Biberius Caldius Mero to Bickerstaff
Biberius Caldius Mero The punning nickname of Tiberius Claudius Nero. Biberius [Tiberius], drink-
loving, Caldius Mero [Claudius Nero], by metathesis for calidus mero, hot with wine.
Bible means simply a book, but is now exclusively confined to the Book of Books. (Greek, biblos,
a book.)
The headings of the chapters were prefixed by Miles Smith, Bishop of Gloucester, one of the
translators.
(i) BIBLES NAMED FROM ERRORS OF TYPE, or from archaic words:-
The Breeches Bible.
So called because Genesis iii. 7 was rendered, The eyes of them bothe were opened . . . . and they
sowed figge-tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches. By Whittingham, Gilby, and Sampson,
1579.
The Idle Bible, 1809. In which the idole shepherd (Zech. xi. 17) is printed the idle shepherd.
The
Bug Bible, 1551. So called because Psalm xci. 5 is translated, Thou shalt not be afraid of bugges [bogies]
by nighte.
The Great Bible. The same as Matthew Parker's Bible (q.v.).
The Place-maker's Bible.
So called from a printer's error in Matt. v. 9, Blessed are the placemakers [peace-makers], for they
shall be called the children of God.
The Printers' Bible makes David pathetically complain that the printers
[princes] have persecuted me without a cause (Ps. cxix. 161).
The Treacle Bible, 1549 (Beck's Bible), in
which the word balm is rendered treacle. The Bishops' Bible has tryacle in Jer. iii. 28; xlvi. 11; and
in Ezek. xxvii. 17.
The Unrighteous Bible, 1652 (Cambridge Press). So called from the printer's error,
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the Kingdom of God? (1 Cor. vi. 9).
The Vinegar Bible.
So called because the heading to Luke xx. is given as The parable of the Vinegar (instead of Vineyard).
Printed at the Clarendon Press in 1717.
The Wicked Bible. So called because the word not is omitted
in the seventh commandment, making it, Thou shalt commit adultery. Printed by Barker and Lucas,
1632.
To these may be added: the Discharge Bible, the Ears to Ear Bible, Rebecca's Camels Bible, the
Rosin Bible, the Standing Fishes Bible, and some others.
(ii) BIBLES NAMED FROM PROPER NAMES,
or dignities.
Bishop's Bible. The revised edition of Archbishop Parker's version. Published 1568.
Coverdale's
Bible, 1535. Translated by Miles Coverdale, afterwards Bishop of Exeter. This was the first Bible sanctioned
by royal authority.
Cranmer's Bible, 1539. This is Coverdale's Bible corrected by Archbishop Cranmer. It
was printed in 1540, and in 1549 every parish church was enjoined to have a copy under a penalty of
40s. a month.
The Douay Bible, 1581. A translation made by the professors of the Douay College for the
use of English boys destined for the Catholic priesthood.
The Geneva Bible. The Bible translated by the
English exiles at Geneva. The same as the Breeches Bible (q.v.).
King James's Bible. The Authorised
Version; so called because it was undertaken by command of James I. Published 1611.
Matthew Parker's
Bible, or The Great Bible, published in the reign of Henry VIII. under the care of Archbishop Parker and
his staff (1539-1541). In 1572 several prolegomena were added.
Matthews' Bible is Tindal's version. It
was so called by John Rogers, superintendent of the English churches in Germany, and was published
with notes under the fictitious name of Thomas Matthews, 1537.
The Mazarine Bible. The earliest book
printed in movable metal type. It contains no date. Copies have been recently sold from 3,900. Called
the Mazarine Bible from the Bibliothèque Mazarine, founded in Paris by Cardinal Mazarine in 1648.
Sacy's
Bible. So called from Isaac Louis Sacy (Le-maistre), director of the Port Royal Monastery. He was imprisoned
for three years in the Bastille for his Jansenist opinions, and translated the Bible during his captivity
(1666-1670).
Tyndale's Bible. William Tyndale, or Tindal, having embraced the Reformed religion, retired
to Antwerp, where he printed an English translation of the Scriptures. All the copies were bought up,
whereupon Tyndale printed a revised edition. The book excited the rancour of the Catholics, who strangled
the heretic and burnt his body near Antwerp in 1536.
Wyclif's Bible, 1380, but first printed in 1850.
(iii)
VERSIONS.
The Authorised Version, 1611. (See King James's Bible.)
The Revised Version. Published
in May, 1885. The work was begun in June, 1870, by twenty-five scholars, ten of whom died before the
version was completed. The revisers had eighty-five sessions, which extended over fourteen years.
Bible-backed Round-shouldered, like one who is always poring over a book.
Bible-carrier (A ). A pogram; creakshoes; or saint, in a scornful sense.
Of all bookes, they least respect the Bible. Many will have statute bookes, cronicles, yea play-bookes,
and such-like toyish pamphlets, but not a bible in their house or hands. . . Some vse to carry other
bookes with them to church . . . to draw away their mindes from hearing God's word when it is read
and preached to them. Some goe yet further, and will not suffer their wives, children, or other of their