &c. " Getruckt zu Franck- 
 enfort/ am Meyu/ Bei Christian Egenolffen," At the 
 foot of the hist page we have the date " m. d. xxxv. 
 In Aiigustmon." 
 
 It is a small folio in sixes, with numerous wood- 
 cuts, about forty-three of which, some being repeated, 
 are Scripture subjects such as we find in the Bible 
 by Coverdale. A full page is generally lifty-two 
 lines. This work being a small folio, dated only 
 two months before the Bible in English 1535, we 
 might expect the type of the pages and the wood- 
 cuts to be the same as the Bible, if Egenolph had 
 printed the Bible. On careful examination I find 
 that the type of the Chronicle and Egenolph's Bible 
 in German, before alluded to, range line for line, 
 and that both the type and wood- cuts appear identi- 
 cal, therefore the type of the pages and the wood- 
 cuts of the Chronicle are not the same as occur in 
 the Bible by Coverdale. Some of the larger type 
 in the Chronicle appear to be the same as those in 
 Egenolph's Bible and in Coverdale's Bible. 
 
 JOHN BELLOWS, STEAM PRESS, GLOUCESTER. 
 
'^^" 
 
 
 ^Othct 
 
 "' Toii-e,. 
 
Flatel. 
 
 THE CENTRE OF THE TITLE 1535. 
 
 Printed mth the sam^Ti/pe as the Bible. 
 
 BIBLIA 
 
 x%i\:f^ t)olp Scn'pcure of c|)e 
 
 fullt artb trul^ trartflateb out 
 mto^^rtgIiH?e, 
 
 M. D-XXXV. 
 
 B,pituLn.€e(T4.ni. 
 prate fo: t)0,t|)at t^cwozbe of(B>ob mate 
 ^atie fre pa(r«ge,ant> be glortfiet>.tct. 
 
 B.paul CoL m* 
 Jiet t|)e wo:^e ofC^:t(lbn?eUm ^Ot* plcrt 
 tecuflytttall^j^^ticme rcf. 
 
 ^ofuc L 
 JLct not t^e bofe of t^ia fatre ^eparte 
 Otttoft|)7mcutl?>but ejcerc^fe t^^felfe 
 tbertrt b<iv^ Ci,v:^ rtigt)te tct 
 
 i^ 
 
 (^/2^ the rererse of thi-s' title is 
 ''The bokes of the H^hoLeBi/ble;' 
 
Plate 2, 
 THE CENTRE OF THE TITLE 1535. 
 
 Print rd in Eng^lish Mla^k I e iter: 
 
 ?^BIBLIA<^ 
 
 C{)t^pfale:tl)at 
 
 (0/tl)e tjolp ^crppture of tt)e 
 
 iDlDc anti iSeto (Ceflament, 
 fapttjfulljj tranflatcti m 
 to Cnglpftie* 
 
 ^♦laauUlKCeOaLIlL 
 p?ape fo? t)s,ti)attbetx)0?tje of (Boti 
 mapebauefrepaflage ^teglo^ifiet)^ 
 
 ^♦jaauLColloir.IIL 
 let tbetDo?tieof CfeifteDtoellinpou 
 plenteounp m all tDpfDome.^c* 
 
 31ofueJ» 
 Xet not tlje J5 oHe of ttjis latoe tiepartc 
 out of ttip moutb,tut ejcercpfe tbp felfe 
 t^ermDapeanDnpg^te,^t^oumapen: 
 
 kepeanD bo euerpttjpngeacco^tipnge 
 to itttjat 10 to?ptten ttjerin* 
 
PlateS. 
 THE CENTRE OF THE TITLE 1536. 
 
 Printed inUn^lish jBla^ck letter. 
 
 m 
 
 ig/tfte Dolp ^crpptuce of tlje 
 
 ^Ibe antj ijjeto (CeClament, 
 fapt^fullptranClateli m 
 to CnglpQje. 
 
 M-D. XXXVI. 
 
 ^.j^auULCefialllL 
 la^ape 6)? t)0,tljattt)0too^tie of (I5dt> 
 mape Jiaue fre paffage $ be glorified* 
 
 ^♦pauLCoiioCirr. 
 
