fold Alphabet a matter of brauerie telleth babes that God would neuer faile in a â—od or prick of necessitie Psal 25. omits Vau 〈◊〉 Psalm 145. Nun onelie is omitted Psa 34. hath an ouerplus Psa 37. hath an Alphabet with much enterlacing Psal 211. 12. in â—che member Psal 119. eightfold Matrones vertues in Alphabet Pro. 31. Ieremies distinct art of a confused state in a sixfold Alphabet Matters curious in elegancie The 148. margent readings Christians be lothsome that slander the holy prouidence as not prouiding wel for them where vnspeakeable care is shewed for their tendering 22. times Naar in the Ebrew text is read Naarah MargeÌ„t readinges in bookes set forth after the captiuitie since when Iewes had no hinderance to saue the dayly read text argue the slaunderers of dulnes vpon grosse impiety Succession of rare godlie men all Babels raign prooue all babes who thinke that all copies in so short time could be corrupted or anie one lost Mardochai was captiued whiche they that denie may see here what thanks Christians and Iewes wold kenne them 2 Sam. 20.8 Enochs speach and Michaels wer framed Rhetorically of Ebrew DD. from Moses short speaches the like wherof is yet in their coÌ„mentaries Talmud rabbi Nathan Midras Debarim 2 Chro. 28.19 2 Chr. 21.2 Strange sayings vppon rare occasioÌ„ make Rhomistes and Rhemistes blaspheme whereby all their skill in scripture is soone seene Ebrew elegaÌ„cy strange in other nations but ful of effect by the Prophetes very Pithy shortnes made vs blame speaches moste witty far from corruption Gen. 33.19 Ios 24.32 Iob. 42.12 and is no more vsed in Ebrewe and the 70. were borne in the end of the Ebrew â—onÌ„g the eldest best warraÌ„t for translating The text all translated The note vntollerable The Perashah in the Law is a full separatioÌ„ of matter whiche may not be confounded How 70. in Gen. 46. 75. Act. 7. be reconciled without blame of copy By my learned friende M. Phil. Nicols beeing at Carthaginaes surprising A phrase Act. 13. true in 450. whiche properly is but 339 and lappeth al one book and 19. places in one summe The Massorites onelye kept Daniels copy pure twise in Dan. 7. and 8. 2. Care that the Translatour brede not a lye Sem falselie translated the Elder brother to Iapheth SeÌ„sible wise speaches turned to witchcraft or extreme folly Ioseph slandred badly Genebrarde pieuishnes who yet professeth great Ebrew skil The 70. paraphrasinge for plainesse Notes belyâ— the text Moses made a grosselyeâ— by blasphemous notes A wicked table sold in the harte of our Bibles disturbinge all the Bible most shamefully Ben vsed elegantly in a borrowed spech Whiche theâ— that saw not disturbe by one errour all the holy storie Ben is sonne or beloÌ„ging vnto or affected vnto in sundrie sortes * Amri and Omri I doe vse for the same as he is translated by A. O * PreteÌ„ce of reconciling breding endles variance is most dauÌ„gerous against truth of holy storie Dan. 12. Luke 3.30 * Mine answere to theÌ„ will come anone The suspected in dignity haue glory from God that Christs liue should bee holden to haue none base Kinges named Kinges of eternity Da. 7. afore they were borne as they were in Math the ten to Ioseph Some of Poules and S. Paules Cretes knowe A singular graunt of Iewes for S. Math. cha 1 eight termes of golde in holy Ebrew Wherof Cethem Paz seme termes of Ophir Vpaz and if we knewe where golde is so called there wee might deeme old Ophir anâ— Vpaz to 〈◊〉 Rom. 1.29 Weighty matters among vs are blasphemed This was a pardoxe strange A digression to a translation in latin vsed much in our soyle and worthilie for much good yet herein in ferior to ours and vsed to my check The harme of these errours Fiue chaines drawe from Adams fal to our Lordes resurrectioÌ„ For which a digression here may do good that none bee so hardy as to despise one worde as it were a link touchinge them least he be found guilty of disgracing all The sinne of Israell Ezek. 4. Chyram the Father of Salomon was not the bras worker but Chyram the king whose daughter SalomoÌ„ had amoÌ„g his 700 as their familiaritie argueth and Greekes in Euseb note Four helpes are for the Kings times The 390. Eze. 4. must be loked vnto in all particulars Four partes are of the Ebrew the 〈◊〉 the Proâ—tes historique