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lished in 1618, under Archbishop Abbo‘. About 30 years after(heir New Testament , the Roman CatKol.es published a translationof the Old at Doway, 1609 and 1(510, from the vulgate, with an-notations ; so that tin' English Roman Catholics have now thewhole Bible in their mother tongue; though it is to lie observed,thev are forbidden to read it without a licence from their supe-riois.

The last English Bible was that which proceeded from the Ilamp-ton-court conlercnce in 1603, where inaiiv exceptions being madeto the Bishop’s Bible, King James gave order for a new one ; not,as the preface expresses it, for a translation altogether new, nor yetto make a good one better, or of many good ones, one best. Fif-ty-four learned men were appointed tor this office by the king, asappears bv his letter to the archbishop, dated in 1604; whichbeing three years before the translation was entered upon, it is pro-bable seven’of them were either dead or had declined the task,since Fuller's list of the translators makes but forty-seven: whobeing ranged under six divisions, entered on their province in1607. It was published in 1613, with a dedication to James , anda learned preface, and is commonly called King James’s Bible .After this, all the Ollier versions dropped, ami fell into disuse, ex-cept the Epistles and Gospels in the Common Braver Book,which were still continued according to the Bishop’s translation tillthe alteration of the liturgy in 1661, and the Psalms and Hymns ,which are to this day continued as in the old version. The ju-dicious Selden,' in his Table Talk, speaking of the Bible , says,“ The English translation of the Bible is the best translation inthe world, and renders the sense of the original best, taking in forthe English translation the Bishop’s Bible, as well as lying James ’s-The translators in King James ’s time look an excellent way. Thatpart of the Bible was given to him who was most excellent in sucha tongue (as the Apocrypha to Andrew Downs,) and then thevmet together, and one read the translation, the rest holding intheir hands some bible either of the learned tongues, or French ,Spanish, Italian , Ac. If they found any fault, they spoke; if not,he read on.” King James’s Bible is that i.ow read by authorityin all the churches in Britain .

Bible, Gaelic. A few years ago, a version of the Bible , inthe Gaelic or Erse language, was published at Edinburgh , wherethe gospel is preached regularly in that language in two chapels,for the hem-lit of the natives of the Highlands. Irately a newand more correct edition of this'version has been published at theexpence of the British and Foreign Bible Society for the use of theHighlanders of Scotland .

Bible, Irish . About the middle of the 17th century, Bedell,bishop of Kihnove, set on foot a translation of the Old Testament into the Irish .language ; the New Testament and the Liturgy having been before translated into Unit language. The bishop ap-pointed one King, to execute this work, who, not understandingthe oriental languages, was obliged to translate it from the Eng-lish . This work was received by Bedell, who afterwards com-pared it with the Hebrew, LXX, and the Italian version ofDiodati. When it was finished, the bishop would have beenhimself at the charge of the impression, but his design w as stoppedupon advice, given to the lord lieutenant and the archbishop ofCanterbury , that it would seem a shameful thing for a nation topublish a Bible translated by such a despicable hand as King.However, the MS. was not lost, for it vent to press in 1(5,35, aridwas afterwards published. A new edition of this version is aboutto be printed at the expence ef the above excellent society.

Bibles, Welsh. There was a Welsh translation of the Bible made from the original in the time of Queen Elizabeth, in conse-ipience of a bill brought into the house of commons for this pur-pose, in 1563. It was printed in folio in 1583. Another version,which is the standard translation for that language, was printed in1650. It is called Parry’s Bible . An impression of this wasprinted in 1690, called Bishop Lloyd's Bible . f I h(*sc were infolio. The first Svo impression ot the Welch Bible was made in1620. A new edition of the \\ elsh Bible greatly improved, haslately been published at the expence of the British and ForeignBible Society .

Bible, Indian. A translation of (he Bible into the NorthAmerican Indian language, by Elriot, was published in 4to. atCambridge, in 1685.

