lators of the Rhemish Testament, tells us, that at the top of every door within the churches, this text was placed, "Babes keep yourselves from images." 1 John. v.33

The translation of the Bible which was admitted into the churches, in the reign of Edward VI., is supposed to have fixed our language. "I have never seen it remarked," says Warton, "that this translation contributed to enrich our native English at an early period, by importing and familiarising many Latin words:--- more particularly the Latin derivative substantives, such as, divination, perdition, adoption, manifestation, consolation, contribution, administration, consummation, reconciliation, operation, communication, retribution, preparation, immortality, principality, &c. and in other words, frustrate, inexcusable, transfigure, concupiscence, &c." These were suggested by the Latin Vulgate, which was used as a medium by the translators, and to which they had been accustomed in the services of the church. Some of these words, however, which are now interwoven into our common speech, could not have been well understood by many readers when the Bible first appeared in English. Bishop Gardiner, therefore, had but very little reason to complain of the too great clearness of the translation, when, with an insidious view of keeping the people in ignorance, he proposed, that instead of always using English terms, many Latin words should be retained, because no common tongue afforded correspondent expressions of sufficient energy and dignity."

The discordant opinions of the clergy relative to the Reformation, and the virulent disputes occasioned by the (33) Lewis's Hist. of Eug. Translations of the Bible, ch. iii. pp. 155— 158. 174, 175.

Newcome's Historical View of Eng. Biblical Translations, sec. 5, pp. 60-62.

(34) Warton's Hist. of English Poetry, II. sec. 29, p. 205.

declamatory harangues of the Catholic part of the parochial ministers, occasioned a proclamation to be published, in 1547, prohibiting preaching, as a temporary expedient for the promotion of peace, and the prevention of the attempts of the Catholics, to alienate the minds of the people from the doctrines and rites of worship of the Reformation. But the advocates for popery removed their polemics from the pulpit to the stage, where their farces became popular and successful. successful. Archbishop Cranmer, and the Protector Somerset, were the chief objects of these dramatic invectives. Popular ballads were also made the vehicles of controversy, and Warton mentions one, written about the year 1550, which was a lively satire on the English Bible, the vernacular Liturgy, and the book of Homilies. At length, the same authority which had checked the preachers, was obliged to control the players, and a proclamation was promulgated, in the third year of the king's reign, in the following terms: "For as much as a great number of those that be CoмMON PLAYERS Of ENTERLUDES and PLAYES, do for the most part play such ENTERLUDES, as contain matter tending to sedition, and contemning of sundry good orders and laws; whereupon are grown, and daily are likely to growe and ensue much disquiet, division, tumults, and uprores in this realm: the Kinges Majesty, by the advice and consent of his dearest uncle Edward, duke of Somerset, and the rest of his highnesse privie councell, straightly chargeth and commandeth all and everie his majesties subjects, of whatsoever state, order, or degree they be, that from the ninth day of this present month August, untill the feast of All-Saints next coming, they, nor any of them, openly or secretly play in the English tongue, any kind of ENTERLUDE, PLAY, DIALOGUE, or other matter set forth in form of PLAY, in any place, public or private, within this realm, upon pain, that whosoever shall play in English, any such play, ENTERLUDE,

DIALOGUE, or other MATTER, shall suffer imprisonment, or other punishment, at the pleasure of his Majesty." But as soon as the short date of this proclamation was expired, some of the ill-advised advocates of the Reformation attacked the papists in a similar way, and the injudicious of both parties thus frequently subjected the solemnities of religion to ridicule and contempt, by theatrical representation, in which not only the historical, but the doctrinal and moral parts of the Scripture, were attempted to be delineated, defended, explained, or burlesqued by scenic and personified interludes and plays.

