5. Th? Four (,'osp,ls, Acts if th? Apostles, Ajiocilyps? ; these eight at Oxford- Dr. Ravis, dean of Christ Church, af- terward bp. of London. Dr. Abbott, master of University Coll., afterward archbp. of Canterbury. Mr. Eedes. Mr. Thomson. Mr. Savill. Dr. Peryn. Dr. Ravens. Mr. Harmer.
ii. Th? Fpisths if St. Paul, and the Canonical Epistles; these seven at Westminster: Dr. Barlowe, of Trinity Coll., ia Cambridge, dean of Chester, afti rwa.rd bishop of Lincoln. Dr. IUt, inv.ox. Dr. Spencer. Mr. Eenton. Mr. Rabbet. Mr. Sanderson. Mr. Dakinq.
The following instructions were drawn up for their proceedings :
1. " The ordinary Bible read in the church, commonly called the Bishops' Bible, i" be followed, and as little altered as the
•J. "The name- .if the prophets and the holy writers, with • lie othi r name- in the text, to be retained as near as may be,
I ding a lhe\ ire \ ulgarly used."
'■'•■ "The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, as the word rh'irch not to he translate 1 congregation."
hen any word bath divers significations, that to be ' '< hath been most, commonly used by the mosl emi- nent fathers, h. inj agn cable to the propriety of the place and
the anal.. ". ■ I faith."
" ■ i in. .'le.pters to be altered either not at all, ore little a- ma\ be, if necessity so require."
o. ■■ \ . i.eir ie >i „..t - at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Creek words, which cannot, without "nmo circ locution, .. briefly and nil) be expressed
in
place to be marginally set down as
for i in- tit ivt. rence of one Set ipture to another." 8. ■• Everj particular man .,i each eompanj to take the
same chapter .,i- chapter : and haviie.' translated or amended them severally by hiin-elf, where he think good, all to meet together, to confer v. hat they have ,1. me, and agree for their part what shall stand."
9. " As any one company has despatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest, to be consideied of seriously and judiciously ; for his majesty is very careful in this point."
10. "If any company, upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt or differ upon any places, to send them word thereof to note the places, and therewithal to send their rea- sons ; to which if they consent not, the difference to be com- pounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company, at the end of the work."
11. " When any place of special obscurity is doubted of, let- ters to be directed by authority, to send to any learned in the land for bis judgment in such a place."
12. "Letters to be sent from every bishop to the rest of his clergy, admonishing them of this translation in hand, and to move and charge as many as, being skilful in the tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to send their particular ob- servations to the company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford, according as it was directed before in the king's letter to the archbishop."
13. "The directors in each company to be the deans of Westminster and Chester for Westminster, and the king's professors in Hebrew and Greek in the two Universities."
14. "These translations to be used when they agree better with the text than the Bishops' Bible, viz., Tyndale's, Cover- dale's, Matthew's, Whitchurch's, Geneva."
To these the following rule was added :
15. "Besides the said directors before mentioned, three or four of the most ancient and grave divines in either of the I'niversities, not employed in translating, to be assigned by the vice-chancellor, upon conference with the re>t of the hi ads, to be overseers of the translation, as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better-observation of the 4th rule above specified."
According to these regulations, each book passed the scrutiny of all the translators successively. In the first instance, each individual translated every hook which was allotted to his division. Secondly, the readings to be adopted were agreed upon by the whole of that company assembled together, at which meeting each translator must have been solely occu- pied by his own version. The book thus finished was sent to each of the other companies to be again exam- ined ; and at these meetings it probably was, as Sel- den informs us, that "one read the translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either of the learned tongues, or French, Spanish, Italian, etc. If they found any fault, they spoke ; if not, he read on." In this way every precaution was taken to secure a faithful translation, as the whole Bible underwent at least six different revisions by the most learned men in the kingdom. The translation was commenced in the spring; of 1607, and occupied about three years, and the revision of it occupied about three quarters of a year more. It was printed in Gothic letter, and first published in folio in Hill, with the title, "The Holy Bible Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly translated out of the originall Tongues : And with the former translations diligently compared and reuiscd by bis Maiestias speciall Comandcment. Ap- pointed to be read in Churches." The expense of this translation appears not to have been borne by the king, nor by any government commission, but chiefly, if not entirely, by Mr. Barker.