large in the Second Chapter) nor Dr. Heylyn, nor any of their numerous Adverfaries, obferves any thing of that Nature, even when they had the faireft Occafions fo to do,

CHA P. XXIII.

Of the English Editions of the Articles printed

T

in 1571.

HE Convocation having perfected what they undertook with refpect to the Text, both Latin and English, and the Queen having given her Royal Affent, the Articles were published in both Languages in the Year 1571, as the Latin Copy of Day, and Eight English ones, which are all of them exhibited in the Collation, do exprefly teftify. I fhall therefore confider thefe Editions, beginning with the English.

In the first place I obferve (and this Obfervation is of greater Importance, than the Reader perhaps will readily believe) that the Copies C, D, E, are of the very fame Impreffion. This is evident from the Workmanship, even to Demonftration.

For when a Book is reprinted, tho' the Compofitor follows a printed Copy, and fets Page for Page, yet conftant Experience proves, that he will fometimes drive out, and at other times get in, a Word or a Syllable in a Line, or perhaps a Line in a Page. He will alfo very frequently, perhaps feveral times in a Line, in fpight of all his Care, fet wider or clofer than the Copy he follows. None that knows any thing of Printing, can doubt of thefe Matters. Now in the Copies C, D, E, the Distance between Words is exactly the fame throughout; nor is there one Letter driven

out or got in, in any one Line of either the Title or the Body of any one Article from the first to the laft br

Again, when a Book is reprinted, even tho' the Compofitor fhould be fo exact, as to fet not only Page for Page, but even Line for Line, and Space for Space, according to the printed Copy he follows (of which notwithstanding, I dare fay, there hever was a fingle Inftance in the whole World) yet no Man in his Wirs will believe, that he can alfo fix the fame blind or battered Letters, form the very fame Crookedneffes in Lines or Words, make the very fame Letters lean or ftand diforderly, and fecure all other accidental Notices, whereby the Identity or Diversity of Impreffions may be, and always is, difcovered by fuch as are skilful in the practical and mechanical Part of Printing; I fay no Mortal will believe, that a Compofitor ean fet fo many Characteristics precifely in the very fame Places, in which they ftand in the printed Copy he follows. And yet in the Copies C, D, E, there is fo vaft a Variety of thefe Particulars, as can't perhaps be eafily matched in any other Book of fo few Pages,

,་:

I fhall by no means pretend to enumerate them all ('tis not worth my while to endevor it) but I will point at fo many, and thofe very commonly so minute (fome of them bare Scratches of the Bodkin) as will (I am confident) abundantly fatisfy the Reader.

I have taken notice before, in the Introduction, that the Title Page of each of thefe Copies, and the Blank on the Backfide of it, are accounted two; fo that the Articles begin on that which is numbred the third Page. Now in

Page 3. Line 2. there is a battered n in Trinitie. 15. battered e in Eternitie.

16, battered e in Sonne.

P. 4.

P. 4. 1. 15. battered &.

18. near the End it is crooked.

p. 5. 1. 13. battered f.

24.i without a Point on the Top.

p. 6. 1. 6. battered, and b with a fhort Top. 7. f without a middle Strokę.

8. k with a fhort Top.

11. battered M.

p. 7. l. 10. battered s

p. 8. 1. 5. the Word fenfualitie is crooked. 12. crooked.

p. 9. 1. 5. the full Point below Line. 22. battered b,

p. 1o. 1. 4. crooked.

15. clearey for clearly.

p. 11. 1. 1o. comdemned.

p. 12. 1. 4. full Point above Line.
P. 13. 1. 21. battered &.

P. 14. 1. 7. full Point above Line.'
P. 15. 1. 3. a below Line in man.
13. battered t and n in tongue.

p. 16. 1. 1. the End crooked.
P. 17..1.

9. battered c.

21. battered a.

28. blind s.

p. 18. 1. 16. battered d.

23. battered i.

p. 19. 1. 1. a Space appears after do.

battered b.

2. two battered e

12. battered e.

14. battered ft.

18. battered C.

p. 20. the Beginnings of the Three first Lines rife.

1. 4. battered P.

9. battered l

P. 20. 1. 24. battered t.

p. 21. 1. 21. battered T..

24. battered e.

p. 22. the fame Crookedness in the Line of ini-. tial Letters of the Titles of the Homilies, 1. 6. battered g.

14. i without its Point.

p. 23. 1. 13. battered,

P. 24. 1, 14. blotted i.

23. battered C.

p. 25. Ratific. 1. 1. battered A.

1. 2 battered e.

4, 5. afcent.

8. battered f.

Two fingles for a W.

9. battered A, w, d.

13. Two battered e'.

Table, the fame Crookedness of the Line of O

in each Page. 1. 1. battered f,

21. battered f

Whofoever confiders this Table, will, if he understands any thing of the Printers Trade, inftantly own, that C, D, E, are of the fame Impreffion.

There are Two Objections, I confefs, againft this my Affertion, to which, for the fake of fuch as are unacquainted with these Matters, I will beg leave to return an Answer.

Firft, There are fome fmall Diversities in these Three Copies. 1. In the Copy E (in the Word Trinitie in the Title of the First Article) the laft e, and (in the Word man in the Title of the Eleventh Article) the Letter », have not long Tails, as they have in C and D. 2. There is no full Point at the End of the First Articlę in E. 3. The Two first

Sylla

Syllables of the Word folowed (in the laft Line fave one of the Seventeenth Article) lean backward in C and D, but not in E. 4. In the Title of the Thirty eighth Article and t are diftinct Letters in D and E, but they are expreffed by a Ligature in C. 5. In the Title of the Thirty ninth Article the Word Chriftian is fairly printed in C and D, with the Ligature ft in the middle of it; but in E the firfti is omitted, and inftead of a Ligature sand t are diftin&t Letters. Perhaps there may be other Inftances of the fame trifling Nature. But one thing is very remarkable. There is in the Copy E, and in no other whatsoever, a Reference to St. Auftin in the Margin of the Twenty ninth Article. Now from all these Particulars perhaps fome Perfons may fufpect, that E is not of the fame Impreffion with C and D.

But I defire them to confider, that nothing is more common, than for Printers to unlock the Form, whilft an Impreffion is working off, to correct a Fault, to change a battered Letter, or the like. Thus might the full Point be added in the Clofe of the ift Art. Thus might a Ligature be put in the Title of the 35th Article. Thus might e and n be changed in the Places abovefaid. For tho' they do not appear fuch in any of the Copies I used; yet doubtless in other Copies thofeLetters had been battered. With respect to the Word folowed,when a Form is unlocked upon the Prefs upon any Account, Lines or Letters are frequently difturbed thereby, and pafs unregarded through an Impreffion. And as for the Reference to St. Auftin in the Margin of the Twenty ninth Article, it might eafily be removed, tho' the whole Impreffion remained in all other Refpects untouched, and the very fame, even to a Line, a Word, a Letter, or the fmalleft Point.