194 EARLY ENGLISH PRINTED BIBLES. 



Patriarch of Constantinople, and is now in the British Museum. 

 It is in Greek and forms one of the first links in the history of 

 all Bibles. 



It is stated by Chrysostom that whilst the Romans were still 

 in Britain the British of that day possessed translations from the 

 Scriptures ; but the first known translation is in the form of a 

 poem written by Caedmon, at first a cowherd, but afterwards a 

 monk, in the latter part of the yth century. Other translations 

 by Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne (the Psalms), the Venerable 

 Bede, King Alfred, and others, were made and used ; but our 

 knowledge of what was done in this way up to the latter part of 

 the 1 4th century seems to be limited, and, as might be expected 

 from the early dates at which they were written, from the changes 

 of languages, and from the improved translation by Wycliffe 

 which superseded them, comparatively little remains of these 

 early efforts. Yet until Wycliffe's time such efforts seem to 

 have been mostly approved and aided by the civil and religious 

 authorities, though cases of persecution occurred from time to 

 time. Wycliffe finished his translation the first made of the 

 complete Bible about the year 1382, and various MS. copies of 

 the i4th and ifth centuries still exist. This translation, like those 

 that preceded it, was made from the Latin Vulgate. Here I exhibit 

 an ancient Latin MS. of the Book of Isaiah of the i3th century, 

 probably the early portion. [Fig. I.] It is in the form of a 

 large octavo volume, gj x 6|in., and is in very good condition. 

 The text is the central and largest writing, between the lines of 

 which are glosses or paraphrases of the text ; at the sides are 

 notes and explanations. I have also here the first printed edition 

 of Wycliffe's New Testament, dated 1731, or 350 years after its 

 completion by its author. Wycliffe's followers, the Lollards, 

 were much persecuted and repressed in England during the i5th 

 century ; and in 1408 an order was passed by Convocation to the 

 effect that no man should thereafter by his own authority trans- 

 late any text of Scripture into English until allowed by the 

 priestly authorities. This is stated by Sir Thomas More to be 

 the reason why Caxton did not print Wycliffe's translation ; and 



