T. Austin in his second Book of Christ- SSavans, for the 10th of October, 1707, the Literary Journal, tom. 2. p. 229. and Bayle’s Letters, p. 563, 904.
Novum Testam. Græc. Editio nova, ex Regiis aliisque optimis Editionibus, cum postrema Milliensi diligentissimè collatis, expressa. This Edition is in two Vols. in 12mo. printed at Paris in 1715, for P. F. Emery.
It may be said of Mr. Mill’s New Testament, that every thing contributes to make it valuable. The Author begins with Prolegomena, wherein he proposes three things; to set down the Time when every Book of the New Testament was written, to relate the History of the sacred Text from the earliest Times of it to ours, and to represent the Plan of his Design; which has been very well executed by him. As for the Text, he keeps to that of Robert Stephens, printed in 1550, in fol. At the bottom of the Pages he not only marks the Concordance of Verses in the Scripture, but those likewise which have reference to the Explanations of the Fathers, and the Writings of particular Jewish Authors, such as Josephus and Philo. Lower he places all the Various Readings which he has collected. By this any one may judge that there is nothing wanting in this Edition. As to others which preceded it, you may see what Fabricius says of them, in his Bibliotheca Græca, l. 4. ian Doctrine, ch. 11. says that the number of those who have translated the divine Writings out of Hebrew into Greek may be known; but that they who have translated them out of Greek into Latin, were without number. What would he have said now, since Translators of them have been multiplied to such an infinite degree? The Catholicks indeed, since the Decree of the Council of Trent, have adhered only to the Vulgate, that is, for publick Uses; for the several Commentators, for the generality at least, have made new Latin Versions of the Books which they have undertaken to explain. In this Particular the Protestants have most distinguished themselves; for their Commentators have usually made new Translations of them, after their own Taste and particular Ideas. This has multiplied the Editions of Latin Bibles beyond Expression.
But altho’ the number of them be almost infinite, a curious Man, who is a Lover and Collector of Books, will neglect none of them, especially of the old ones which were printed before the Council of Trent; because tho’ for the most part they are sufficiently faulty, they are yet valued as Manuscripts; but then care should be taken not to multiply those which are copied from older and pre ceding Editions, and should be esteemed only as new Impressions of the same Text. From the Council of Trent to the Correction of the Bible by Clement VIII. in 1592, great liberty was taken in the Editions of the Latin Bible, according to the Vulgate. But this Pope having commanded his Edition published at Rome in 1592, to be thenceforth accounted for the Vulgate by all Catholicks, all Editions almost from that time have been conformable to this.
The Latin Editions of 1450, -58, and - 59, are cited; but as the Date of them does not appear, they are looked upon as spurious and suspected.
The first Edition, well averred for such, is that of 1462, printed at Mentz, by John Fust, a Burgher of that City, and Peter Schoeffer of Gersheim, a Clergyman of the same Diocese, and finished on the Vigil of the Assumption. It is very rare: There are however nine Copies of it to be found in Paris. They are in fol. printed upon Vellum. M. Achilles de Harley, First President of the Parliament of Paris, had one in Paper.
The same Peter Schoeffer, besides this, printed another at Mentz, in 1472, in two Vols. fol.
There is another Edition of 1473, in two Vols. in fol. without the Name of either Place or Printer.
Biblia Latina, Augustæ Vindelicorum, Joan. Bemler. 1466.
Biblia Latina, in fol. Reutlingæ. Joan. de Averbach. 1469.
Biblia Latina cum opusculo Aristeæ, curâ Joan. Andreæ Alerienf. Episcopi, Romæ, 2 Vol. in fol. 1471. by Conrad Suvenbeim, Arnold and Parnarst.
Biblia Latina, in 4to. Placentiæ. Joan. Petri de Ferratis Cremon. 1475.
Biblia Latina, in fol. Nurimberg, Antonii Coburger, 1475.
Biblia Latina, in fol. Paris. 1476, by Ulrick Gering. Martin Crantz, and Michael Friburger.
Biblia Latina, in fol. Venetiis. Francisci de Hailbrun, & Nicolaide Francfort. 1476. They printed another in 1478.
Biblia Latina, caractere Gothico, Venetiis, operâ Nicolai Jansen, Gallici, 1476, in fol.
Biblia Latina, in fol. Neapoli, per Matthiam Moravum, 1476.
Biblia Latina, 2 Vol. in fol. per Bernard. Richel. Basileæ, 1477.
Biblia Latina, cum Canonibus, Evangelistarumque Concordantiis Menard. Monachi, 2 Vol. in fol. Norimberg. Antonii Coburger, 1478. Menardus’s Concordances have been reprinted in John Zeimer’s Edition of Ulm, in 1480, and the same Year in Antony Coburger’s at Nuremberg.