Prophetes Oratorie Preceptory with them disputationes and meditations Yet we also haue missed Wee commonly misse in the fourth chaine Where Iewes agree for our good we misse Goodly skill Vergil Aeneid 1. He that breaketh any link in the Chain drawing to the redemption doth marre all the reâ—â— And herin are we faulty speciallie vpoÌ„ Daniel Al truly lerned ioy to haue theyr paynes amended It his better antiquiry were disgraced for missing theÌ„ the trueth of Daniel should bee hid The thirde care for prophecies spoken in doubtfull termes in sad occasiones RecompeÌ„ce demaunded was promised D. C. was appointed Requester M. L. G hinderath Dani 7.17 in one version otherwise far the better In our coÌ„mon Bible Vpon Leu. 26. many of them My 3. place of 8. is of speaches harde of them selues not of made so by vs as 1. Pet. 3. A translatioÌ„ for trial propouÌ„ded vnto all to speak against wher they could should haue the original wich it and such would alwayes be good for libraries and the learned The fourth poinct for termes of Equivocation The Chaldean Kinge is written seauen seuerall wayes in the Prophets wherwith to acquaint our nation to knowe the Ebrew diligence variety is not amisse A commendatioÌ„ of the Bishoppes notes A most senslesse speach â—earing the 〈…〉 Christ 〈◊〉 â—rdes Theyr words must he recorded not as others doe like but as the Epistle â—are them Malachy 2. wee make God a commaunder of divorcemeÌ„ts vpoÌ„ hatredt whiche doctrine Christ expresly confuteth The fifte poinct CoÌ„stant memorie to translate the sam alwayes alike A coÌ„suming from Godâ— shall come In Ebrewe Shim glâ—â— gâ—ammim câ—llam It is a deap matter that only Abbakuk Aggei Zacha y title them selues Prophetes * Seauen wayes scripture writes his name which to imitate none of grace wil forbid Se the common translation The newe Testament is almost all froÌ„ the olde The sixt care Facilitie of phrase Curiositie an enemy to this poinct Wher the 70 to avoid an harshphrase dealt as paraphrastes our vnreadinesse caused Batrachomyâ—machiaÌ„ wher a GraÌ„mariaÌ„ kite would cary awaye both striuers Of the Septuagint that all traÌ„slated not the sam thing but euery one his part c. Gene. 4. If thou offre well and diuide not wel thou hast sinned 1â—50 years difference Gene. 5. and 11. betwixt Ebrewes Grekes this yet amazeth the worlde The Greke Testaments words 4600 are the most part from the Seauentie The church neuer had yet seauen that spent theyr life in vowelled Ebrew and Greke exact antiquity for the Bibles vse Why our Bb returned to followe the 70. rather then the exact true vnfallible Ebrewe The seuenth poinct for stateli greek termes to stand in the margent Ebt. 2.1 verie coldlie translated where Zub Lam. 4. or Luz Pro. 3. is touched Taaniuth goeth vpon Ierusalems second and last destruction Zemach Esa 4. ApauÌ„gasma Ebrew 1.3 â—hebet is in Moses 32. times neuer a Sceptre in him but a Tribe The conclusion H.E. of Hunting shold be honored stil of his true affectioned to finish his beginnings
AN EPISTLE TO THE LEARNED NOBILITIE OF ENGLAND Touching translating the BIBLE from the original with ancient warrant for euerie worde vnto the full satisfaction of any that be of hart By HVGH BROVGHTON IOHN I. The light shineth in darknes though darknes doeth not comprehend it MIDDELBVRGH By Richard Schilders Printer to the States of Zealande 1597. To all the learned Nobilitie of England HVGH BROVGHTON wisheth all increase of knowledge that they may esteeme the vnderstanding of Gods worde and care for synceritie in it to be the head of wisedome and true Religion in CHRIST WHEREAS many right Honorable from the high to the low of all sortes haue bene desirous greatly and a long time to haue the holy booke of God which for the old Testament is in Ebrew for the new all originally in Greeke to be translated and beautified with all furniture for playnes and ornaments that such as studie it should in no place be snared by the translater but rather in all poinctes might haue at the first layd cleare before them all that studie can affoord It may be thought a good help to the bringing of their desire to passe by ioyning of al effectuallie in executioÌ„ of the worke to shewe what in this paynes may be better done then yet we haue in Englande And