Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

of the difc. However, by admitting vated fpots on its furface will feem to larg mountains on the furface of the be cavities, and all cavities will affume fun, we fhall account for the different the fhape of mountains. But then, at opinions of two eminent aftronomers; the fame time, the moon, instead of one of whom believed the fpots depref- having the convex appearance of a fed below the fun, while the other fup- globe, will feem to be a large concave posed them elevated above it. For it is portion of a hollow fphere. As soon not improbable, that fome of the folar as, by the force of imagination, you mountains may be high enough, occa- drive away the fallacious appearance of fionally, to project above the fhining a concave moon, you restore the mounelaftic fluid, when, by fome agitation tains to their protuberance, and fink or other caufe, it is not of the ufual the cavities again below the level of the height; and this opinion is much furface. Now, when I faw the spot ftrengthened by the return of fome re- lower than the fhining matter of the fun, markable spots, which ferved Caffini to and an extending plane, alfo depressed, afcertain the period of the fun's rota with fhelving fides rifing up to the level, tion. A very high country, or chain I alfo found that the fun was convex, of mountains, may oftener become vi- and appeared in its natural globular fible, by the removing of the obstructing ftate. Hence I conclude, that there fluid, than the lower regions, on ac- could be no deception in those appearcount of its not being fo deeply covered ances. with it.

[ocr errors]

In the year 1791, I examined a large fpot in the fun, and found it evidently depreffed below the level of the furface; about the dark part was a broad margin, or plane of confiderable extent, lefs bright than the fun, and alfo lower than its fùrface. This plane feemed to rife, with fhelving fides, up to the place where it joined the level of the furface. In confirmation of these appearances, I carefully remarked that the difc of the fun was vifibly convex; and the reafon of my attention to this particular, was, my being already long acquainted with a certain optical deception, that takes place now and then when we view the moon; which is, that all the ele

[ocr errors]

How very ill would this obfervation agree with the ideas of folid bodies bobbing up and down in a fiery liquid? With the smoke of volcanoes, or fcum upon an ocean? And how eafily it is explained upon our foregoing theory. The removal of the fhining atmosphere, which permits us to fee the fun, must naturally be attended with a gradual diminution on its borders; an instance of a fimilar kind we have daily before us, when through the opening of a cloud we fee the fky, which generally is attended by a furrounding haziness of fome fhort extent; and seldom transits, from a perfect clearness, at once to the greatest obscurity.

(To be continued.)

AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE TRANSLATION AND DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES. SOME attempts at rendering the fa- ing to fome writers, a translation of the cred writings into our native tongue took place in very early times. About the year 706, Adelme, Bishop of Sherborne, is faid to have tranflated the Pfalms into Saxon; and nearly about the fame time, verfion of the four Gofpels, into the fame language, is understood to have been executed by Eg. bert, Bishop of Landesfern. Accord

whole Bible was made, within a few years of this period, by the venerable Bede; But of this fact there is much reafon to doubt. No fatisfactory evidence of fuch a tranflation appears in the best accounts of his life, and the most accurate catalogues of his works. Equally doubtful is the truth of Fuller's affertion, that Bede tranflated the

Pfalms

ecuted in 1397. The fact, however is,

The fuccefs which Wickliff met with, gave encouragement to some of his followers to review his tranflation, or rather to make another, lefs ftrict and verbal, and more agreeable to the fenfe. In Wickliff's original undertaking he did not act without proper affiftants, and the pains they took were very laudable, and indeed judicious.