 Aet tt)e too^be of <Vs^i\^t D tocll in pou 
 plenteoitfl? in all trrpfboma^. 
 
 3|Qfue.L 
 )letnot(;i)e;©oHe of tlji^j latoencpatte 
 out of t^pmoutl),tiut e^eccpfe tlipfelfe 
 ttjerititiapg anD riFglJte,^ t^ou mai?eft 
 kepeanD Do euerp tEjpnge acco^Dpnge 
 to.itttiat 10 toitptten tbecm. 
 
 
Flcit;e4r, 
 
 THE CENTRE OFTHE TITLE 
 NYCOLSON 1537. 
 
 ^ BIBLI A f*s. 
 
 10 tbe ^olp ^crppture of the 
 
 ^IDeartDBelD freGament,fapth^ 
 
 tulip tmnOateH in €nslpft,anD 
 
 netolp ouerfene ftcoi^recteD* 
 
 M.D.XXXVIL 
 
 Sj^auMi.ceoiajrL 
 
 ^.^aulJLCoHoCIIL 
 
 jfofueJ. 
 
 lUjt not tljc 6oke of t»ns latoe Departs out oftfip 
 moutli , but (^^rc^Cc rtjp Cel& ttjerin ^apeanD npglrt, 
 tljat thou raapeft Iwpe anh Da euerp ih^gg acco;Dpng 
 to it I$ati8to?ptten t^m. 
 
 3iarnes^pcoIfom 
 
 ^ 
 
 
^ 
 •^ 
 
 I 
 
 2: 
 
 10 
 
 in 
 
 £ 
 
 CD 
 
 m 
 u 
 
 X 
 
 3- 
 
 Cm 
 
 J^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 E Q 
 
 O r» C3 sXt^ji— • 
 
 tJ 
 
 2 ^^ 
 
 .+* s 
 
 tt 
 
 03^ 
 
 
 S o 
 
 < 
 
 ^ tt 
 
 111 
 
 o 
 
 ^ 
 
 05 jo 
 
 o 
 
 M 
 
 Z 
 
 ^ '^ t^ ^ 5u ^ 
 S.3 m t^ S '^ < 
 
 «\m ?J R P c* z: 
 
 flS 
 
 
 g^ t^'z; ^ti 
 g^ p'S ti>c- 
 
 « ^ ;S P J3m^ 
 
 
 X 
 
 H 
 
 u. 
 
 < 
 kJ 
 
 -1 
 
 UJ 
 
 > 
 
 O 
 CO 
 
 < 
 
 UJ 
 
 X 
 H 
 
 2 * 
 
 a 
 
 n 
 
 (^ 
 
 ±5 
 
 ex 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 « 
 
 X3 
 
 O 
 
 
 ® t^ s: v* OS 
 
 •S il 43 53 /;s ■» Z 
 
 3 
 
 
 -5 
 S 
 
 
^ 
 
 Ao 
 
 I 
 ^ 
 
 in 
 
 10 
 
 m 
 
 X 
 
 I- 
 
 
 < 
 bJ 
 
 X 
 
 ca 
 
 4S^ 
 
 s 
 
 o-\ 
 
 z 
 
 -U 
 -«•* 
 
 * 
 
 ^ 
 
 a. 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 f 
 
 
 <^ 
 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 CO 
 
 u 
 
 o 
 -J 
 
 < 
 
 u 
 
 >- 
 
 c 
 
 < 
 z 
 
 UI 
 
 q: 
 
 O 
 
 < 
 
 u 
 
 UJ 
 
 o 
 
 .8 
 
 <^ ir K. 
 "** ^ ir "** 
 
 ^^^^ 
 

 
 - ^ 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 >- 
 
 00 
 
 Q. 
 