as bare shortnes is soonest viewed so matter of large longe high deepe quantitie shalbe brought into speach of no greatnes but narrow short lowe shallowe that the meanest may in good part iudge what ought to be censured The holy text must be honored as sound holy pure hede must be taken that the translater neither flow with lyes nor haue one at all prophecies spoken in doubtfull termes for sad present occasiones must be cleared by sad study and stayd safty of ancient warrant termes of equivocation witty in the speaker for familiar and easy matters must be looked vnto that a translater drawe them not vnto foolish ridiculous senses Constant memorye to translate the same often repeated in the same sort is most nedefull Facility of phrase defended by the new Testament the Septuagint and writers old indifferent for all nations must be had And herein the stately words of the new Testament in Greeke taken froÌ„ the Septuagint may stand profitable in the margent through the old Also where the later repeat the former holy writers therein as it were commenting vpon them that should in all clearnes be expressed and noted These be poinctes of necessitie Some others of ornament in the end of our speach may be consydered Thus all are briefly told once which by enlargement will appeare more pleasant And speach of all shalbe vsed by your honorable pacience First a Translater of the Bible should beware least of his owne head in translation or notes he disanull the text and blame the watchfull eye of Gods providence for not preseruing the writt aright That fault is exceeding great for a man to take vpon him to bee wiser then God and to take his kingly care tardy in trueth of wordes All men will graunt that there is not an idle plant fishe worme foule or beast in nature nor yet starre in the skye but all knowen and looked vnto by Gods care Now wheras all that would be happy are commaunded to thinke day and night on Gods Lawe by the spirit of endles wisedome as learning the Eternall better thence then from the creatioÌ„ we might haue bin sure that the father of light would neuer require that but would also for his part affoorde a lawe voyde of trappe and snare to delight the soules that followe him That matter of necessitie may better bee conceaued by thinges of ornament into which God for vs hath condescended A man would little haue thought that the most High should make Alphabets for vs in his booke But wee nowe may see it done The Psal 25. hath an Alphabet saving for two letters and the Psalme is a generall forme of prayer There the wisest may try whither any wisedome could supply the argument by Ebrewe wordes of sage force The Psal 145. is alike one letter omitted The Psal 34. hath an Alphabet perfect one verse for a glad saying vpon all fit always The Psal 37. hath an Alphabet most exact though many verses seeme to hide it The Psalme 111. conteyneth Gods laude The 112. the Godly mans in most curious sorte for euery member of speach The 119. goeth vppon commendation of the Lawe of life with an eightfold Alphabet and mentioning the worde in sundry names in euery verse what vertues it hath Which sayings coÌ„ming from him that carieth about all things by his mightie worde should assure vs that it was safely kept Salomon in like battell-ray hath commended good Matrones that they teachinge their children from the breastes should giue them the milke of Gods worde And Ieremy at the kingdomes ruine penneth his LameÌ„tations with a watchfull eye very much for phrase vsing froÌ„ Moses Dauid Salomon Esay and all former termes vttered of the destruction which he sawe and felt But his Alphabet is more wonderfull to shewe in mans confusion Gods distinction So the first Cha. hath 22. verses in the 22. letters order The Ch. 2. to stirre our care hath the like with changing place of Pe and Ain two going togither but the later going afore so the fourth Chap. is most exact in the same sorte for Pe and Ain and all the other in due order that by this doubled matter studie should be stirred vp The Chap. 3. hath thrise euery letter in ordâ—â— that by three witnesses Gods looking too his letters might be seene These being matters of ElegaÌ„cy more then bare necessitie shew that no lesse watchfulnes was ouer the wordes of sentences