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at Antwerp.In the possession of St. Paul's Library; Dr. Gifford. 120" P. 1.

"1535. New Test. Tyndale's: fynesshed 1535.-Exeter College*. 120." P. 3.

"The first title is wanting, as likewise Tyndale's preface. The volume begins with A prologe to the Epistle to the Romans,' 16 leaves, with the signatures and *. A table for the foure Evangelistes,' &c. A table for the Actes of the Apostles,' together 12 leaves. On the reverse of the last is, The bokes conteyned in the newe Testament.' Then follows a second title, The newe Testament, dylygently corected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale: and fynesshed in the yere of oure Lorde God A. M. D. and xxxv.' On the reverse is given again a list of "the bokes conteyned, &c.' and ' A prologe of S. Matthew.' The text of St. Matthew begins on fol. ii. St. Mark on fol. xl. the Acts on fol. cxxxiiii. Romans (without any break for the prologue, which, standing in so unusual a place, might fairly be supposed to have been transposed by the binder) on fol. clxxiii.

persecution and subsequent death of the translator, a single copy only was supposed to exist. Of the manner in which this found its way into the Harleian Library, and of the value set upon it by Lord Oxford and Mr. Ames, a short but interesting account is given in the following extract from a letter preserved in the Bodleian Library. It is in the hand-writing of Ames, is addressed to Mr. George Ballard, and dated Wapping, June 30, 1743. I cannot forbear telling you of my good success in buying at Lord Oxford's sale the Phoenix of the whole library; I mean the first English Testament that ever was printed in the year 1526. It has been thought no perfect one was left from the flames. My Lord was so well pleased in being the possessor of it, that he gave the person [Mr. John Murrey] he had it of, ten guineas, and settled an annuity of twenty pounds a year during the person's life, which is yet paid him. The particulars are too many to commit to a letter: the old historians and Fox give a good account of it.'

"Herbert's account, given in a note at p. 1535, may form a sequel to this: The first edition was in the possession of Mr. Ames, who bought it for fifteen shillings, out of the Harleian library, No. 420, sold by Tho. Osborne, 1743. Mr. John White purchased it for 151. 4s. 6d. at the auction of Mr. Ames' books, No, 1252, sold by Langford, 1760, and sold it for twenty-one pounds to Dr. Gifford, who at his decease bequeathed it, with many others, to the Baptist Museum, Bristol.'

"But it has been my fortune, in examining the library of St. Paul's Cathe dral, to discover a second copy. Unluckily it is imperfect, both at the beginning and end; and its former owner, as if afraid of a second Bishop Tonstall, has contrived most ingeniously to disguise and disfigure it, by intermixing the leaves of the Gospels and Epistles with each other in the strangest manner. The volume is in half-binding, lettered (for what reason I know not) Lant's Testament.' Sarely it well deserves to be carefully taken to pieces and examined: the deficient parts should be supplied by a transcript from the Bristol copy, and inserted in their proper places, lest an unhappy accident should deprive us of either of them: the volume should then be rebound, and placed under lock and key, and under the special superintendance of the librarian."

"I have not found this edition noticed by any writer previous to Mr. Crutwell, in whose list it appears; nor do I know of another copy besides that in Exeter College library.

VOL. XVII. FEBRUARY, 1822.

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Hebrews on cclv. Revelation on cclxxi. The last leaf of the volume is cclxxx. containing chapter viii. of the Revelation: the reinainder unfortunately is wanting. The signatures run in eights. There are marginal references, and heads of chapters, but no notes. The letter, but above all the spelling, prove the volume to have been executed in the Low Countries. E. G. it reads, faether, moether, taeke, holly, Saeynct, stoene, oones, thoese, sayede, whorsse,' &c. for father, mother, take, holy, saint, stone, once, those, said, worse,' &c. And the misprints are exceedingly numerous. There are small woodcuts at the beginning of each Gospel, and in the Revelation larger ones, occupying about two. thirds of the page. The execution of these is very coarse. There are initials of two sizes, cut in wood. A full page contains 38 lines." P. 168.

"1535. BIBLE, translated by Myles Coverdale: no place, no name.-British Museum; Bodleian; Public Library, Cambridge; Sion College; All Souls College; Lambeth Library; Dr. Gifford; Dr. Coombe. fol." P. 3.

One of the rarest specimens of British typography is, the first fourteen chapters of the Acts of the Apostles translated into English metre, and set to music by Christopher Tye, Doctor in Music. A copy of this unique publication was presented to the Lambeth Library by Sir John Hawkins in 1777, containing the following description of it, for which Dr. Cotton deserves, and will, doubtless, receive the thanks of every bibliographer.

"Title, (jn MS.) The Actes of the Apostles, translated into English meter, and dedicated to the Kynge's moste excellent Majestye by Christofer Tye Doctor in Musyke, and one of the Gentlemen of hys Graces moste honourable Chappell, with notes to eche chapter, to synge, and also to play upon the Lute, very necessarye for studentes after theyr studye to fyle theyr wyttes, and also for all Christians that cannot synge to read the good and godlye story es of the lyves of Christ hys Appostles. 1558.” Dedication, To the vertuous and godlye learned Prynce Edwarde the VI. by the Grace of God King of Englande, France and Irelande Defendour of the Fayth, and on earth next and

"Humphry Wanley thought by the type that it was printed at Zurich, by Chr. Froschover. Herbert says that there were two editions with but little variation. In the British Museum are some supernumerary leaves, containing variations, but these seem to be chiefly in the paging. Of seven copies of this edition which I have seen, that in the British Museum is the only one which has the title-page, and even this is made up from two copies. Of the others, the Bodleian copy is by far the finest. In the Dedication, the Museum copy bas Queen Anne, (since altered into Jane ;) Lambeth library has a copy with each; the Bodleian has Anne; All Souls College has neither; Sion College has Jane; Dr. Coombe has neither. I should observe, that the preliminary pieces are printed in a different type, and were probably added after the arrival of the volume in England."

immediately under Christe, of the Churches of England and Irelande the Supreme head, your grace's humble lovynge and obe dient servaunte Christofer Tye wysheth the continuance of God hys feare to dwell in your grace's heart, longe to reygne in muche honoure, healthe, wealthe, and victorye.' Then follows a metrical preface, consisting of 25 stanzas:

"Consydrynge well, most godly Kyng
"The zeale and perfecte love

"Your Grace doth beare to eche good thyng
"That geven is from above." &c.

