Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 30

To this, he said, "It were enough to bury Saints fair in the earth; but now Saints that be dead, be compelled to beg for covetousness! the which in their life, hated covetousness and begging. But I say to you all, and know it for a truth, that with your shrines and idols, and your feigned absolutions and indulgences, and your temporalities, ye draw to you all the richesse of this world."

="WHERE IS THE CROSS CHRIST DIED ON?"=

"Why Sir," said one of the Clerks, "will ye not worship images?"

"What worship?" said the Lord.

Then said Friar [THOMAS] PALMER [Warden of the Minorites], "Sir, ye will worship the Cross of CHRIST that he died on?"

"Where is it?" said the Lord.

The Friar said, "I put case, Sir, that it were here before you!"

The Lord said, "This is a ready man! to put to me a question of a thing, that they wot never where it is? And yet I ask you, What worship?"

A Clerk said, "Such worship as PAUL speaketh of, that is this, _G.o.d forbid me to joy, but in the cross of our Lord JESU CHRIST._"

Then said the Lord, and spread his arms abroad, "This is a very cross!"

Then said the [HENRY BEAUCLERC] Bishop of LONDON, "Sir, ye wot well!

that he died on a material cross."

Then said the Lord, "Our salvation come in only by him that died on the cross, and by the material cross. And, well I wot, that this was the cross that PAUL joyed on, that is, in the Pa.s.sion of our LORD JESU CHRIST."

The Archbishop said, "Sir JOHN! ye must submit you to the ordinance of the Church!"

The Lord said, "I wot not whereto?"

=LORD COBHAM ADJUDGED A HERETIC.=

Then the Archbishop read a bill of his judgement, and convicted him for a heretic.

After the reading of the bill, the Lord said, "Though ye judge my body, I hope to G.o.d! that He will save my soul!" and he said that he "would stand to the death, by these things beforesaid; with the help of JESU!"

And then he said to all the people, "Sirs, for G.o.d's love! be well ware of these men! for they will beguile you else! and lead you blindlings into h.e.l.l, and themselves also! For CHRIST saith, 'If one blind man lead another, both fall into the ditch!"

And after this, thus he prayed for his enemies, and said, "LORD G.o.d! I beseech thee, forgive my pursuers! if it be thy will!"

And then he was led again to the Tower of London: and thus was the end.

=THE MS. NOTICE IN LONDON STREETS.=

While the Lord of COBHAM was in the Tower, he sent out privily to his friends; and they, at his desire, informed and writ this bill that followeth next, commending it to the people, that they should cease the slanders and leasings that his enemies made on him.

_For as mickle as Sir JOHN OLDCASTLE, Knight and Lord of COBHAM, is untruly convicted and prisoned, and falsely reported and slandered among the people by his adversaries, that he should otherwise feel and speak of the Sacraments of Holy Church, and especially of the blessed Sacrament of the Altar, than was written in his_ Belief, _which was indented and taken to the Clergy, and set up in divers open places in the city of London: Known be it to all the world that he never varied in any point therefrom; but this is plainly his_ Belief, _that all the Sacraments of Holy Church be profitable and meedful to all them that shall be saved, taking them after the intent that G.o.d and Holy Church hath ordained. Furthermore he believeth that the blessed Sacrament of the Altar is verily and truly CHRIST's body in form of bread_.

Truth long-hid now is disclosed.

Praised be G.o.d! Amen.

_On Translating the Bible._

[Chapter XV. of the Prologue to the second recension of the Wycliffite Version. Attributed to JOHN PURVEY.]

On Translating the Bible.

[_Chapter xv. of the Prologue to the second recension of the Wycliffite Version. Attributed to_ JOHN PURVEY.]