Which thing should moue vs to holde the text vncorrupt Besides a matter of singular great importance commeth hither to be considered the margent readinges of the old testament They are eight hundred fourtie and eight in number And the word in the text was not read but the worde in the margent These greatlie touch all to knowe why so it falleth out that Christians no longer followe Kimchi and Ephody the Iewes whom Barbinel Elias Leuita damne of great iniurie done to Gods holy Maiestie for sayinge that the text was corrupted in Babylon Any may see that no Scribe would twentie two times of negligence write Naar a Gyrle for Naarah the margent terme read for Naar which signified a Boye or Gyrle and for weightie cause was read Naara a Gyrle The filthy towne Zebyim burnt froÌ„ heauen named of the pleasaunt situatioÌ„ the Roes a name of Christ in Salomons songe was read Zeboyim all the foure times that scripture hath it Errour could not fall into such wisedome Likewise when Rabsakes filthy termes are in the text to be seene but clearer in the margent to be read they who say that corruption bred this vrbanity weigh not but cast lottes what
lier Can one vndertake to tell a mans age and put 130. yeares for 230. and not lye And if Moses omitted it who knewe it The teacher of Moses was none other but hee which measureth the waters in his fist peiseth the heauens in his spaÌ„ne holdeth all the dust of the earth in an half-pint weigheth the mouÌ„taines in a balance and who could teach him howe to haue instructed Moses better in the waye of knowledge When such perverse crooked notes disannulling that which Gods letters speaketh come before our Bibles as a furtherance of the simple what marveile is it if blinde guides leade the blinde into the ditch Infinite store of such hath the same introduction to the Bible enough to entangle all that beleeue them to make the Bible seeme vnexplicable One gentleman of the North complained to â—e how that paynes entaÌ„gled him Such erroneous paynes â—hould be openly coÌ„demned and not solde but to the learned that can iudge of vntruethes Touching the 230. yeres â—n what daliance with prophane Heathen the 70. feigned not one hundred onely to Adam but 1250. more vnto oâ—hers many vnto Nachor I haue shewed at large in a treatise of Sem or Melchisedek and in my little booke of long paynes â—hewing scripture concent And I iudge this a Translatours â—uetie to shewe the right meaning of old hid doeings whiche by mistaking blame the holy letters An other Table of no lesse poison pretending to reconcile Saint Matthew and Saint Luke is prefixed to the newe Testament in our great Bibles which I blamed in print sharpely and since it hath not bin printed but thousands enough to poison an whole nation were solde afore That table firste denieth in effect six places where Achaziah is father properlie to Ioas while it endeth Salomons house in Ioas casting downe six testimonies of him whose worde made all the frame of nature too stande That table would flee in a storie that needes must speake properly vnto a straunge vse of wordes but comon reason should haue taught that a strange kinde of speach is not often vsed in one and the same matter neither may it be vsed but where the narration was cleared afore Ezra when he penned the Chronicles from the plain story of the Kinges vseth termes in rare elegancie and hard but for the matters familiaritie when he nameth the six thirtie yeres Malcuth Asa when Asa had not passed seauentene in reigne Nowe Malcuth being kingdome or reigne and the time agreeing with six and thirtie yeares from Iudahs kingdome parted away from Ieroboams the matter telleth what Ezra meaned and his round summe from many particulars in a narratioÌ„ knowne had great clearenes Whereas the kings storie might not haue bene penned at the firste so Nowe where in a carefull narration of longe discourse Ioas commeth sonne to Achaziah saued by Achaziahs sister at an yere olde and after a tyranny of sixe yeares at seauen is made king the denying of sonages proprietie here is nothinge lesse then to make a flat lye and for six places of one tenour a sixfold stumbling against the holy Ghost who hath planted in maÌ„ a spirit that should teach him knowledge against which they that striue