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NOTES AND QUERIES. [n s. m. APRIL 13, 1911.
BIBLES WITH CURIOUS READINGS.
IN this Tercentenary year an enumeration of curious readings in some editions of the Bible may be of interest.
The "Bugge Bible," 1535. In Coverdale's translation of Psalm xc. we find : "So y fc thou shalt not nede to be affrayed for eny bugges by night nor for arrowe that flyeth by daye." The reading in the A.V. <(xci. 5) is " terrors." The old word " bugges," .as is well known, merely signified bugbears, objects of terror.
The " Breeches Bible," 1560. Gen. iii. 7 reads : " Then the eies of them both were opened, and they knew that they were snaked, and they sewed figge tree leaves together and made themselves breeches," instead of " aprons."
The " Placemakers' " Bible, 1561-2. Matt. v. 9 reads : " Blessed are the place- makers ; for they shall be called the children ,of God," instead of " peacemakers."
The " Treacle Bible," 1568. Jer. viii. 22 treads : "Is there not treacle at Gilead ? Is there no physician there ? " instead of " balm."
The " Rosin " Bible, 1609, in the same verse reads : "Is there no rosin in Gilead ? "
The " Great He Bible." This is the first .edition of the A.V., 1611. It is so called because in Ruth iii. 15 the verse ends " and he went into the city."
The " Great She Bible." The second -edition, 1611-13, where the reading is " and she went into the city."
The " Printers' Bible," c. 1612-13. Psalm cxix. 161 reads : " Printers have
" Printers' Bible,"
cxix. 161 reads :
persecuted me without a cause," instead of
" Princes." For the date of this Bible see
US. ii. 408, 475.
The " Wicked Bible," 1631. Named from its omission of the word " not " in the Seventh Commandment. It is an edition printed in small type, prefaced with the " Booke of Common Prayer," and having appended the " Booke of Psalmes," done into " English meeter " by Sternhold and Hopkins, " with apt notes to sing them withall."
The " Unrighteous Bible," 1653. 1 Cor. ^i. 9 reads : " Know ye not that the un- righteous shall inherit the kingdom of God," for " shall not inherit."
The " Vinegar Bible," 1717." The Par- able of the Vinegar," instead of the " Vine- yard," appears in the chapter-heading to Luke xx. in an Oxford edition of 1717.
The "Wicked Bible," the "Unrighteous Bible," and the " Vinegar Bible " are now
on view among the Bibles exhibited at the
British Museum.
The " Standing Fishes Bible," 1806. Ezek. xlvii. 10 reads : " And it shall come to pass that the fishes will stand upon it," instead of " fishers."
The " Discharge Bible," 1806. 1 Tim. v. 21 reads : "I discharge thee before God," instead of " charge."
The " Ears to Ear Bible," 1810. Matt, xiii. 43 reads : " Who hath ears to ear, let him ear."
The "Wife-hater Bible," 1810. Luke xiv. 26 reads : "If any man come to me, and hate not his father. . . .yea, and his own wife also," instead of " life."
The " Rebekah's Camels Bible," 1823. Gen. xxiv. 61 reads : " And Rebekah arose, and her camels" instead of " damsels."
TOM JONES.
[A list from another contributor contained the following additions :]
The " Religious Bible," 1637. This con- tains the word religious, instead of " rebel- lious," in Jer. iv. 17 : " Because she hath been rebellious against me, saith the Lord."
The "Bank Note Bible," 1796. An eccentric printer conceived the idea of printing the Scriptures entirely on bank- note paper, hence the name.
The "To-Remain Bible." When this Bible was in the press at Cambridge, the proof-reader, in doubt whether he should remove a comma, applied to his superior, who pencilled on the margin the words "to remain." This reply was transferred to the body of the text, so that Gal. iv. 29 reads : " Persecuted him that was born after the spirit to remain, even so it is now."
T. SHEPHERD.
ORDER FOR A BIBLE TEMP. JAMES I.
Among the uncalendared documents of the
Court of Requests, Bundle 377, Elizabeth
(various), is the following note, strayed
hither from the next reign :
" Mr. Knight. I pray you send me now by John Bruar a Byble in Quarto, in English with the Geneva notes, and ye singing Psalms in the end. 1 pray you let it be of the best print, well bounde in paste with green silk stringes. Let it be perfect in every respect, without defect or blemish. I have sent you for the same ten shillings. If ye price be more, Bruar shall give it you ; if lesse, I hope you will not take so much. Send mee in two words what ye price is of Epiphanius in Latin in folio of Basil print, and so for this tyme I commit you to ye protection of ye Almighty. Chippenham, ye last of December, 1607.
" Postscript. I pray you also send mee ye price of a Geneva Bible a good one in Quarto, at ye second