 X3^ 
 
 m 
 
 Ul 
 
 X 
 
 
 ^^ 
 
 < 
 O 
 
 Q 
 111 
 
 Q 
 
 %tj.^ 
 
 &ofe 
 
 •^ ^ ^ 
 
 Ti tk> C <^ 
 
 § ^. Slug's* 
 
 5 
 
 SSl^ C s » 
 
 « O CO C^ 
 
 € 
 
 
 
 c tf) n a ^<u 
 
 u 
 
 ■4-a 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 J3 <k» jQ 
 
 C^ 
 
 oeg.a 
 
 &s i-i g.5 « 
 2 ^g i « s 
 
 
 
 ;3 t; ti ».** ta 
 
 3 - wS^SB 
 >a ^ ^ w s^ 
 
 »-• 
 »" 3 
 
 OS 
 
 J3 
 
 s 
 
 
 I 
 
 I- |>^ 
 
 O 6i 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 H c o o e S -^ 
 
 
 SiSg 
 
 
 ,*^ 3. 03 7T 
 
 J— Ci^ ^-" 03 = 
 
 3 •■■* 3 ^~<- i* 
 
 
CO 
 
 in 
 
 a 
 
 .i 
 o 
 a 
 
 z 
 
 -4 
 CQ 
 
 CO 
 
 X 
 I- 
 
 CO 
 
 Q 
 
 < 
 z 
 
 ^ 
 
 t 
 ^ 
 
 CM 
 o- 
 
 
 <» 
 
 Po 
 
 ^ 
 
 to) 
 
 10 
 
 z 
 
 fe 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 o- 
 
 Z 
 
 CO 
 
 o- 
 
 2 
 
 
 • 
 
 ^^ 
 
 
 CO 
 
 # 
 ^ 
 
 s 
 
 v 
 
 
 
 
 .<' 
 
 <%^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ». 
 
 S 
 
 
 fc 
 
 «i^ 
 
 k 
 
 o 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 C3 
 
 4-* 
 
 
 « 
 
 
 «5 
 
 o 
 
 i 
 
 N 
 
 
 • 
 
 o. u 
 
 
 
 z\q 
 
 iT 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 3 
 
 ^ 
 
 o 
 
 a 
 
 
 f""* 
 
 <fci* 
 
 
 43 
 
 i 
 
 • 
 
 3 
 
 «i> 
 
 "« 
 
 ■C^ Ps) 
 
 ? 
 S 
 
 «» 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 « 3 
 
 E 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 «3 
 
 Ck» 
 
 3^ 
 
 •^ 
 
 
 
 ^' 
 
 l> 
 
 
 •1 
 
 1 
 
 
 1 
 
 1 
 
 »<S 
 
 1 
 
 J5) 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 S 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 So .2: :^ 
 
 Z 
 
 1^ «C >— 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^^ 
 
 I 
 
THE BIBLE, 1535. 
 WATER MARKS. 
 
 Pla.le9. 
 
 N?3. 
 
 W I. 
 
 NO 2. 
 
 ^AJ 
 
THE BIBLE, 1535. 
 WATER MARKS. 
 
 I'/atelO. 
 
 N9 5. 
 
THE BIBLE, 1535. ^^^I^- 
 WATER MARKS. 
 
Platem 
 
 THE BIBLE, 1535. 
 WATER MARKS. 
 
 N9 9. 
 
 N9I0. 
 
Platel5. 
 
 SOME OF THE CAPITALS USED IN 
 THE BIBLE IN FOUO 1535. 
 
N?!. 
 
 GeTte^is. Folio J. 
 
 t fiicft Mi of 
 
 fee, cai(e6 ^enefte. 
 
 ^t>ejir(l (Chapter* 
 
 nvnge<5ot> 
 created ^ea 
 uenr e<nt^: 
 on^f eartV) 
 
 anbemptie, 
 
 nee toae ^v 
 pont^ebc- 
 
 te of <&ob 
 ntoueb vp^ 
 
 ^ Qlnb^ob fAyt)e:lett^erebcligt>t,rtt)cre 
 wa6 h0^t . Unb (B^ob |^t»e titje Iig^ t^at it 
 t»a3 goob.^^en(0ob beuybcb ^ Iig^t from 
 
 N ? 3 . Fsazff Folio ^. 
 
 21 
 
 4.Efd.«.d 
 Ecxlf.ie.a 
 
 Heb.ii^ 
 £fa^4.C 
 
 N?2. 
 
