Trin. Col., Cambridge.
_The Breeches, or Geneva Bible_ (Vol. iii, p. 17.).--I have before me a
copy of Christopher Barkar's edition of the "Breeches" Bible, 1576, small
folio, in which, on the fly-leaf, is the following interesting note in the
handwriting of the late Francis Douce:--
"It is generally conceived that the peculiarity, 'and they sewed fig
tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches,' belongs
exclusively to this Bible, but it is a mistake. The Saxon version of
AElfric has, {166} '_and sewed fig-leaves, and worked them_ WEED-BREECH,
_or cloaths for the breech._' Wicliffe also translates 'and maden hem
_breechis_;' and it is singular that Littleton, in his excellent
_Dictionary_, explains _perizomata_, the word used in the Vulgate, by
_breeches_. In the manuscript French translation of Petrus Comestor's
_Commentary on the Bible_, made by Guiars des Moulins in the 13th
century, we have 'Couvertures tout autres-sint comme unnes petites
_braies_.'"