England in 1536, the year of the burning of Tyndal, the year also in which Tyndal's New Testament was first printed in England. Coverdale's translation was described on the titlepage as having been made from the German and Latin,

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faithfully and truly translated out of Douche and Latin into English." He said that he had five several translations by him, and followed his interpreters. A new edition, revised and corrected, appeared in 1537, printed in England.

In July of the same year, there was published abroad a complete Bible in folio, professing to be "truly and purely translated into English by Thomas Matthew." This was formed out of the translations of Tyndal and Coverdale, under the superintendence of John Rogers, who was afterwards famous as a martyr, and who for this translation assumed the name of Matthew. His Bible, known as "Matthew's Bible," included all that had been done by Tyndal, namely his Pentateuch, followed by other translations of his down to the end of the Second Book of Chronicles, and his New Testament. The other canonical books Rogers gave in a strict revision of Coverdale's translation, and the Apocrypha he gave in a translation of his own.

In 1538, Thomas Cromwell, who had become Lord Cromwell, planned a republication at Paris of Tyndal's translation, in a form that would adapt it for free use; and for this purpose he sent Miles Coverdale to Paris to superintend the printing. Being there in some peril from the Inquisition, the work was transferred to London, where, in 1539, appeared Coverdale's revision of Tyndal's work and his own, in the folio known both as "Cromwell's Bible," and as "The Great Bible."

In the same year was published a careful revision of "Matthew's Bible," made, under the patronage of Cromwell, by Richard Taverner, an Oxford Reformer, then attached to the court. This edition was called "Taverner's Bible."

Finally, in 1540, appeared the most authoritative of the versions made in Henry VIII.'s reign. It was a revision of "The Great Bible," planned by Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury, and made by direct collation with the Hebrew and Greek texts. It was first published in April, 1540, with a prologue

by Cranmer; and, besides retaining the name of "The Great Bible," was also called "Cranmer's Bible." This became, and remained till 1568, the translation appointed to be read in churches.

Its version of the Psalms is retained to this day by the Church of England in its Book of Common Prayer.

8. The treatment of historical events in England was still in the hands of chroniclers; and, even during the first half of the sixteenth century, several of the chroniclers wrote in Latin in preference to English.

Of the Latin chroniclers, we first encounter Bernard André, born at Toulouse, an Austin friar, who was present at Henry VII.'s entry into London after Bosworth Field. He was blind; he was a scholar, and wrote verses; and having gained favor at court, he became tutor to Arthur, Prince of Wales, and styled himself Henry VII.'s poet laureate. In 1500, having retired from court, he began to work at his Latin "Life of Henry VII.," finished in 1502; as well as to compile yearly accounts of the chief events of his time. There remain, however, his records of only four years, the latest being 1521. This blind French poet and historiographer, naturalized in England, although no genius, had much repute in his own day.

Polydore Vergil, born at Urbino, had won fame in Italy before he came to England for Peter's Pence, and was there made Archdeacon of Wells. He returned to Italy, and died there in 1555. Among his works, all written in Latin, is an English Chronicle," in twenty-seven books, begun by him in the latter years of Henry VII., and finished in the earlier years of the reign of Henry VIII.

John Mair (Latinized Major), a Scotchman, born in 1469, a famous theologian of his day, having been professor of divinity both at the Sorbonne and at St. Andrews, and having had both Knox and Buchanan among his pupils, wrote in Latin theological and moral treatises, and a "History of Great Britain," in six books, which joined the Chronicles of England and Scotland, and was published at Paris in 1521, the year in which Luther appeared at the Diet of Worms. This book, by a Scottish doctor of the Sorbonne, was not sparing in condemnation of the corruptions of the clergy and the usurpations of the court of Rome. For each period Mair gave first the English history, and then the Scottish. For its free speech, Mair's History was placed by the orthodox abroad below its author's scholastic writings. Mair died in 1550.

Another Scottish chronicler was Hector Boece (Boyce), professor of the College of Montacute, who published at Paris, in 1526, his Latin "History of the Scots," in nineteen books. Boece was born at Dundee about 1465, educated at Aberdeen and Paris, where he taught philoso

phy, and afterwards was principal of King's College, Aberdeen. Erasmus corresponded with him, and the King of Scotland pensioned him. He died about 1536.

9. But the most memorable chroniclers during this time were those who wrote in English. The Latin chronicle last mentioned was translated into English, and published at Edinburgh in 1536, under the title of the " History and Chroniklis of Scotland," forming one of the most important pieces of old Scottish prose. The translator was John Bellenden, who matriculated as a student of St. Andrews in 1508. He was liberally educated, and obtained much credit as a poet at the court of James V., in whose service he had been from the time of the king's infancy. His translation of Boece was made at request of this king, for whom also he began a translation of Livy, of which he completed only the first five books. Bellenden, when he published his translation of Boece, was a doctor in the Church, Archdeacon of Moray, and Canon of Ross; but he added to his translation an earnest letter to James V. on the miseries of wicked princes and the duty of a king. Bellenden's chief poem was a "Proheme of the Cosmographé," written for the king's instruction. He died at Rome, in 1550, an earnest honest man, and stout opponent of the Reformation.