Biblia Latina, cum Postillis Nicolai de Lyrâ, 7 Vol. in fol. Coloniæ, 1480. These Postils of Lyra have been often reprinted, in 1481, -82, -87, -89, -93, -98, 1502.
Biblia Latina, in fol. 1481. without the Name either of the Printer, or the Place of the Impression: The Character is very beautiful. The same was printed in 1483.
Biblia Latina, cum Glossâ ordinaria, &c. 6 Vol. in fol. Norimbergæ, 1493. It has been several times reprinted, in 1495, - 96. 1502, -8, -28, -45, -88, -89. 1617, 1634. It is needless to swell this Catalogue with a List of all the Bibles printed to the Year 1517, or 1522, when the Complutensian Polyglot was published. They who had the Direction of this Edition took abundantly more care of it, than others had taken of the former Editions. Next to this came Robert Stephens’s Editions of 1528, -32, -34, -40, -45, -46, &c. which were preferable to all others for their Exactness. The Divines of Paris censured the Editions of this eminent Printer published before 1547 and 1548. But their Censure falls only on the Notes and Abstracts; wherein they believed they had observed some Faults. These Censures were answered by the Printer, with much Acrimony, in his Reply, printed in French and Latin, in 1552.
Biblia Latina, cum Annotationibus, & Interpretatione propriorum nominum Hebraicorum, in fol. Paris. 1532. Ex Officinâ Rob. Stephani. This Edition has been several times reprinted.
Biblia Latina, ejusdem Rob. Stephani, 1540, in fol. This is the best of all Stephens’s Editions, whether we consider the Beauty of the Character and the Accuracy of it, or the Notes, Plates, &c.
Biblia Latina, Franc. Gryphii, in 8vo. 1541. & in fol. 1550. Elegentissima.
Biblia Latina Joan. Benedicti, cum Scholiis ad Marginem, &c. Ex Officinâ Simonis Colinæi, Paris. 1541. It has been several times reprinted, in 1549, -52, -58, -64, 65, -67, -70.
Biblia Latina, Authore Isidoro Clario Benedictino, cum Scholiis, &c. in fol. Venet. 1542. In this Edition the Old Testament is corrected from the Hebrew, and the New from the Greek. The Notes are for the most part taken from Sebastian Munster. The Author himself confesses that he had the Advantage of other Men’s Labours, but does not speak of Munster, who was a Protestant, and whose Name was odious to the Roman-Catholicks. Munster’s Bible appeared in 1535, and in 1546, as we have observed before, speaking of Hebrew Bibles. Clarius’s Preface and Prolegomena were put into the Index; for which Reason we do not find them in the Edition of 1564.
Biblia Latina, in 8vo. Paris. ex Officinâ Rob. Stephani, 1545. This Edition is very beautiful, in a very fair Character, and printed in two Columns; the Vulgate Edition in one, and that of Zurich in the other; with Vatablus’s Notes, as they are generally reputed to be, and some Various Readings in the Margin. In these Notes Robert Stephens discovered his Calvinistical Opinions, and endeavoured to pass them upon the World under Vatablus’s Name, who was the King’s Hebrew Professor at Paris. This Professor never wrote any Notes, but Bertin le Comte, one of his Scholars, was directed by Robert Stephens to collect all the Explanations of this learned Man, which, as we have just now observed, he printed. Vatablus, who was then living, and a zealous Catholick, was so enraged, that he took Robert Stephens in hand, and caused an Action to be brought against him; but he dying in 1547, this Affair was not terminated. Good Use may be made of these Notes, as they are purged by the Doctors of Salamanca, in their Editions, printed in two Vols. fol. at Salamanca, in the Year 1584, and several times since reprinted. This Edition of Robert Stephens has been since frequently reprinted, viz. in 1567, 1588, 1605.
Biblia Latina ad Vetustissima Exemplaria recens castigata, in fol. Lovanii, 1587. John Hentenius had a great Share in this Edition. It is printed principally from Robert Stephens’s of 1540. Hentenius has inserted many Various Readings in the Margin. This is the celebrated Bible of the Louvain Doctors, which has been so often reprinted. The Edition of 1574 is reputed the best and most exact. Francis Lucas of Bruges, John Molam, Augustin Hunneus, Cornelius Reiners, Goudanus, and John Harlem, were principally concerned in it, and added many Various Readings to it. The Antwerp Edition by Plantin, of 1583, with the Notes of Luke of Bruges, is likewise very much esteemed.
Biblia Latina cum Scholiis Joan. Benedicti adjectis Lemmatibus, & Præfatione Renati Benedicti. Paris. in fol. Joan. Macæi, 1564, & 1566. The Edition of 1573, procured by the Divines of Paris, particularly by James le Fevre, is reputed one of the best.