Pfalms and New Teftament into Englifh. He wrote, indeed, many com- that he tranflated only a few texts, mentaries upon the Scriptures, which which were either painted on the walls were chiefly collections, from the anci- of his patron's chapel in Berkley-castle, ent Fathers; but there is no direct evi- or are scattered in fundry parts of his dence of his having done more than the works. making of a verfion of the Gofpel of St John into the Saxon language, for the benefit of the church. This was one of the laft employments of his life. A Saxon tranflation of the Pentateuch, Jofhua, parts of the Books of Kings, Efther, Judith, and the Maccabees, is alfo attributed to Elfric, or Elfred, or Aluricius, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from the year 993 to 1006. The next tranflation, which is of Whether the narrative be strictly exact, fufficient confequence to be here paris not of material confequence in this ticularly mentioned, was that by Tinplace to inquire. There were feveral dall. It included the whole New Tefother attempts of the fame kind before tament, and was finished at Antwerp, the time of Wickliff; but they extended only to fome parts of the facred writings. Nor do any of these verfions appear to have been published; having been made only for the use of the respective tranflators, or of the particular churches to which they belonged.

where, or at Hamburgh, it was published in the year 1526. Such was the offence taken at it by Archbishop Warham and Bifhop Tonftall, that they hurled furious cenfures against the tranflator and his adherents; and the latter of these prelates purchased far the The first perfon who appears upon greater part of the impreffion, to prevent undoubted evidence to have tranflated its difperfion among the mafs of the the whole Bible was the famous John people. This circumftance was of Wickliff. This work was finished and fingular advantage to the work; for published by him fometime before the Tindall was enabled, by the fale of his year 1381. The tranflation was made book, to give more correct editions of from the Latin bibles then in common it to the public. Not content with use, or which were ufually read in the opening the treafures of the New Teschurch; for though he was fenfible of tament to the Christian world, he formthe preference that was due to the au- ed the defign of adding to it a version thority of the Greek and Hebrew text, of the Old Teftament. This defign he was not fufficiently acquainted with he did not live to complete. The thefe languages to make them the foun- Pentateuch was tranflated by him, and dation of his verfion. Notwithflanding printed at Hamburgh in 1530; and in this disadvantage, Wickliff's tranflation the next year he published an English was a production of great importance verfion of the prophet Jonah. It has and utility, having been a confiderable been fuppofed that, previously to his ftep in that reformation in religion which decease, he finished all the Bible, exwas begun by him, and which paved cepting the Apocrypha, which was the way for the more eminent altera tranflated by Rogers. But it appears tions that afterward took place. An moft probable that he tranflated only English version of the Bible has been the hiftorical parts. That Tindall's attributed to John Trevifa, a native of verfion has many faults, will be acCornwall, and vicar of Berkley in Glou- knowledged by every one who is concestershire, and is faid to have been ex- verfant with the fubject: nevertheless,

it was a great effort for a fingle man, Cranmer did not reft in what he had efpecially confidering the period in which already done. His mind was fo inhe lived. An author who cannot be tent on introducing a free use of the expected to be partial to him, but whofe Scriptures by able and faithful translators, liberality of mind rifes above all pre- that he divided an old English trans judices and diftinctions (we mean Doctor lation of the New Teftament into nine Geddes) thinks that "though Tindall's or ten parts, and caufed these parts to is far from being a perfect tranflation, be tranfcribed into paper books, which yet few firft tranflations will be found he diftributed among the most learned preferable to it. It is aftonishing," adds Bifhops, and others; requiring that they the Doctor," how little obfolete the would perfectly correct their refpective language of it is, even at this day: and portions, and return them to him at a in point of perfpicuity and noble fimpli- limited time. When the day came, the city, propriety of idiom and purity of only perfon who did not fend in his ftyle, no English verfion has yet fur- proper part at Lambeth, was Stokefiey paffed it." Doctor Geddes has farther Bishop of London. What was the redeclared, that, if he had been inclined fult of this undertaking is not ascertainto make any prior English verfion the ed. ground-work of his own, it would certainly have been Tindall's, and that perhaps he should have done this, if their Hebrew text had been the fame. Such a teftimony to the merit of Tindall places him high in the rank of bibli cal literature.