=c. 1385-90.=

=How every man should con and keep the scripture, and holy writ is the scripture of peoples, as Jerome saith.=

For as much as Christ saith that the gospel shall be preached in all the world, and David saith of the apostles and their preaching, "the sound of them yede out into each land, and the words of them yeden out into the ends of the world," and eft David saith, "the Lord shall tell in the scriptures of peoples, and of these princes that were in it," that is, in holy church, and as Jerome saith on that verse, "holy writ is the scripture of peoples, for it is made, that all peoples should know it,"

and the princes of the church, that were therein, be the apostles, that had authority to write holy writ, for by that same that the apostles wrote their scriptures by authority, and confirming of the Holy Ghost, it is holy scripture, and faith of Christian men, and this dignity hath no man after them, be he never so holy, never so cunning, as Jerome witnesseth on that verse. Also, Christ saith of the Jews that cried "Hosanna" to him in the temple, that though they were still, stones should cry, and by stones he understandeth heathen men, that worshipped stones for their G.o.ds. And we English men be come of heathen men, therefore we be understood by these stones, that should cry holy writ, and as Jews, that is interpreted knowledging, signify clerks, that should knowledge to G.o.d, by repentance of sins, and by voice of G.o.d's hearing, so our lewd men, suing the corner-stone Christ, may be signified by stones, that be hard and abiding in the foundation; for though covetous clerks be wood by simony, heresy and many other sins, and despise and stop holy writ, as much as they may, yet the lewd people crieth after holy writ, to con it, and keep it, with great cost and peril of their life. For these reasons and other, with common charity to save all men in our realm, which G.o.d would have saved, a simple creature hath translated the bible out of Latin into English. First, this simple creature had much travail, with divers fellows and helpers, to gather many old bibles, and other doctors, and common gloses, and to make one Latin bible some deal true; and then to study it of the new, the text with the glose, and other doctors, as he might get, and specially Lyra[27] on the Old Testament, that helped full much in this work; the third time to counsel with old grammarians and old divines, of hard words, and hard sentences, how they might best be understood and translated; the fourth time to translate as clearly as he could to the sentence, and to have many good fellows and cunning at the correcting of the translation. First, it is to know, that the best translating is out of Latin into English, to translate after the sentence, and not only after the words, so that the sentence be as open, either opener, in English as in Latin, and go not far from the letter; and if the letter may not be sued in the translating, let the sentence ever be whole and open, for the words owe to serve to the intent and sentence, and else the words be superfluous either false. In translating into English, many resolutions may make the sentence open, as an ablative case absolute may be resolved into these three words, with covenable verb, _the while_, _for_, _if_, as grammarians say; as thus, _the master reading, I stand_, may be resolved thus, _while the master readeth, I stand_, either _if the master readeth_, etc., either _for the master_, etc.; and sometimes it will accord well with the sentence to be resolved into _when_, either into _afterward_, thus _when the master read, I stood_, either _after the master read, I stood_; and sometime it may well be resolved into a verb of the same tense, as other be in the same reason, and into this word _et_, that is, _and_ in English, as thus, _arescentibus hominibus prae timore_, that is, _and men shall wax dry for dread_. Also a participle of a present tense, either preterite, of active voice, either pa.s.sive, may be resolved into a verb of the same tense, and a conjunction copulative, as thus, _dicens_, that is, _saying_, may be resolved thus, _and saith_, either _that saith_; and this will, in many places, make the sentence open, where to English it after the word, would be dark and doubtful. Also a relative, _which_, may be resolved into his antecedent with a conjunction copulative, as thus, _which runneth, and he runneth_. Also when a word is once set in a reason, it may be set forth as oft as it is understood, either as oft as reason and need ask; and this word _autem_ either _vero_, may stand for _forsooth_, either for _but_, and thus I use commonly; and sometimes it may stand for _and_, as old grammarians say. Also when rightful construction is letted by relation, I resolve it openly, thus, where this reason, _Dominum formidabunt adversarii ejus_, should be Englished thus by the letter, _the Lord his adversaries shall dread_, I English it thus by resolution, _the adversaries of the Lord shall dread him_; and so of other reasons that be like. At the beginning I purposed, with G.o.d's help, to make the sentence as true and open in English as it is in Latin, either more true and more open than it is in Latin; and I pray, for charity and for common profit of Christian souls, that if any wise man find any default of the truth of translation, let him set in the true sentence and open of holy writ, but look that he examine truly his Latin bible, for no doubt he shall find full many bibles in Latin full false, if he look, many, namely new; and the common Latin bibles have more need to be corrected, as many as I have seen in my life, than hath the English bible late translated; and where the Hebrew, by witness of Jerome, of Lyra, and other expositors discordeth from our Latin bibles, I have set in the margin, by manner of a glose, what the Hebrew hath, and how it is understood in some place; and I did this most in the Psalter, that of all our books discordeth most from Hebrew; for the church readeth not the Psalter by the last translation of Jerome out of Hebrew into Latin, but another translation of other men, that had much less cunning and holiness than Jerome had; and in full few books the church readeth the