personal glory, unostentatiously pursue the humble though arduous path which Providence has pointed out to them, consoling themselves by the thoughts of the advantages which they are preparing for their fellow-creatures. Such was Tindal, he was the first to lay the foundation of that glorious superstucture which the talents and wisdom of succeeding translators have completed; and, when we consider the immense labour which it must have cost him, unaided as he was, and the persecutions to which it exposed him, we must allow that he was, indeed, a man of a great and firm mind. We must not be surprised to discover faults in his translation, for, as Mr. Johnson justly observes, "the work he undertook was one not for man, but for men ;" and in such repute was it held after his death, that King James gave it in especial charge to his translators, "to adhere to Tindal's version as much as possible, and never to depart from its text, except it were absolutely necessary." It should be recollected that this translation was the one which first, as it were, cleared the way from the obstructions

which choked it up, and left a comparatively easy task to succeeding translators to continue their labours till the path became a broad and beaten track.

The translation of the Holy Bible at present in use is that published by authority of James the First. It coincides, in a great measure, with the version, called the Bishop's Bible, which was revised by Parker, and published under the reign of Elizabeth. As it was of the utmost consequence that this work should be performed by as learned and well-qualified a body of men as could be collected together, it was a peculiarly fortunate circumstance, that the great struggle, which had in our country just arrived at a successful termination, essentially caused not only a religious, but also a civil revolution. The heads of the Roman Catholic church had, from a very early period, laid down as a rule, that all knowledge was dangerous to religion, except that which was acquired and taught by the clergy themselves, men personally interested in the continuance of their own influence. It was

on this account that they always showed such a jealousy of any person of talents who arose without the privileged pale; it was on this account that they endeavoured to establish two distinct classes in their religion, and to maintain them still more separate, by making the one learned, the other ignorant; the one the mystifier, the other the mystified. Hence it arose that the banners of the Reformation were joined by crowds of men of learning and talent, who flocked to its quarters because they saw that that was the side on which (comparatively speaking) prejudice had been discarded, and on which they would be free to exert their abilities in improving themselves, or their countrymen, without incurring the risk of an accusation of heresy or magic.

Thus it happened that when King James selected the translators of the Bible, he was

e The persecution of Galileo is an instance in point of the jealousy with which the Papal church regarded the improvements of science. An admirable account of this affair is given in the Life of Galileo, published by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge; in which the sentence passed upon him by the Inquisition, and his abjuration, are printed at full length. He is made to deny the stationary position of the sun, &c. &c. It is a curious fact that the works of Galilio are still on the prohibited list at Rome.

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enabled to choose men eminently qualified for their task; for at that day, of such duration and importance had the religious struggles of the last half century been, that most persons who were called upon to take any part in affairs, either from their talents or reputation, were well versed in biblical literature; and hence these translators were better calculated than an equally numerous body of learned men at any other period, satisfactorily to execute their task, and accordingly they did produce a work which could disappoint no one, except those few cavillers who are to be found in every place and at every time, and who are always dissatisfied.

IV. We must now proceed to consider the influence which this translation has exercised upon our language and literature. To execute this task properly it will be necessary for us to examine the principal works of those authors of established reputation who have flourished between the age of James the First and the present times; and we shall be enabled to

observe the real effects which it has produced upon them, by carefully remarking those passages in which, on the authority of the Translation, they have introduced idioms before foreign to the language; or in which the idea appears to have been borrowed from the holy Scriptures.

We may here be allowed to premise, that from the very nature of these compositions, which are adorned with all the flowery style and dazzling imagery of the East, it was to be expected (and it will be found upon examination to be true) that they should exercise a far greater influence upon poetry than upon prose. It was, therefore, not the least fortunate circumstance among the many auspicious events which attended the formation of our English version of the Bible, that it was made at a time when the "brave eccentricities of original genius" had not yet given way to the sure though slow progress of modern refinement and correctness; the language of which, though it is undoubtedly to be admired and preferred when it confines