[ocr errors]

Thomas, Lord Cromwell, concurred with Cranmer in promoting the reading and study of the Scriptures. In fome injunctions which were published by him, as the King's vicar-general and vicegerent in ecclefiaftical matters, it was ordered, "that every perfon, or proprietary of any parifh church within the realm, fhould provide a book of the whole Bible, both in Latin and also in English, and lay it in the choir, for every man that wished to look and read therein and should discourage no man from reading any part of the Bible, either in Latin or English." Such a permiffion could not fail of tending to produce a great revolution in the minds of our countrymen.

In the year 1537, another edition of the English Bible made its appearance, which had been printed at Hamburgh, or Marpurg, by Grafton and Whit

In confequence of the gradual prevalence of Proteftant principles, a rifing folicitude appeared for the diffufion of the Bible in the mother tongue. Archbishop Cranmer was particularly zealous in this refpect; and accordingly, not withstanding the oppofition of Gardiner and his party, he obtained, through the influence of Queen Anne Bullen, an order from the King, for a new tranf. lation of the Scriptures. This was in 1534; and in the next year the whole Bible was finished at the prefs. From the rapidity with which the work was executed, it is evident that Cranmer and his affociates must have had it in pre-church. vious preparation. The chief burden of the undertaking lay upon Miles Coverdale, a divine whom we have formerly characterised in his proper place, and from whom this verfion was called "Coverdale's Bible." It is alfo often called Cranmer's Bible; and it is the firft English Bible that was allowed by royal authority, and the first translation of the whole facred writings that was printed in our language. Archbishop

It bore the name of Thomas Matthewe, and was fet forth with the King's licence. In this edition great ufe was made of Tindall and Coverdale; and the New Teftament was Tindall's verfion. In fact the whole tranflation is reprefented to be no other than that of Tindall and Coverdale, fomewhat altered. That the name of Matthewe was a feigned one is univer fally allowed, and that it was affumed for prudential reafons; one of which

was,

was, that the reader's obligation to the work, were fummoned to appear Tindall might be concealed, his memory before the inquifitors; and the imprefbeing still odious to a great number of fion, confifting of 2,500 copies, was perfons. John Rogers, before menti- feized and condemned to the flames. oned, a learned academic, and the first In confequence, however, of the avawho was condemned to the flames in rice of the officer who fuperintended the reign of Queen Mary, is understood the burning of the books, fome chests to have been employed by Cranmer in of them were fold to a haberdasher, for fuperintending the edition, and in far- the purpofe of wrapping his wares. nishing the few emendations and addi- When the alarm fubfided, the Englisk tions which were thought neceffary. At proprietors, who had fled from Paris, the interceffion of the Archbishop, Lord returned to that city, and not only reCromwell again exerted his influence covered fome of the copies which had with Henry the Eighth, and his vica- efcaped the fire, but brought with them rical authority, in recommending the to London the preffes, types, and prinBible to public notice and fo well ters. This tranflation took place in pleafed was our worthy prelate with his the latter end of the year 1538. Early Lordship's effectual interpofition, that in 1539, Grafton and Whitchurch he expreffed himself in the following printed the Bible in large folio, and preterms of pious gratitude and affection: fixed to it a beautiful frontispiece defign"I doubt not but that hereby fuch fruit ed by Hans Holbein. of good knowledge fhall enfue, that it thofe parts of the Latin verfion which fhall well appear hereafter what high are not found in the Hebrew or Greek and excellent fervice you have done are inferted in a smaller letter; and a unto God and the King which fhall mark is used to denote a difference of fo much redound to your honour, that, reading between the Hebrews and the befide God's reward, you fhall obtain Chaldees. Matthewe's bible was reperpetual memory for the fame within this realm. This deed you shall hear of at the great day, when all things shall be opened and made manifest."