Robert Fabyan, an opulent citizen and politician of London, who died in 1512, wrote, partly in verse and partly in prose, his "Concordance of Histories," afterwards called "New Chronicles of England and France, in Two Parts." The work opened with a prologue in Chaucer's stanza, which represented its author as one who prepared material for the skilled artist or historian who should come after him to perfect what he had rudely shaped. The prologue ended with an invocation to the Virgin for help; and the seven parts of the chronicle, which brought the history from Brut to the year 1504, ended with seven metrical epilogues, entitled "The Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin." The chronicle itself was in prose, with translation into English verse of any Latin verses that were cited. A notable example of this was Fabyan's English version of the Latin verses said to have been made by Edward II. in his imprisonment. Though Fabyan was not credulous

of miracles and marvels, he was a zealous churchman, and, in using monkish chronicles as material for his own compilation of history, was a devout adopter of the censures of all kings who were enemies to religious places. Of Becket he spoke as a "glorious martyr" and a "blessed saint;" of Henry II. as a "hammer of Holy Church."

With the name of Fabyan as a chronicler is associated that of Edward Hall, who was born in Shropshire at the end of the fifteenth century. He was in 1514 scholar of King's College, Cambridge, but removed to Oxford; about 1518, he entered at Gray's Inn, was called to the bar, became common sergeant and under-sheriff, and in 1540 one of the judges of the sheriff's court. His career belonged entirely to the reign of Henry VIII., and he died in 1547. His history of "The Union of the Two Noble and Illustre Families of Lancastre and Yorke," commonly called Hall's "Chronicle," ended with the year 1532. It was first published in 1548, after its author's death, by Richard Grafton, who said that "Hall dying, and being in his latter time not so painful and studious as he ought to have been," Grafton himself undertook the completion of it. This was a forbidden book under Philip and Mary.

Of this branch of literature, the most agreeable specimen produced in the first half of the sixteenth century, was the English translation of Froissart's "Chronicle," made by Lord Berners, and published in 1523. Lord Berners was educated at Oxford, travelled abroad, earned the favor of Henry VII., and was made by Henry VIII. his Chancellor of the Exchequer for life. He translated the "Golden Book" of Marcus Aurelius, and other works, and wrote also a Latin sacred play, "Ite in Vineam Meam," which was acted in church at Calais after vespers. His translation of Froissart is among the best prose English of his time.

10. Closely allied to these English chronicles is the famous "Itinerary" of John Leland, who was born in London about 1506. He was one of the boys under William Lily at St. Paul's School. Thence he proceeded to Christ's College, Cambridge. He took his degree of B.A. early in 1522, went then to Oxford, thence to the University of Paris. He became chaplain and

librarian to Henry VIII., who gave him, in June, 1530, the rectory of Poppeling, in the Marches of Calais. About 1533 he obtained the title of King's Antiquary; three years later he had special license to keep a curate at Poppeling, and work in England. Then he was for six years, by royal commission, travelling over England, taking a particular account of the cities, towns, and villages of each county; describing also the situation, soil, course of the rivers, and number of miles from place to place. He set down the several castles, religious houses, and other public and private buildings, with account of the families of best note resident therein. He recorded windows and monuments of antiquity belonging to the several cathedrals, monasteries, etc. He inspected also their libraries, took exact catalogues of books, even made transcripts of matter useful to his purpose of setting forth a trustworthy account of the history and antiquities of the kingdom. Leland, although a church reformer, lamented the havoc made of valuable libraries at the dissolution of the monasteries, and he did what he could to bring into safe keeping the treasures of literature that he found. Upon his return to London, he settled down to arrange for the press his vast accumulations; but after the excessive labor of several years, his brain gave way, about 1550, and in that condition he died in 1552. During his lifetime, he had won distinction by publishing minor Latin poems; but at his death, the great mass of his writings were still unpublished. Many of these were pilfered, and in a garbled form appeared on the pages of other antiquaries. It was not until more than a century and a half after his death, that his manuscripts were published. In 1709, his "Commentarii de Scriptoribus Britannicis," edited by Anthony Hall, was published in two volumes; and in 1715, his "Collectanea de Rebus Britannicis," edited by Thomas Hearne, was published in six volumes. These are in Latin. His most celebrated work is in English, the "Itinerary," likewise edited by Hearne, which was published in 17101712, in nine volumes. Some of his writings still remain in manuscript.

11. A memorable piece of English writing in this time is "The Governor," by Sir Thomas Elyot, published in 1531,