shalbe condemned of their owne harte In an other place Ezra vseth Ben very elegantly For it signifieth Sonne or Belonging too and that in great varietie So Achaziah is Ben a sonne of twentie two yeares when his father died at fourty Nowe when Ezra shewing how he came of Athaliah the daughter of Omry properly daughter to Achab but he nameth Omry to call the reader to consider his purpose for Omries kingdome whose kingdome at Iorams death stood fourtie two yeares layd downe by manie parcels in the kings often Synarchies when Ezra the learned shewing the troubles of all this kingdome sayth He was Ben of fourty two yeares the terme left his first significatioÌ„ for his vsuall in a trope Affected vnto or Belonging vnto the famous two and forty yeares This dealing in Ezra declared not onely his owne readinesse in the story but also his nationes common readinesse They knewe well that Ezra could not haue from God any authoritie to check Gods former authoritie nor yet to speake any thing but that they might iudge off And doubtles he would speake as they at the first might allowe and the blinde acquainted with the Scripture would not stumble And so the ordinarie Commenter in Ebrew Ralbag playnneth all vpon this Two and twentie yeares old was Achaziahu when he reigned and one yeare raigned he in Ierusalem and his mothers name was Athaliahu the daughter of Amri king of Israel Therevpon Ralbag writeth letters that speake thus 2. King 8.16 Marke that 2. Chr. 22. it is saide Ben of two and fourtie yeres And marke that his count in the Chronicles was not of the birth of Achaziahu but from the time of the arising of the kingdome of Omri And because he was of â—is seede it befell him that he was killed with the king of Israel And thus goeth the summe After thirtie and one yeare of Asa Omri raigned ouer all Israell and raigned after that sixe yeres and Achab his sonne twentie two and Achaizahu two yeares and Ioram â—ame to the twelueth Beholde then the two and fourtie yeares of the kingdome of Achab. And for His mothers name was Athaliahu the daughter of Amri that sheweth the reason of his phrase For she â—as properlie the daughter of Achab. Thus the Rabbine sheweth howe Ezra expoundeth the Kinges storie for Amries daughter being properlie Achabs leauing the propre time as vnmoveable as anie rocke and for memory bringing many parcells to one summe And therein must a Translatour be so fullie settled where propertie can not be altered as carefull to allowe and followe the trueth of the Ebrewe copy And if the Lord tell six times that Ioas the King was sonne to Achaziah tables preteÌ„ding to reconcile Saint Matthew Saint Luke breaking of Salomons house in Achaziahu and bringing Ioas to Nathan though Europe embraced them and our Bibles bare them in their harte afore the holy Gospell yet a sounde Translatour must loth them as a leprosie How circumspectlie we haue done herein wee should consyder to abolishe with publique authoritie our ouersightes and vnskilfulnes mother of lothing all religion Many that finde vs rawe in matters of plaine storie the grounde of all and sett before our eyes will lesse thinke that in matters of collection and plyable affection of argumentes and things of the worlde to come we should be of any sound iudgement And Christians should not be as the Athenians whom Demosthenes taunteth for being like doggs that bite the stone flong at them and not the flinger blaming not the authours of the fault but the tellers what is committed The wise will alwayes loue vnderstanding as the wicked can not abide it This table poysoning all simple that vse it maketh the fathers of our Lorde all these Symeon