Biblia Sacra Vulgatæ Editionis ad Concilii Trid. præscriptum emendata, & à Sixto V. Pontif. Max. recognita & approbata, in fol. Romæ, ex Typographiâ Apost. Vaticanâ, 1590. This is Sixtus V’s celebrated Edition, which is so rare and so dear. This was designed by Pope Sixtus to be a Standard for all the Latin Editions of the Bible; but Clement VIII. had it corrected and published again in 1592, and this last at present passes for the only true and authentick Vulgate, was declared to be the true Scripture by the Council of Trent, and has been since very often printed in all Parts of Europe.
The Persons employed in this Edition were Anthony Colonna, William Allen, Bartholemew de Miranda, Bellarmin, Francis Tolet, Augustin Valerius, Frederick Borromeo, Angelus Rocca, who all deserve particular Encomiums for the Pains they have taken.
Anthony Colonna was of the illustrious Family of the Colonna’s. He was born at Rome, and studied under Felix Montalto, afterwards Sixtus V. He was made Cardinal by Pius IV.; and Pius V. made him Archbishop of Salerno. He died in 1557.
William Allen, an Englishman of Lancashire. He studied at Oxford, went to Louvain, was afterwards made Doctor at Doway, Archbishop of Malines, and Cardinal by Sixtus V. He died in 1594, at 63 Years of Age. He was a zealous Defender of the Catholick Religion in the English Schism under Queen Elizabeth, as we may judge by his Polemical Works, whereof we have a Catalogue in M. Dupin’s Tables, tom. 1. p. 1353.
Bartholemew Miranda, a Spaniard, and a Dominican, died in 1597. Gregory XIV. employed him in the Edition of the Bible. He is known only upon this occasion, and Nicholas Antonio says nothing of him in his Bibliotheca Hispanica.
Augustin Valerius, who was a Venetian, was born in 1531. He was Bishop of Verona, and made Cardinal by Gregory XIII. He had the chief Direction of the Edition of the Bible under Clement VIII. He had a good Knowledge of the Belles Lettres and Divinity, and was well versed in the learned Languages. His Death happened in 1606.
Frederick Borromeo, of the illustrious Family of the Borromeo’s, was educated by St. Charles, his Relation, in the Study of the Sciences, and the Practice of Virtue. He made mighty Progress under so great a Master. Sixtus V. made him a Cardinal, and Clement VIII. Archbishop of Milan. He died in 1631, after having been a Pattern to all Prelates by his Piety and Learning. He very much increased the famous Ambrosian Library at Milan. We have several Works by him, whereof a Catalogue may be seen in M. Dupin’s Tables, tom. 2. p. 1742.
Angelus Rocca, an Italian, of the March of Ancona, studied at Rome, Venice, and Padua. He turned Hermit of St. Austin, and was afterwards made Bishop of Tagasta. He understood Hebrew and Chaldee; had read a great deal, and was very eloquent; but he did not make a proper choice of Authors, which, as well as dubious Pieces, he made use of indifferently; as M. Dupin says, in his 17th Century, tom. I. p. 175. See likewise M. Baillet, in his Jugemens des Savans, tom. 2. Rocca died in 1620, at 75 Years of Age. We shall speak of Bellarmine and Tolet in another Place.
Biblia Latina cum glossis Hugonis Cardinalis, 8 Vol. in fol. apud Sessaf. 1600.
Biblia Latina in fol. Antwerpiæ, Joan. Moreti, 1603. There are many Emendations at the End, collected by Luke of Bruges.
Biblia Lat. variarum translationum Studio Fortunati Schacchi Fanensis, 2 Vol. in fol. Venet. 1609. The same Bible, with some more Translations, was printed in three Vols. in fol. at Antwerp, 1616. Laurentius Beyerlinck, so well known on the score of his famous Theatre of Human Life, had the care of this Impression.
Biblia Latina, cum Versione Gallica DD. Lovan. in fol. Paris. 1615.
Biblia Lat. cum glossâ ordinariâ Strabi Fuldensis, Postillis Nicolai de Lyra, additionibus Pauli Burgensis, &c. operâ Theologorum Duacenorum 6 Vol. in fol. Duaci Balthazar Beller. 1617. The Antwerp Edition of 1634 is the best of all.
Biblia Sacra, cum Scholiis Joan. Marianæ, & Notationibus Emmanuelis Sa, addito Petri Lansselii Supplemento, 2 Vol. in fol. Antwerp. 1624.
Biblia Sacra cum expositionibus priscorum Patrum, collectore & Scholiaste Franc. Haræo, in fol. Antwerp. 1630.