 N?4. 
 
 Tr/yc^rlnt, Za^tPa^e. 
 
 PiV"^ebmtl;cyeateofoMreLORDE iTT. J>. XXXVi 
 anb fvnifi;eb t^efourt^ tayc of October* 
 
00 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 O- «>> o .. " *s u 
 
 p^ 
 
 .« 
 
 c S ^ >o 2> 
 
 c^^ra:^ 
 
 B 
 
 <i> Sill '^ ** D- 
 
 ^- H S ^ i § 
 
 « S 3 « 
 
 
 
 f^ H <s «o ^ ^ 
 
 s|E|e 
 
 
 l-ae.^ 
 
 K 
 
 J ® 
 
 
 C <ft <i> o ^ tJ 
 
 4^ c 
 
 
 o§ 
 
 = 5^ 
 
 
 re 
 
 4- 
 2 J 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 

 
 
 ^ ^ O ^ ^S" 
 
 c 
 
 
 ^ H 3<^tt ffl ^ ^ « 
 
 
 13 -u 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 3 
 
 
 O c ^ = c «^ 
 ^^ « H Q E.Qv^ 
 
 
 S 
 
 
 
 ■' ?^2 s s ^ S S 
 
 S.5 
 
 § 
 
 
 J \ '^ C.fts-W O « o ^ »^ ri 
 
 p- 
 
 K 
 
 3^ 
 
 c <» <i> o -5 t* 
 
 >M c 
 
 .•^ a- 
 
 « 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 PRINTED IX THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 
 
 (Worms, 1525 or 152G,) 
 
 TEANSLATED BY WILLIAM TYNDALE; 
 
 REPRODUCED IN FACSIMILE, 
 
 WITH AX IXTRODUCTION 
 
 BY FEANCIS FEY, F. S. A. 
 
 BRISTOL: PRINTED FOR THE EDITOR— 1862. 
 
 William TjTidale lla^^ng completed liis translation of the 
 New Testament from tlie Greek, went to Cologne, intending 
 there to print it. Not being successful he removed to Worms, 
 
 ERRATA. 
 Page 6, line 20, for Dibden read Dibdin. 
 " ^"^ " 7 ,, Loi'd Compfon, read Lord A, 
 
 Coinpton. 
 - 2o ,, 11 ., Greiivelle, read Grenville. 
 „ 27 note ,. P/aVobib/ioji, read F/nVobib/on. 
 ,,30 ,, 22 ,, Zijor^, read ivorks. 
 
 1 have devoted so mncli time to tnis carerui exammatiou, m- 
 order that the accuracy of the work may be relied on. 
 
 The paper, on which this New Testament is printed has been 
 expressly manufactured to imitate the colour and appearance of 
 the original. It is hand-made, the fine and cross wii-es being 
 placed in the paper maker's mould so as to produce the same 
 Avii-e marks as appear in the paper used by Scho?ffer. The large 
 paj)er copies are printed on the same paper, only thicker. 
 
 The whole impression consists of 177 copies, of which 26 are 
 in quarto. To produce these, the entire text has been transferred 
 from the 88 stones used in printing the octavo size, to 176 stones 
 
Fold 
 Out 
 
THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 PRINTED IX THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 
 
 (Worms, 1525 or lo2G,) 
 
 TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM TYNDALE; 
 
 REPRODUCED IN FAC-SIMILE, 
 
 WITH AN" INTRODUCTIOX 
 
 BY ERANCIS ERY, E. S. A. 
 
 BRISTOL: PRINTED FOR THE EDITOR— 1862. 
 
 William TjTidale ha^dng completed liis translation of the 
 New Testament from the Greek, went to Cologne, intending 
 tliere to print it. Not being successful he removed to Woi-ms, 
 
 ERRATA. 
 Page 6, Hue 20, for I)idde7i read Dibdin. 
 " 1'^ '» 7 ., Lord Coiupton, read Loi^d A. 
 
 Conipton. 
 • < 25 ,, 11 .. Grenvelle, read Greiiville. 
 „ 27 note ,. PJiilobiblion, read Philobiblon. 
 ,,30 ,, 22 ,, luork, read woT-ks. 
 
