On 4th May 1530, therefore, at St. Paul’s Cross, in the Churchyard, these Testaments were publicly burned. Burnet says: “This burning had such a baleful appearance in it, being generally called a burning of the Word of God, that people from thence concluded there must be a visible contrariety between that book and the doctrines of those who kindled it, by which both their prejudice against the clergy and their desire of reading the New Testament were increased.” Men said to one another that the book “was not only faultless, but very well translated, and was devised to be burnt because men should not be able to prove such faults as were at Paul’s Cross declared to have been found in it were never found there indeed, but untruly surmised.” Commenting in after-years upon the carping criticisms that were passed on his work, Tyndale said: “There is not so much as one _i_ therein if it lack a tittle over his head, but they have noted it, and number it unto the ignorant people for an heresy.” CHAPTER V. _A MAN WITHOUT A PATTERN, BUT WITH MANY IMITATORS._ “This Book, this Holy Book, in every line Marked with the seal of high Divinity, On every leaf bedewed with drops of love Divine and with the eternal heraldry And signature of God Almighty stamped From first to last; this ray of sacred light, This lamp from off the everlasting throne, Mercy took down, and in the night of time Stood casting in the dark her gracious bow, And ever more beseeching men with tears And earnest sighs to read, believe, and live.” --POLLOCK. CURIOSITIES OF TRANSLATION--ANCIENT VERSIONS--THE BOOK THAT TURNS THE HEART INSIDE OUT--TYNDALE’S QUALIFICATIONS--HIS PUNGENT GLOSSES. A few pages may perhaps be devoted to those who had preceded Tyndale in the work of translation, but for all practical purposes, as it will be seen, they were of no aid to the work of Tyndale. As an example of the errors of translators a few specimens may be subjoined, without any attempt at preserving the order of time. Although of a later date, they indicate the difficulties that beset the work and the dangers into which the unwary were liable to fall. Among singular editions of the Scriptures there is one that was printed in London in 1551, and which is called the Bug Bible because Ps. xci. 5 is printed, “Thou shalt not be afraid of the bugges by night.” In 1561 an edition of the Bible was printed at Geneva; it is called the Breeches Bible because of its translating Gen. ii. 7 thus: “They sewed fig-leaves together and made themselves breeches.” But this was also done by an edition printed in 1568, in which also Jer. viii. 22 is rendered, “Is there no treacle in Gilead?” This word treacle was afterwards altered into rosin, and in 1611 rosin gave place to balm.