then stroken with a leprosy to continue eight twentie yeares The text teacheth that Iotham at his fathers death was but fiue twentie yeares old So by the former note he should iudge the people afore he was born three yeres The notes to auoyd that expounde the text thus Hee was fiue and twentie yeares olde when he reigned that is when he ruled the kingdome in his fathers leprosie and he raigned sixteene yeres that is after his fathers death If this had bene done in myne owne nation I would haue blamed it more largely But I loth to disgrace a learned paynes but for infinite necessity And our trauels might haue more cleared the regentship of Azarias and the two and twentie yeares of Anarchy that earthquake of the state and the styrres called Iezreel and likewise for Ezekiels 390. yeares where the French notes returne to the right trueth against their owne particulars in all these errours wee in a fewe wordes might haue kept our nation from liking strange opinions Other matters of this Latin worke for the last Prophetes times Zorobabels house I haue written against his learned defendor therin though not here D.R. whom I name for honors sake He deserued great coÌ„mendation for hazarding his fame whether 2000. yeares errours holden almost generally ouer all Greekes and Latines Libraries could be set on flame with a fire of iudgement taken from the holy authour And I trow all of hart and our language will confesse that parte cleared by my paynes how so euer some feared to stande to an arbitrement reported that they had passed as learning would require them and all to determine Yet hearing what infinite millions were against me they thought it the safest way to haue all in suspense But I thought it a duetie vnto God and my countrey to cleare not only the cause but all the Bible by Gods helpe in our tongue and to seeke for the next kingdomes helpe if that labour at home should be blasphemed ExperieÌ„ce in Daniel the hardest booke cleared I hope in the very dedication may shewe how soone and easilie much holden past hope of achieving may be accomplished And now to leaue strangers I will returne to our owne vpon Daniel where I blame our paynes that while we make two Nebuchadnezars and misse of the Images time and fourth Monarchy and ill translate Gabriels oration for redemption and in our argument Cha. 12. taxe Daniel for obscuritie who hath the greatst plaines that euer the matter could suffer While this runneth currant all the Bible wil coÌ„plaine that we doe exceedingly darken it Neither doe I thinke it better to haue the trueth of Daniel hid then antiquity disgraced for missing But nowe I haue discoursed more largely of my two first poinctes then I well may vppon all the sixe following howe heede must be taken least the Ebrewe writt or Greeke of the newe Testament bee blamed and least in translation or exposition the holy booke be pestered thorough vs with vntruethes or haue anie one at all One errour more I would haue spoken off for a place of Daniel ill translated but it is to great to bee opened vnto the people least they want stay in moderation I did obiect it with sharpnes not the least vnto a scholer of high place and great recompence for his studie who tooke it in good part and sage moderation And so I trust hee will take all the rest Such affection will cause him selfe and others some great reast which little medling bredeth The third care in a Translatour which ought to bee as that person which Nebuchadnezar sawe by night watchful and holy is that in speaches of the Prophetes where the holy servauntes of God speake of purpose termes doubtfull where the prophane would otherwise skoph or persecute there the true cleare light with full warrant be kindled in the tongue vsed of him If he write for a natioÌ„ that professeth the trueth and not for prophane Lagidae as the â—eptuagint who liuing in those styrres of the iron clay â—egges of Daniels image not cleauing togither and of the warres of Seleucidôn and Lagidôn which the Angel vttered vnto Daniel of purpose in harde phrases for the Iewes safetie they liuing in these very times had crossed all the Angels wisedome if they had opened vnto their prophane â—art that which Gabriel hid for their good But our case â—owe is nothing like theirs in christiaÌ„ kingdomes Wherfore a Translatour should aboue all thinges be ready in all â—â—riptures where such hidinge of the minde is vsed 〈◊〉 ready Ebrician that seeth one of vnperfect studie labouringe to translate will tell almost for euery place where a Translatour would misse And touchinge â—â—ch as in Daniel haue deceyued translatours them I haue â—â—ted in my commentationes vpon him dedicated vnto â—me of you Nobles and others of honorable Gentrie to 〈◊〉 regarded according to the sage honor of her Maiesties â—uuernement By Daniel most of anie because hee liued â—â—der the prophane these tenours of speach