translation of Jerome, as it may be proved by the proper originals of Jerome, which he glosed. And whether I have translated as openly or openlier in English as in Latin, let wise men deem, that know well both languages, and know well the sentence of holy scripture. And whether I have done thus, or nay, ne doubt, they that con well the sentence of holy writ and English together, and will travail, with G.o.d's grace, thereabout, may make the bible as true and as open, yea, and openlier in English than it is in Latin. And no doubt to a simple man, with G.o.d's grace and great travail, men might expound much openlier and shortlier the bible in English, than the old great doctors han expounded it in Latin, and much sharplier and groundlier than many late postillators, either expositors, han done. But G.o.d, of his great mercy, give to us grace to live well, and to say the truth in covenable manner, and acceptable to G.o.d and his people, and to spill not our time, be it short, be it long, at G.o.d's ordinance. But some, that seem wise and holy, say thus, if men now were as holy as Jerome was, they might translate out of Latin into English, as he did out of Hebrew and out of Greek into Latin, and else they should not translate now, as them thinketh, for default of holiness and of cunning. Though this replication seem colourable, it hath no good ground, neither reason, neither charity, for why this replication is more against saint Jerome, and against the first seventy translators, and against holy church, than against simple men, that translate now into English; for saint Jerome was not so holy as the apostles and evangelists, whose books he translated into Latin, neither had he so high gifts of the Holy Ghost as they had; and much more the seventy translators were not so holy as Moses and the prophets, and specially David, neither they had so great gifts of G.o.d, as Moses and the prophets had. Furthermore holy church approveth, not only the true translation of mean Christian men, steadfast in Christian faith, but also of open heretics, that did away many mysteries of Jesus Christ by guileful translation, as Jerome witnesseth in a prologue on Job, and in the prologue of Daniel. Much more let the Church of England approve the true and whole translation of simple men, that would for no good in earth, by their witting and power, put away the least truth, yea, the least letter, either t.i.ttle, of holy writ, that beareth substance, either charge. And dispute they not of the holiness of men now living in this deadly life, for they con not thereon, and it is reserved only to G.o.d's doom. If they know any notable default by the translators, either helpers of them, let them blame the default by charity and mercy, and let them never d.a.m.n a thing that may be done lawfully by G.o.d's law, as wearing of a good cloth for a time, either riding on a horse for a great journey, when they wit not wherefore it is done; for such things may be done of simple men, with as great charity and virtue, as some, that hold them great and wise, can ride in a gilt saddle, either use cushions and beds and cloths of gold and of silk, with other vanities of the world. G.o.d grant pity, mercy, and charity, and love of common profit, and put away such foolish dooms, that be against reason and charity. Yet worldly clerks ask greatly what spirit maketh idiots hardy to translate now the bible into English, since the four great doctors durst never do this? This replication, is so lewd, that it needeth no answer, no but stillness, either courteous scorn; for the great doctors were none English men, neither they were conversant among English men, neither in case they could the language of English, but they ceased never till they had holy writ in their mother tongue, of their own people. For Jerome, that was a Latin man of birth, translated the Bible, both out of Hebrew and out of Greek, into Latin, and expounded full much thereto; and Austin, and many more Latins expounded the bible, for many parts, in Latin, to Latin men, among which they dwelt, and Latin was a common language to their people about Rome, and beyond, and on this half, as English is common language to our people, and yet this day the common people in Italy speak Latin corrupt, as true men say, that han been in Italy; and the number of translators out of Greek into Latin pa.s.seth man's knowing, as Austin witnesseth in the 2nd book of Christian Teaching, and saith thus, "the translators out of Hebrew into Greek may be numbered, but Latin translators, either they that translated into Latin, may not be numbered in any manner." For in the first times of faith, each man, as a Greek book came to him, and he seemed to himself to have some cunning of Greek and of Latin, was hardy to translate; and this thing helped more than letted understanding, if readers be not negligent, forwhy the beholding of many books hath showed oft, either declared, some darker sentences. This saith Austin there. Therefore Grosted saith, that it was G.o.d's will, that divers men translated, and that divers translations be in the church, for where one said darkly, one either more said openly. Lord G.o.d! since at the beginning of faith so many men translated into Latin, and to great profit of Latin men, let one simple creature of G.o.d translate into English, for profit of English men; for if worldly clerks look well their chronicles and books, they should find, that Bede translated the bible, and expounded much in Saxon, that was English, either common language of this land, in his time; and not only Bede, but also King Alured, that founded Oxford, translated in his last days the beginning of the Psalter into Saxon, and would more, if he had lived longer. Also French men, Beemers[28] and Bretons have the bible, and other books of devotion and of exposition, translated in their mother language; why should not English men have the same in their mother language, I can not wit, no but for falseness and negligence of clerks, either for our people is not worthy to have so great grace and gift of G.o.d, in pain of their old sins. G.o.d for his mercy amend these evil causes, and make our people to have, and con, and keep truly holy writ, to life and death!

