Saxon Gospels is at least dual, and probably triple; more explicitly, that the Matthew is by one translator, the Mark and Luke by another, the John by a third (unless possibly by the translator of the Matthew); that the translator of the Matthew and the translator of the John were probably locally akin, possibly translating conjointly; and that the translator of the Mark and Luke was probably distant from the locality where the Matthew and the John were translated." Mr. Drake draws his conclusion from the following observations:
1. Matthew has a limited use (18 instances) of the weak form of heofon (as at vi, 20 on heofenan). No instance of this form is found in the other Gospels. John is distinguished from the other Gospels by the invariable use of the plural of heofon in translating the singular caelum.
2. Matthew has interchangeably underfōn (12 times) and onfōn (25 times). Mark and Luke have only onfōn, John agrees with Matthew in having both words, but has underfōn 22 times and onfōn only 3 times (i, 16; v, 34; xix, 30).
3. The use of willan after þæt to introduce purpose is infrequent in Matthew; it is lacking in Mark and Luke; it is excessive in John (see Notes vii, 32).
4. In the use of þǣra, þāra; þǣr, þār; hwǣr, hwar, Matthew has almost exclusively the forms in ǣ; Mark and Luke have almost exclusively those in ā; in John the two sets of forms are almost equally represented.
5. In Matthew and John autem is often rendered by witodlīce; this occurs but once in Mark (xiii, 31) and once in Luke (v, 15).
6. Matthew and John have cocc, rendering gallus; Mark and Luke have hana (except Mark xiii, 35 hancrede: galli cantu cf. Matthew xiv, 25 hancred: uigilia. See Notes xiii, 38).