The text, with music for four voices, meane, tenour, countertenor, bassus :

"In the former Treatyse to thee

"Dere frend The o phi lus

"I have written the verite

"Of the Lord Christ Jesus.

2.

"Whiche he to do and eke to teache

"Began until the daye

"In whiche the Sprite up hym did feache
"To dwell above for aye."

The concluding stanza (of chapter xivth and last) is thus:
"Howe he the doore of fayth untyde

"The Gentyls in to call

"And there longe tyme they dyd abyde

"With the disciples all."

"Imprinted at London by Nycolas Hyll for Wyllyam Seres. "Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solum.'

12m. printed in black letter." P. 140.

The volume is a small

Of the translations of the Psalms, that by Miles Coverdale, (in verse and with notes) printed at London in 1549, is an entirely new discovery. No bibliographer seems to have known that he had executed a translation in verse. Queen's College, Oxford, has the felicity of possessing the very rare and perhaps only remaining copy of this work. A copious description of it, with specimens, is given by Dr. Cotton, for which we must refer to his Appendix, and shall only annex two stanzas of Coverdale's version of Psalm cxxxvii. for the gratification of the curious reader.

1.

"At the ryvers of Babilon

there sat we downe ryght hevely Even whan we thought upon Sion we wept together sorofully

for we were in soch hevynes

y' we forgat al our merynes

66

and left of all our sporte & playe
on the willye trees yt were therby
we hanged up our harpes truly
And morned sore both night & day.

2.

They that toke us so cruelly
and led us bounde into pryson
requyred of us some melody

with wordes full of derision
when we hanged our harpes awaye
this cruell folke to us coulde saye

Now let us hear some mery songe Synge us a songe of some swete toyne as ye were wont to synge at Sion

where ye have lerned to synge so longe." P. 143.

Several other versions of the Psalms are also very curious; as, that by John Alaph (which of course is a feigned name) printed in 1530, 4to. a very beautiful copy of which is in the British Museum; and another by Archbishop Parker, in quarto, and printed about the year 1560, although it does not bear his name. On account of the extreme rarity of copies of this book, it has been generally supposed that the Archbishop intended it for private circulation only; but from the regular division of the verses, it seems to have been intended for public use in the choir. It is to be seen in the Bodleian Library, and also in that of Brasen Nose College, Oxford. To this version we may add a translation of certain Psalms, by Abraham Fraunce, in English hexameters, a species of metre which Mr. Southey has at once verbally recommended, and by his total failure in his Vision of Judgment,' has practically shewn to be most absurd. A specimen of Fraunce's version is given in the Appendix. In the thirteenth Number of the Christian Remembrancert, Dr. Cotton has communicated the result of some interesting researches respecting the earlier English metrical versions of the Psalms, to which we would invite the attention of our readers but we cannot pass in silence his notice of some Psalms by the brave and virtuous Sir Philip Sidney. There is extant in manuscript the whole Psalter by him and his accomplished sister, the Countess of Pembroke; but what share each had in the performance, it is not now easy to ascertain. The hundred and thirty-seventh Psalm was printed as Sir Philip Sidney's, in No. xviii. of the Guardian: seven others

Viz. Psalms i. vi. viii. xxix. xxxviii. 1. lxxiii. and civ. printed at the end of The Countess of Pembroke's Emanuel." London, 1591, &c. 4to. + For June, 1821, pp. 327–331.

were given in Sir John Harrington's Nugæ Antiquæ; and two at the end of the late Dr. Zouch's Life of Sidney. From the manuscript in question, which is in Dr. Cotton's possession, he has selected some passages of singular beauty and fidelity, in the hope of rescuing this metrical version of the Psalms from the unmerited obscurity in which it has so long been buried: and with the same view we select the following passages, for the gratification of such of our readers to whom they will be new, as they were to us.

PSALM XCIII.

I.

"Cloth'd in state and girt with might
Monarch-like Jehovah reignes,
He who earth's foundations pight,
pight at first, and yet sustaines:
He whose stable throne disdaines
Motion's shock, and ages flight;

He who endless One remaines,
One the same in changeless plight.
II.

"Rivers you, though rivers rore,
roaring though sea-billows rise,
vex the deep, and break the shore,
stronger art Thou, Lord of skies!
firme and true thy promise ties
now and still as heretofore;
holy worship never dies

in thy house where we adore."

Christian Remembrancer, June, 1821, p. 330.

As Dr. Cotton's transcript contains some various readings of Sir Philip Sidney's translation of Psalm cxxxvii. we shall subjoin his copy of it.

PSALM CXXXVII.

I.

"Nigh seated where the river flowes
that wat'reth Babel's thankfulle plaine
which then our tears in pearled rowes
did help to water with their raine,
the thought of Sion bred such woes
that though our harps we did retaine
Yet useless and untouched there
on willowes onely hang'd they were.
II.

"Now while our harpes were hanged so
the men whose captives then we lay
did on our grief insulting grow
and more to grieve us thus did say,

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