[We have submitted H. H. H. V.'s Query to our obliging
correspondent, GEORGE OFFOR, ESQ., whose library is particularly
rich in early English versions of the Bible, and who has kindly
favoured us with the following communication]:--
In reply to your correspondent H. H. H. V.'s very curious question to
know when Myles Coverdale _commenced_ his translation, I beg to state
that he was born in 1488, and that it has not yet been discovered when
his mind was first led to contemplate the translation of the Sacred
Scriptures, nor whether he _commenced_ with the New or the Old
Testament. The facts known are, that he finished the translation or the
printing of it on the 4th day of October, 1535,--probably at Cologne,
because other books printed there about that time have the same
initials, wood-cuts, and type. A copy, with the original title-page, is
in the Holkham library, having, on the reverse, part of the list of
books, showing that originally it was without a dedication; this has the
words, "Douche and Latyn." When the dedication was printed, this title
was cancelled and a new one printed, still with the words "Douche and
Latyn," with the reverse blank. A fine copy of this is in the possession
of Earl Jersey, and one with the title-page repaired is in the British
Museum. Perfect copies have a map of Palestine. In 1537, this book was
reprinted, both in folio and quarto, probably at Antwerp, and in these
the words "from the Douche and Latyn" were very properly omitted,
Coverdale being still living to see them through the press; these are
ornamented with large initial letters with a dance of death, and are the
rarest volumes in the English language. In these the dedication is
altered from Queen Anne to Queen Jane, as the wife of Henry VIII. They
were all dedicated to the king and to the queen; the two latter are all
in Old English type. These were followed by an edition dedicated to
Edward VI. in a Swiss type, 4to., printed at Zurich by Chr. Froschover,
and published under three titles--1st, as the translation of Thos.
Matthewe; 2nd, as the translation of Myles Coverdale, London, by Andrew
Hester, 1550; and 3rd, London, by Jugge, 1553. These are books of great
rarity, and may be all seen in my library by any of your readers,
sanctioned by a note from you or any minister of religion. My first
edition has several uncut leaves.
The introduction of the words "from the Douche (meaning Luther's German)
and Latyn" has never been accounted for; they probably were inserted by
the German printer to make the volume more popular, so as to interest
reformers by the German of Luther, and Romanists by the Vulgate Latin.
The translation is certainly from the Hebrew and Greek, compared with
Luther's and the Vulgate.