 1 have devoted so miicli time to tms carenii exammaxiou, m 
 order that the accuracy of the work may be relied on. 
 
 The paper, on which this New Testament is printed has been 
 expressly manufactured to imitate the colour and appearance of 
 the original. It is hand-made, the fine and cross wii-es being 
 placed in the paper maker's mould so as to produce the same 
 wii-e marks as appear in the paper used by Schofffer. The large 
 pajK'r copies are printed on the same paper, only thicker. 
 
 The whole impression consists of 177 copies, of which 26 are 
 in quarto. To produce these, the entire text has been transferred 
 fi-om the 88 stones used in printing the octavo size, to 176 stones 
 
THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT 
 
 PRINTED IX THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, 
 
 (WouMS, 1525 or 1526,) 
 
 TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM TYNDALE; 
 
 REPRODUCED IN FACSIMILE, 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION 
 
 BY FRANCIS FRY, F. S. A. 
 
 BRISTOL: PRINTED FOR THE EDITOR— 1862. 
 
 William Tjmdale having completed liis translation of the 
 New Testament from the Greek, went to Cologne, intending 
 there to print it. Not being successful he removed to Worms, 
 where there is no doubt he accomplished the work, and gave to 
 his countrymen the New Testament, wliich was the first printed 
 in the English language. 
 
 This is a reproduction of the only known copy of the first 
 edition of Tyndale's New Testament, perhaps the most interesting 
 book in our language. It contains 692 pages of close small 
 type ; is a faithful representation of the original ; and will be 
 valued not only as a Version, but as shewing the state of the 
 English language, the style of the printing, the orthography, 
 (which is very irregular,) the punctuation, the divisions of the 
 words at the ends of lines, (even to a letter,) and the contractions 
 used. It has been made by tracing on transfer paper, placing 
 this on lithographic-stones, and then printing it in the usual 
 way: a method evidently calculated to ensure the closest possible 
 correspondence with the original. 
 
 To prove the correctness of the work, I have compared a proof 
 of every page, folding it so as to place each line parallel with, 
 and close to, the same line in the original ; so that, by comparing 
 the line all along, I could easily see that it was correct. In this 
 loaij I have examined every line throughout the volume, and I 
 believe that not a single incorrect letter will be found in it. 
 I have devoted so much time to this careful examination, in 
 order that the accuracy of the work may be relied on. 
 
 The paper, on which this New Testament is printed has been 
 expressly manufactured to imitate the colour and appearance of 
 the original. It is hand-made, the fine and cross wires being 
 placed in the paper maker's mould so as to produce the same 
 wire marks as appear in the paper used by Schteffer. The large 
 pajjcr copies are printed on the same paper, only thicker. 
 
 The whole imjjression consists of 177 copies, of which 26 are 
 in (piai-to. To produce these, the entire text has been transferred 
 from the 88 stones used in printing the octavo size, to 176 stones 
 
rt'ijuired for the quai'to size, so as to obtain the wider insi(h3 ami 
 top margins. The work has been eflaced from tiie stones. 
 
 The Introduction contains a brief notice of the early life of 
 Tyndale, and of his printing the New Testament at Worms ; 
 and the evidence that I have collected to prove that Peter 
 Schfefter was the pi'inter; to which are added 7 pages of fac-similes 
 from books printed by him, and the water marks in the Testament, 
 and Scluefler's Bible ; a description and history of the only 
 known copy, which is in the Baptist College, Bristol, with a 
 l)age, the beginning of the first epistle of St. Peter, with the 
 wood-cut of the Apostle, illuminated and ruled with red lines, 
 like the original. Also a list of the works printed by Peter 
 Schoefter, of Worms. 
 
 In the original, the wood-cuts, capitals, (fee, 2G0G in number, 
 are illuminated; copies so illuminated, also on large paper, on 
 old paper and on vellum, may be obtained on special application. 
 
 Octavo, Cloth, £8. 
 
 A DESCEIPTION OF THE GREAT BIBLE, 1539. 
 