But in translating of words equivocal, that is, that hath many significations under one letter, may lightly be peril, for Austin saith in the 2nd book of Christian Teaching, that if equivocal words be not translated into the sense, either understanding, of the author, it is error; as in that place of the Psalm, _the feet of them be swift to shed out blood_, the Greek word is equivocal to _sharp_ and _swift_, and he that translated _sharp feet_, erred, and a book that hath _sharp feet_, is false, and must be amended; as that sentence _unkind young trees shall not give deep roots_, oweth to be thus, _plantings of aoutrry shall not give deep roots_. Austin saith this there. Therefore a translator hath great need to study well the sentence, both before and after, and look that such equivocal words accord with the sentence, and he hath need to live a clean life, and be full devout in prayers, and have not his wit occupied about worldly things, that the Holy Spirit, author of wisdom, and cunning, and truth, dress him in his work, and suffer him not for to err. Also this word _ex_ signifieth sometimes _of_, and sometimes it signifieth _by_, as Jerome saith; and this word _enim_ signifieth commonly _forsooth_, and, as Jerome saith, it signifieth _cause thus, for why_; and this word _secundum_ is taken for _after_, as many men say, and commonly, but it signifieth well _by_, either _up_, thus _by your word_, either _up your word_. Many such adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositions be set oft one for another, and at free choice of authors sometimes; and now they shall be taken as it accordeth best to the sentence. By this manner, with good living and great travail, men may come to true and clear translating, and true understanding of holy writ, seem it never so hard at the beginning. G.o.d grant to us all grace to con well, and keep well holy writ, and suffer joyfully some pain for it at the last! Amen.

Footnotes:

[27] _Nicolaus de Lyra._

[28] Bohemians.

_Dialogue between a LORD and a CLERK upon Translation._

[From TREVISA'S Translation of HIGDEN'S _Polychronicon_.]

_Dialogue between a Lord and a Clerk upon Translation._