and wonderâ—â—ll witty hiding of the minde may be consydered soundâ—e to be had in heart readilie In such places a man worâ—hie the name of an Ebrewe professour wilbe most ready â—s in matters most weighed searched tryed and peysed by him in the golde balance of Ebrewe diligence where ordinarie plaine speaches require not to be so much thought vpon who would not looke better about him that should finde this going currant for Gods word The foure beastes are foure Kinges who shal take the kingdom of the Saints of the most high and holde the kingdome for euer euen for euer and euer This can not stande with religion anie more then Tartarus can be Paradise eternall woe blessednes Here an Ebrician would longe before he came to the place thinke vpon the rocke where others made shipwracke and marke how the Particle Vau one letter was a key to open or shut the sense So in Daniel againe Ch. 7. ver 12. As coÌ„cerning the other beastes they had their dominion taken away but their liues were prolonged for a certen time and season This speach vnspeaketh it self For the beast is the Empire and when the Empire is gone the beast is no more a beast but staÌ„deth on his feete as a man when a priuate mans heart is giuen him as in ver 4. of ch 7. Agamemnons man in Euripides beholding the Emperour writing for Iphigenia his daughter to come to bee sacrificed and by fatherly affection blotting againe writing and againe razing marveyleth at his crosse dealing This dealing iâ— more marveylous no naturall affection here caried but vnacquaintance with Daniel and with the Ebrew tongue And reason might tell that the speach crosseth it selfe And herein I must commende my L. of Canterburies grace who though he thought it not an officers parte to admitte soone a new translation and when I had presented vnto him selfe and his patronage the seauen first chapters all the Chaldy part
commaunde H. BROVGHTON ⧠A request to the Arch. of Cant. to call in a corruption of a late English CoÌ„mentation vpon Daniel dedicated to the right H. Lordes YOVR Grace overseer of all learned matters in our Nation and I hauing a right in thinges of my owne trauel and all our nation as coÌ„temned or deceyued â—aue bene iniuried by a Printer who hath corrupted my â—ommentaries vpon Daniel speciallie in the Ebrew to the â—isgrace of all the worke and of all our studentes In the â—â—brewe verses of Rabbi Sadaias the letters which begin the â—erses wordes commonly fiue in euery rowe besides the â—lphabet letter stand for the Arithmetique how often the â—tter entreated vpon is vsed in the Ebrew tongue and the â—â—ripture textes agree in number where if any one letter â—amisse all the frame of the worke is marred Moreouer 〈◊〉 the Ebrewe textes all Printers and Writers thinke it a â—y grosse part euer to corrupt any Scripture text as the â—wes glorie that in neither Talmud nor any commentarie â—heirs euer any text is corrupted by the citer And they â—e this a common saying That to misse in one letter is â—orruption of the whole worlde Now when Iewes and â—â—ristians see that thinges in Ebrew corrupt ouerthrowâ— that present argument stayning holy Scripture and â—th skill rather of Balams Asse then of learning come â—th in England where men should be learned things â—ered vnto our Honourable Lordes they will thinke veâ— basely of all the Studentes of our nation Those verses a matter of so great importance that a Professour of â—bridge offered an Angell to haue one copye in written â—de and after myne came forth two studentes one of Cambridge an other of Oxforde desired me to put theÌ„ fâ—rth in fayrer and more distinct letters and they would each vndertake copyes to fiue poundes both ten Herevpon I caused M. Fr. Raphelengius the best of Printers to print me a thousand which I haue sent to Englande to make our Diuines readier in great matters Maister Ioseph Scaliger a Gentleman of rare learning and Maister Raphelengius had neuer seene them before I sent them to Leyden Both as good Linguistes as any in the world and learned men to whom I am very much beholding for singular gentlenes in lending me bookes rare and of rare commoditie such as our nation I trowe neuer yet sawe A certen English man here had by my gyft but one copy and was shewed the vse of it of