 AND THE SIX EDITIONS OF 
 
 CRANMER'S BIBLE, 1540 AND 1541: 
 
 Also of the editions, in large folio, of the Authorized 
 
 Version of the Holy Scriptures printed in the years 
 
 1611, 1613, 1617, 1634, 1640. 
 
 BY FEANCIS fey, F.S.A. 
 
 [The full Title is given page 22] 
 
 ri^HIS work is intended to serve not only as a bibliographical 
 I description of the folios above-named, but also as a key 
 whereby to identify the editions, and the evidence afforded from 
 the comparison of a large number of copies has, it is hoped, 
 decided some doubts relating to them. The folio size has been 
 adopted to admit of the best arrangements of the passages to 
 be compared, and the insertion of the ORIGINAL LEAVES. 
 I have for many years been collecting editions of the Bible 
 and New Testament, especially the earlier ones ; part of my plan 
 having been to obtain a complete set of the Seven Editions, and 
 the Large Folios of the Authorized Version named in the Title: 
 in which I have succeeded. Of the 7 editions, five having 62 
 lines on a page, read together; and 2 editions having 65 lines 
 on a page, and the same two editions with reprints, read 
 together, while some of the preliminary leaves and internal 
 titles will suit any edition; therefore any portion of these 
 respectively may be bound together, the first and last word of 
 every leaf of the 5 editions, and of the 2 editions, and the 
 
Reprints, being the same with one or tAvo accidental exceptions. 
 Most copies are found to consist of these editions mixed. [See 
 (juotation p. 22.] Every leaf of the 7 difters A\-ith the exception 
 of 1-1: leaves. I have found, however, but few of these Bibles 
 Avhich do not contain some leaves of other editions. Thus the 
 1539 and April 1540 editions are often found mixed, so also 
 the July and December, and the 2 editions and the Reprints 
 having Go lines. 
 
 The folio editions of our Authorized Version of IGll, 1G17, 
 1G34, and 1640, and the preliminar}^ of 1613, also have the 
 first and last word of the same leaf in each edition the same, 
 execepting 2 pages in 1634, and are printed with the same t}^)e, 
 and on a page of the same size, bxit diffei-ently set u}). These 
 all read together, and copies are often found composed of parts 
 of two or more editions. From the facts elicited I think it con- 
 clusively shown which is the first and which is the second issue. 
 
 By this work every leaf of the Great Bible, and the 
 Six Craxmers, and the Reprints, can be identifed: also the 
 Preliminary of the editions of the Authorized Version 
 described, and one leaf in every signature of both Issues 
 1611, the Reprints, the 1617, and the 1634. A collation 
 and full description of each of the editions, and those with 
 Reprints is given. The edition of April 1540 is shown to be 
 tlie first of Cranmer's Version. The two titles belonging to 
 the edition of 1611 are described, and full consideration is 
 given to the question, whether both were intended for the 
 same volume, or for either issue. 
 
 The Genealogies of Jesus Christ, and the Map of Canaan, 
 which were published with the A. V., are described. There 
 are 23 varieties of the Genealogies in folio. There are 11 
 varieties of the Map. They are printed from two copper-plates, 
 and a portion of each is cojiied, and a passage from each of the 
 six editions of the letter-press on the reverse of the Map. 
 
 I have inserted an original leaf, from each of the 13 editions 
 described, and one from the Reprints, 1611. 
 
 I have collated every leaf of 45 copies of the 2nd issue, and 
 41 of these differ from each other. To show how the Reprints 
 and 1st Issue have been used in each copy of the 2nd Issue 
 to present so remarkable a result, a Table in 45 columns is given, 
 which shows the distribution of them tlirough each volmue. 
 Demy Folio, on thick toned jyaper, the Plates on Imitation Old 
 Paper made expressly, £5. A few copies on fine Vellum £20. 
 
 Willis & Sotheran, London. Lasburv, Bristol. 
 
REPRODUCTIONS IN FAC -SIMILE. BY THE SAME EDITOR, 
 
 THE PEOPHETE JONAS, 
 
 WITH AN IXTRODrCTION BEFORE TEACHINGE TO UN'DEKSTOXDE HIM, 
 
 BY WILLIAM TYNDALE. 
 