Biblia Lat. cum brevi Explicatione Stephani Menochii, 2 Vol. in fol. Coloniæ, Agrippinæ, 1630.
Biblia magna Commentariorum Joan. Gagnæi, Gulielmi Estii, Emmanuelis Sa, Joan. Menochii, & Jacobi Tirini, curâ Joan. de la Haye, 5 Vol. in fol. Paris. 1643. This Collection is much more esteemed than that published at Paris in 1660, by the same F. de la Haye, under the Name of Biblia maxima, in 19 Vols. in fol. The Author has inserted very little of his own, and in what he calls Concordances, which is properly his own Work, there is very little Order, Clearness, or Exactness, without taking notice of the false Printings, which are very numerous. There is nothing added besides the Comment of Nicholas Lyra, the Various Readings of the Oriental Versions, and some Latin Versions, without any Choice or Judgment. The Prolegomena are pretty good, but too diffuse. In a word, the whole Edition is very faulty.
Biblia Latina, 8 Vol. in fol. Paris. è Typographiâ Regia, 1642. This Bible is more for Shew than Use.
Biblia Latina, jussu Cleri Gallicani, denuò Edita 8 Vol. in 12mo. Paris. Antonii Vitré, 1652. This Bible abounds with false Printings.
Biblia Latina Notis chronologicis & historicis illustrata, & sacrâ chronologiâ additâ quoque geographiâ, in fol. Paris. Antonii Vitré, 1662. F. Claude Lancelot, a Benedictine, procured this Edition. The Chronology of it is Usher’s, and the Geography Samson’s. This is one of the most beautiful and most commodious Bibles.
Biblia Latina Notis chronologicis & historicis illustrata, in 4to. Paris. Anton. Vitré, 1666. It is taken from that of 1662, and procured by the same Lancelot: But instead of Samson’s Geography, he gives that of Lubin, and abridges the Chronological Tables of the Edition in fol.
Biblia Latina, litteralibus & moralibus Commentariis illustrata, per Antonium de Escobar & Mendoça, 9 Vol. Lugduni, 1667.
Biblia Latina, cum brevi explicatione Gallicâ Marci de Berulle juxta Sensum literalem, 2 Vol. in fol. Gratianopoli, 1681.
Biblia Latina, cum versione Gallicâ Isaac le Maistre de Saci, & brevibus Notis, 3 or 5 Vols. in fol. Leodii, Broncard. 1701, & 1702. Item, 16 Vol. in 12mo. Paris. Desprez, 1696, - - - 1702.
Biblia Latinâ cum brevissimis & selectis Annotationibus Joan. Baptistæ Duhamel. in fol. This would be beautiful and commodious, if it did not abound with false Printings.
Biblia Latina, à Sanctè Pagnino Ordinis Prædicat. in 4to. Lugdun. 1527, 1528.
This Edition is the Work of twenty-five Years. It had the Approbation of Popes, and of all learned Men, even among the Protestants. There has been an infinite number of Editions of it. Arias Montanus had it printed, with his interlineary Corrections, over the Hebrew Text in the Polyglots of Antwerp: And tho’ many have found fault with the barbarous Terms wherewith he disfigured the Version of Pagninus, it must be confessed notwithstanding that his Method has its Advantages; and the several Editions of his Interlineary Bible shew that the Publick had a good Opinion of it.
Biblia Latina ex Hebræo de verbo adverbum. interprete Thoma Malvenda Ord. Prædicat. cum ejus Commentariis, 5 Vol. in fol. Lugd. 1650. This Author published his Bible and Comment no farther than to Ezekiel. His Comments are very well esteem’d, and very literal, but rare, because the Edition of them was almost entirely burnt at Lyons. His Method of translating scrupulously Word for Word, obliges him in many Places to make use of barbarous Terms, obsolete, or invented at pleasure, and such as could never be understood, without putting others all along more intelligible, and more like Latin in the Margin.
Biblia Latina curâ & studio Thomæ de Vio Card. Cajetani, 5 Vol. in fol. Cardinal Cajetan did not understand the Languages, but in composing his Translation he made use of two Men who did understand them, one a Jew, the other a Christian: By these he had the Hebrew Text explained to him, having several Dictionaries of the same Language before him. In this Manner he made his Translation, and afterwards his Comments. This he himself informs us of in the Beginning of his Comment on the Psalms. He translated only the Pentateuch, Joshua, Judges, the Books of Samuel and Kings, Chronicles, Esdras, Nehemiah, Job, the Psalms, the Proverbs of Solomon, and the three first Chapters of Isaiah. His Comments keep close to the Letter; and tho’ he was not perfectly acquainted with the original Languages, he has sometimes succeeded very happily in his Translation.