whom I demaunded in sadnes to record it in print what he esteemed of the matter and he sayd that of trueth he would not for twentie poundes bee without the copye and the matter The case standing thus I can not chuse but be grieued to see my Ebrewe studies so defaced a good old worke and a rare monument marred occasioÌ„ offered to haue our natioÌ„ for learning much contemned The certeintie of the holy text in Ebrew is a matter as all called to grace will confesse to be gracious And that rare piece of worke of Sadaias will seeme to all voyde of Papistrie and endued with reason to confirme much the certeintie of Scripture Wherfore proceeding from an enemie for the trueth grounds of faith the corrupting of it should seeme a worke farre from grace Besides these verses of Sadaias a piece of the Ierusalemy Talmud very pleasant and learned with GentlemeÌ„ learned in Ebrew is corrupted in this Printers edition whereas no open aduersarie could so much disgrace as such a corrupter of matters brought about not without great paynes pretending reuerence to the authour I haue felt griefe in this kinde alreadie not a litle by a booke collected from sundry fragmentes by a seruingman and falsely reported to be notes from me As that booke was in printing I did cause the seruingman to shewe your grace of it that the Printer had no authour for his worke and as he tolde me the Printer was bound in fiue hundred poundes not to proceede but by a bribe ventured against his band and vpon complaint answere was returned that the Printer would noyse how he was vndone So against all that I could doe forged ware some stollen from me some from others and more kindes then Labans sheepes coloures were solde deare in London and Sturbridge fayre and still fathered vpon such as most loth it As all trueth should be trueth speciallie in diuinitie it should be so And the befooling of an whole nation should not be counted a light faulte in forging authours by pieuish printers greadie of vnhonest gaynes I was minded neuer to haue printed anie thing But forgers of matters to be as mine which I lothed they forced me to leaue in print the whole veyne of my iudgement in Diuinitie in the booke of Scripture concent That any might knowe myne from forged ware Nowe at my first printing much anger I had When it came furth the great Lord Chauncelour tolde the Queene as he bragged that in no case any countenance might be shewed me thervpon a Noble Earle who had named vnto me a fine recompence of my study hearing of the L. Chauncelours speach altered And I to pay the L. Chauncelour mynded to haue liued in Germanie till I heard the Queenes aunswere That he commended whom he condemned For that the booke was schollerlike all for the States good where to knowe howe to ouerreach others not to doe it argueth a minde bent to quietnes Another gaue out wordes also to the Queene vnlearned and malicious of whom I will yet speake nothing Your Grace I must now commend for much humanitie that tolde one sent in my cause that whatsoeuer you could doe for me you would So that I would acknowledge my friends In trueth my L. touching preferments I was thus minded hitherto that if my worthier in the common estimation stept before me I would reioyce But when two hundreth thousande poundes a yeere is spent by the Church vpon such as can not reade a line of the Bible and I could not liue in Englande vnsollicited still to preach and was commended by the Queene whom I trowe you will not checke I see not why I may not require my recompence as the Realme hath put the Queene in trust to deale and require it with as good a conscience as you may receyue one pennie of your tenantes You gaue me counsell to be toward some Bishop or some Lord as one sayde to whom it should bee tolde The Queene or a Prince should bee the onely Patron for one of my yeares spent in hard studies And the Countesse of Warwicke tolde that the Queene would not for all the prefermentes in the Realme I went out of the Realme In the time of deliberation I pray your Grace that Printers be not allowed to disgrace my studies Your Graces to commaunde H. BROVGHTON What poinctes a syncere translation ought to haue mo theÌ„ yet oure haue 1. care that the holy Ebrew or holie Greeke text bee not disannulled An holy 21.