 TO AVHICH IS ADDED COVERDALE'S VER3I0X OF JOXAH, 
 
 WITH AX IXTKODUCTION BY FRANCIS FRY. 8vo. , 18G3. 
 
 Price 10s. Ou Old Paper £1. A few copies on Vellum £2 lOs. 
 
 This work has been so long lost that no copy was known to exist. 
 Lord Arthur Hervey lately found a copy in his liltrary bound in a 
 volume with other tracts. Tyndale's version has never appeared since 
 the original edition now copied. It is not in the first nor any other 
 edition of the Bible called — Tyudale's. 
 
 A PROPER DIALOGE 
 
 KETWENE A GEN'TILLMAX AND A HUSBANDMAN ECHE CO-MPLAyNVN(iE TO OTHER THEIR 
 MISERABLE CALAMITE THROUOH THE AMBICION OF THE CLERUYE. WITH 
 
 COMPENDIOUS OLDE TREATYSE 
 
 SHEWYSGE HOWE THAT WE OUGHT TO HAVE THE SCRIPTURE IN ENGLYSSHE, 
 
 PRINTED BY HANS LUFT, 1530. 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY FRANCIS FRY. 8vO., 1863. 
 
 Price lOs. On Old Paper £1. A few copies on Vellum £2 10s. 
 
 These are one book being printed on four sheets, signatures a B c D. 
 The author or editor is unknown. They were written by some one 
 who strongly advocated the new learn'mn. The Dialogue is in rhjTiie. 
 The only copy of the original edition which is known, is bound in the 
 same volume with Tyndale's Jonah. 
 
 THE SOULDIERS POCKET BIBLE. 
 
 PRINTED AT LONDON BY G. B. AND R. W, FOR G. C. 1643. 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY F. FRY. 8v0., 1862. 
 
 Price 5s. A few cojiies on Vellum £1 5s. 
 
 "Containing the most (if not all) those places contained in holy 
 Scripture, which doe shew the qualilications of his inner man, that is a lit 
 Souldier to light the Lords Battels, both before the tight, in the fight, 
 and after the fight. " 
 
 There has been a prevalent opmion that the Soldiers in Cromwell's 
 Army were supplied with a Pocket Bible, but as to what edition of the 
 Bible was used there has hitherto been no evidence. That tliis was the 
 Pocket Bible there can be no doubt. One copy onlj' of this tract is 
 known in this Kingdom, which is in the British Museum. 
 
 THE CHRISTIAN SOLDIER'S PENNY BIBLE. 
 
 SHEWING FROM THE HOLY* SCRIPTURES THE SOLDIER's 
 
 DUTY' AND ENCOURAGEMENT. 
 
 LONDON: PRINTED BY R. SMITH, FOR SAM. WADE, 1693. 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE BY F. FRY'. 8vO., 1862. PRICE 5s. 
 
 This is also a rare tract. It is nearly a reprint of the Souldiers Pocket 
 Biljle, somewhat altered. 
 
LOAN DEPT 
 
 •n^is book is due on the last d!.* 
 p on the dat?to wi,^ '"^"^^^^ ^^elow, or 
 
 Renewed books atesnbT^!' Renewed. 
 -5gftr^i^M---^!^r!!" '° '""mediate recall. 
 
 -^MAa^amrfipM, 
 
 tECD CIRC DEPTJ MAY 2 174 80 
 
 General Library 
 
AK 
 
 N^*S^; 
 
 SlS. iA 
 
 'g^A*^'m<i^ 
 
 
 
 r^v.:i;'^i 
 
 ;r^A?^^, 
 
 
 
 ^kl 
 
 ■ST*. •;.* A".' .;:"-'- ^ .; ... . 
 
 
 
 A^i "^^ '^ ! '"i^'j^^^2A.MA^^^5!?S^§.'^.|■ 
 
 - , ^^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 '^-^■^^ 
 
 Ka^^*^ 
 
 
 
 ,^AA^ 
 
 
 n,.^^«^ 
 
 iM^Ai»