In 1538, a quarto New Teftament, in the Vulgate Latin, and in Coverdale's English, was printed with the King's licence. These repeated attempts to enlighten the body of the people with the knowledge of the Scriptures could not fail to excite great jealoufy in the adherents to Popery. There was nothing which they dreaded fo much as vernacular tranflations of the Bible. At the request of King Henry himself, Grafton had obtained a permiffion from Francis the Firft to print a Bible at Paris, on account of the fuperior skill of the workmen, and the comparative goodness and cheapnefs of the paper. But, notwithstanding the royal licence, the Inquifition interpofed to prevent the execution of the defign. The French printers, their English em ployers, and Coverdale the corrector of

In the text,

vised, and several alterations were made in the tranflation, particularly in the book of Pfalms; but the prologues and notes of the edition of 1537 were wholly omitted. This third edition of the Scriptures has been called the "Bible in the large or great volume,” and has been fuppofed to be the fame which Grafton obtained leave to print at Paris. If it was a different impreffion, it was ftill under the chief care of Miles Coverdale, who compared the translation with the original Hebrew, and improv ed it in many places.

In the courfe of the fame year, another Bible was printed by John Byddell; and the conductor of it was Richard Taverner, who had received his education at Christchurch in Oxford, and was patronifed by Cromwell, when fecretary of ftate. It was probably on account of Taverner's great skill in the Greek language that he was encouraged by his patron to undertake this work, which is neither a bare revifal of the

English

English bible just described, nor a new porter. The prelates, who were hofverfion, but between both. Many of tile to their metropolitan's laudable exthe marginal notes of Matthewe's im- ertions, reprefented to the King, that preffion are adopted, many omitted, and the English tranflation was very erroothers inferted. Taverner, in his de- neous and heretical. Agreeably to the dication to the King, expreffes a pro- language which is fo congenial to al per fenfe of the difficulty of a good thofe who are averfe to every fpecies branflation of the Scriptures. Such a and degree of reform, it was faid, that tranflation, he thinks, could fcarcely the free ufe of the Bible was calculated be accomplished by one or two perfons; to increase faction and parties, to raise and that it would require the deep con- difputes among the common people, ferring of many learned wits together, and to deftroy the peace of the kingdom. and a full proportion of time and leifure. In the Convocation, which met in 1542, After Cromwell's death, the influence the archbishop, in the King's name, reof the bishops, who were addicted to quired the bishops and clergy to revife the Romish religion, procured Taver- the tranflation of the New Testament. ner's imprisonment in the Tower upon For this purpose, he divided it into account of this work; but he had the fourteen parts, and portioned them out addrefs to reinftate himself in the King's to fifteen bifhops, affigning two to the favour, and his version was read in book of Revelations, on account of its churches by royal authority. difficulty. The Convocation being foon diffolved, the defign was not carried into execution.

Several privileged editions of the Bible rapidly fucceeded; no less than five having appeared in 1540. In the fame year, the curates and parishioners of every parish were required, by royal proclamation, to provide themfelves with the Bible of the largest volume; and to the neglect of doing it a penalty was annexed. All ordinaries were, at the fame time, charged to fee that the proclamation was obeyed. In 1541, a new edition of Cranmer's bible was finished by Grafton; and this was followed, in a few months, by an impreffion of another bible of the largest fize, which was fuperintended, at the King's command, by Tonftal bishop of Durham, and Heath bishop of Rochester.

[ocr errors][merged small]

The view of the hoftile prelates was to banish the translation already made, and to introduce one which should be fo frequently intersperfed with Latin words as to remain unintelligible to the mere English reader. In parliament, the Romish party so far prevailed, that Tindall's tranflation was condemned and abolished by law. Other verfions were, indeed, permitted to remain in force; but even these verfions were to be read by the higher clasfes only; and not by the lower fort, without the King's licence. It was with no fmall difficulty, that Cranmer obtained fome mitigation of these injunc tions. Grafton, the printer, who had been fo zealous in promoting the knowledge and diffufion of the Scriptures, was imprisoned; nor was he released till he had given a bond of three hundred pounds neither to print nor to fell any more English bibles till the King and the clergy should agree on a tranflation. In the year 1544, the Pentateuch was printed according to the copy which was fet forth by royal authority; and in 1546, a proclamation was iffued, which prohibited the poffeffion and the reading of Wickliff's, Tindall's,

and

« ZurückWeiter »