Yet it is only fair to remember that this much answer was made to the versions which were preparing the way for the greatest version of them all, and when the time came for the making of that version, and the helps were gathered together, the Douai was frankly placed among them. It is a peculiar irony of fate that while the purpose of Gregory Martin was to check the translation of the Bible by the Protestants, the only effect of his work was to advance and improve that translation. At last, as we shall see in our next study, the way was cleared for a free and open setting of the Bible into English. The way had been beset with struggle, marked with blood, lighted by martyr fires. Wiclif and Purvey, Tindale and Coverdale, the refugees at Geneva and the Bishops at London, all had trod that way. Kings had fought them or had favored them; it was all one; they had gone on. Loyal zest for their Book and loving zeal for the common people had held them to the path. Now it had become a highway open to all men. And right worthy were the feet which were soon treading it. FOOTNOTES: [1] Hoare, _Evolution of the English Bible_, p. 39. [2] Muir, _Our Grand Old Bible_, p. 24. [3] "Not least art thou, thou little Bethlehem In Judah, for in thee the Lord was born; Nor thou in Britain, little Lutterworth, Least, for in thee the word was born again." --_Sir John Oldcastle._ [4] _What Is the Bible?_, p. 45. [5] McGiffert, _Martin Luther_. [6] _Obedience of a Christian Man._ [7] Pollard, _Records of the English Bible_, p. 151. [8] The fourth reads in his version, "Blessed are they which hunger and thirst for righteousness"; the seventh, "Blessed are the maintainers of peace"; the eighth, "Blessed are they which suffer persecution for righteousness' sake." [9] _History of England_, end of chap. xii. [10] Herman Buschius. [11] This will mean the more to us when we realize that the literary men of the day despised the English tongue. Sir Thomas More wrote his _Utopia_ in Latin, because otherwise educated men would not deign to read it. Years later Roger Ascham apologized for writing one of his works in English. Putting the Bible into current English impressed these literary men very much as we would be impressed by putting the Bible into current slang. LECTURE II THE MAKING OF THE KING JAMES VERSION; ITS CHARACTERISTICS