35

In 1549, the second volume of Erasmus's Paraphrase of the New Testament, translated into English, was printed by Edward Whitchurch, with the exclusive right of printing it, Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum. It contained Erasmus's Paraphrase on the Epistles of St. Paul, and the other Apostles; to which was added a translation from the German, of Leo Juda's Paraphrase of the Revelation. The first volume of Erasmus's Paraphrase in English, had previously been printed, by the same printer, with a similar privilege, the preceding year, 1548. The translation was originally undertaken by order, and at the expense of the queen dowager Katherine Parr. For this purpose she employed NICHOLAS UDALL, master of Eton school, and afterwards canon of Windsor, and head master of Westminster school. He began with the Paraphrase on the Gospel of St. Luke, which he finished in 1545, and dedicated to the queen. In this dedication, Udall observes, that "at her exceeding great costs and charges, she hired workmen to labour in the vineyard of Christ's Gospel, and procured the whole Paraphrase of Erasmus upon all the New Testament to be diligently translated into English by several men whom she employed in this work." The Four Gospels, and the Acts, being all finished by those whom the (35) Warton's Hist. of English Poetry, II. pp. 198—200,

queen had nominated to translate them, they were by her order committed to the care of Udall to publish. The first volume, which appears to be the whole of what was published under his inspection, is accompanied with a dedication of the volume to king Edward VI. and a Preface to the Christian Reader. To the Paraphrase on St. Mark, The Preface of the Translator, THOMAS Key, is prefixed, inscribed to Queen Katherine. To the Paraphrase on St. John, a Preface is prefixed, inscribed also to the Queen Dowager, by Nich. Udall, in which he speaks in the most honourable manner of the studies and acquirements of the Lady Mary, afterwards queen, and of other ladies of that period. "It is now," he says,

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no news in Englande to see young damysels in nobles houses and in the courts of princes instede of cardes and other instruments of idle trifleyng, to have continually in their hands either Psalmes, Omelies, and other devout meditacions, or els Paule's epistles, or some boke of holy scripture matiers, and as familiarly both to reade or reason therof in Greke, Latine, Frenche, or Italian, as in Englishe." He also ascribes this translation of the Paraphrase of the Gospel of St. John, to Lady Mary; "It maie never bee halfe enough to praise and magnifie hir grace, for takyng suche great studie, peine and travaill in translatyng this Paraphrase of Erasmus, upon the Ghospel of Jhon.- - - What could be a more playne declaracion of her most constaunte purpose to promote GODDE's worde and the free grace of His Ghospell, than so effectually to prosecute the worke of translating, which she had begoone, that whan she had with ouerpeynfull studie and labour of writyng cast her weake body in a grievous and long sickenesse, yet, to the intent the diligent Englyshe people should not be defrauded of the benefite entended and ment unto them, she commytted the same worke to mayster Frauncisce Malet, doctour in the facultee of divinitee, with all celeritee and expedition to be finished and made

complete." How very differently she acted when she acceded to the crown, is well known! To the translation of the Paraphrase on the Acts, Nicholas Udall prefixed also a Preface inscribed to Queen Katherine; though without saying who were the translators, either of the Acts, or of St. Matthew's Gospel.

The whole, or part of the translation of the second volume of Erasmus's Paraphrase, which was printed in 1549, was procured by the printer Whitchurch. It was dedicated to King Edward VI. by MYLES COVERDALE, who prefixed to the Epistle to the Romans, the prologue made to it by William Tyndall. Seven more of the Epistles, viz. to the Ephesians, Philippians, Thessalonians, Timothy, and Philemon, were translated by JOHN Olde, who appears to have been corrector of the press to Whitchurch; and was afterwards presented to the vica-rage of Cobington, in Warwickshire, by Anne, duchess of Somerset, at the request of Dr. Hugh Latimer. To these Epistles the translator prefixed a Preface to the Christian Reader. He afterwards translated the paraphrase on the seven Catholic, or General Epistles, which he inscribed to the duchess of Somerset; and Bale attributes to him the translation of the paraphrases on the Epistles to Titus and the Hebrews; but with regard to the former, the translation was corrected, if not made, by LEONARD Cox, a learned school master, and the friend of Erasmus, whose preface is prefixed to it, and inscribed to the "right worshipful Master John Hales." The paraphrase on the Revelation, by Leo Juda, was translated by EDMUND ALLEN, afterwards chaplain to Queen Elizabeth.86

About this time, (1549,) a rebellion was raised by the popish party, in Cornwall, Devonshire, and other parts of England. Among other articles, the rebels required, that, the Mass should be celebrated in Latin; and that the (36) Lewis, pp. 158-170.