Bibles, French. The oldest French Bible we hear of is theversion of Peter de Yanx, chief of the Waldenses, who lived about

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the vear 11 GO. Raoul de Pre-le translated the Bible into French in the reign of King Charles V. of France , about A. D. 1380.Beside- these, there are several old French translations otparticular parts of the Scriplure. The doctors of Eouvainpublished the Bible in French at Louvain , bv order ot theemperor Charles V. in 15.30. There is a version by Isaac 1cMaitrc de Sacy, published in 1(572, with explanations of the lite-ral and spiritual meaning of the text, which was received withwonderful applause, and has been often reprinted. Of the NewTestaments in French , winch have been printed separately, one ofthe most remarkable is that of F. Amelolte of the oratory, com-posed by the direction of some. French predates, and printed withannotations in 1666, 1667, and 1670. '1 he author pretends he hadsearched all the libraries in Europe , and collated the oldest MSS.But, in examining his work, it appears that he has produced noconsiderable various readings, which had not before been takennotice of, either in the London Polygiott or elsewhere. The New'Testament of Mons printed in 1665, with the archbishop of Cum-bra)’s permission, and the king *>f Spain ’s licence, made greatnoise in the world. It was condemned by Pope Clement IX. in1668, and by Pope Innocent XI. in 106<), and in several bishopricsof France at several times. The New Testament published at.Trevou.x in 1702, by M. Simon, with literal and critical annota-tions upon difficult passages, was condemned bv the bishops ofParis and Meaux in 1702. F. Bohonrs, a Jesuit, " with the assist-ance of F. F. Michael Tellier, and Peter Bernier, Jesuits likew ise,published a translation of the New Testament in 1697: but thistranslation is, for the most part, harsh and obscure, which wasowing to the author’s adhering too strictly to the Latin text.There are likewise French translations published by Protestant authors; one by Robert Peter Qiivetan, printed at Geneva in1535, and often reprinted with the corrections of John Calvin andothers; -another by Sebastian Castalio , remarkable for particularwav s of expression never used by good judges of the language.John Diodati likewise published a French Bible at Geneva in1644; but some find fault with bis method, in that lie rather pa-raphrases the text than translates it. Faber Stnpulensis translatedthe New Testament into French , which was revised and accom-modated to the use of the reformed churches in Piedmont, andprinted in 1.534. John Le Clerc published a New Testament inFrench at Amsterdam in 1703, with annotations taken chielly fromGrotius and Hammond; but the use of this version was prohibit-ed by order of the States-General, as tending to revive the errorsof Subellius and Socimis. Anew version of the Old and NewTestament, in elegant French , lias been lately published by theProfessors of Geneva.

Bibles, Spanish . The first Spanish Bible that we hear of isthat mentioned by Cyprian de Valera, which he says was publish-ed about 1500. The Epi.-tles and Gospels were published in thatlanguage by Ambrose de Montesin in 1512 ; the whole Bible byCassiodore de Reyna, a Calvinist, in 1569; and the New-Testa-ment, dedicated to the emperor Charles V. by Francis Enzinas,otherwise called Driander, in 1543. The first Bible , which wasprinted in Spanish for the use of the Jews , was that printed at Fer-rara in 1553, in the Gothic character, and dedicated to Herculesd’Este Duke of Ferrara. 'Phis version is very ancient, and wasprobably in use among the Jews of Spain , before Ferdinand andIsabella expelled them out of their dominions in 1492. Aftervery violent opposition from the Catholic clergy, the court ofSpain ordered Spanish Bibles to be printed by royal authority,(1796,) and put into the hands of the people ot ail ranks, as \n 11as to be used in public worship.

It will give pleasure to our readers to learn, that translations ofthe Bible in all the languages of India are now in a state of greatforwardness, under the direction of the Protestant Missionaries ofSerampore, and a society of learned and pious men at Cal-cutta .

BIBLIA , or B1BLIA PETR ARIA, in a military sense, de-notes a machine used bv the ancients for throwing stones or darts.

BIBL1ANDHR, Theodore, professor of divinity at Zurich ,in the 16th century. As he understood the oriental languages, heset about a new edition of the Koran : the text ol winch he cor-rected, bv collating the Arabic and Latin copies. To this editionhe subjoined the life of Mohammed and his successors ; and pre-fixed an apology, by way of preface, which has been much ex-claimed against.

BIBLIOGRAPHER,