ler of thy mercy agaynst all the assaultes of the deuill. I see and knowledge that there is in my selfe no hope of saluation, but all my confidence, hope & trust, is in thy most mercifull goodnes. I haue no merites nor good workes, whiche I may alledge before thee. Of sinnes & euil workes (alas) I see a great heape: but yet thorow they mercy I trust to be in the nūber of thē to whō thou wilt not impute their sinnes: but wilt take & accept me for righteous & iust, & to be the inheritour of euerlasting life. Thou mercifull Lord waste borne for my sake: thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake: thou diddest teach, praye, and faste for my sake: all thy holy actions and workes thou wroughtest for my sake: thou sufferedst most greuous paines and torments for my sake: finally, thou gauest thy moste precious bodye and thy bloud to bee shed on the crosse for my sake. Now most mercifull Sauiour, let all these thinges profite me, that thou freely hast done for me, which haste geuen thy selfe also for me. Let thy bloude clense and washe away the spottes and foulnes of my sinnes. Let thy righteousnes hide and couer my vnrighteousnes. Let the merites of thy passion and bloudesheding be satisfaction for my sinnes. Geue me Lord thy grace that the fayth of my saluation in thy bloude, wauer not in me, but may euer be firme and constant: that the hope of thy mercye and life euerlasting neuer decaye in me: that loue waxe not colde in me: Finally, that the weaknes of my fleshe bee not ouercome with the feare of death. Graunt me mercifull Sauiour, that when death hath shutte vp the eyes of my bodye, yet the eyes of my soule may still beholde and looke vppon thee: and when death hath taken awaye the vse of my tounge, yet my harte may crye and say vnto thee: Lorde into thy handes I commende my soule: Lord Iesu receaue my spirite. Amen.

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MarginaliaThe death of the Lord Cromwell.And thus his prayer made, after hee had godly and louyngly exhorted them that were about hym on the scaffold, he quietly committed his soule into the handes of God, and so paciently suffered the stroke of the axe, by a ragged and butcherly miser, whiche very vngodly performed the office.

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ABout the tyme and yeare, when Edmund Boner Byshop of Hereford, and Ambassadour resident in Fraunce, began first to be nominate and preferred by the meanes of the Lord Cromwell, to the Byshopricke of London: which was, an. 1540.  

it happened that þ^e said Thomas Lord Cromwell & Earle of Essex,   procured of the kyng of England his gracious letters to the Frenche kyng, MarginaliaThe Bibles of the great volume Printed in Paris.to permit and licence a subiect of his to imprint the Bible in Englishe, within the Vniuersitie of Paris because paper was there more mete and apt to be had for the doyng therof, then in the Realme of England, and also that there were more store of good workemen for the ready dispatche of the same.   And in like maner at the same tyme þ^e sayd kyng wrote vnto his Ambassadour, who then was Edmūd Boner Byshop of Herford lying in Paris, that hee should ayde and assiste þ^e doers therofMarginaliaThe doers hereof were Rich. Graftō and Whytchurche. in all their reasonable sutes. The which Bishop outwardly shewed great frendshyp to the marchaūtes that were the imprinters of þ^e same,   and moreouer dyd diuers and sundry tymes call and cōmaund the sayd persons to bee in maner dayly at his table both dynner and supper, MarginaliaEdm. Boner a great furtherer in printing the Bibles in Englishe.& so much reioysed in þ^e workemanship of þ^e sayd Bible, that he him selfe would visite þ^e imprinters house where þ^e same Bibles were printed, & also would take parte of such dynners as the Englishemen there had, and that to his cost, whiche, as it semed, he litle wayed. MarginaliaThe new Testamnet in Englishe and Latin put in print by Boner.And farther the sayd Boner was so feruent that he caused the sayd Englishemen to put in print a new Testament in Englishe and Latine   and him selfe tooke a great many of them and payd for them and gaue them to his frendes. And it chaunced the meane tyme, while the sayd Bible was in printyng, MarginaliaEdm. Boner made Byshop of London.that kyng Henry the viij. preferred the sayd Boner from the Bishopricke of Herford, to be Byshop of London,   at whiche tyme the sayd Boner accordyng to the statute law of Englād, tooke his othe to the king   knowledgyng his supremacie, and called one of the aforesayd Englishemen that printed the Bible, whom he then loued, although afterward vppon the chaunge

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of the worlde hee did hate him asmuch, whose name was Richard Grafton: to whom the sayd Boner sayd when hee tooke his othe, MarginaliaBoners wordes to Grafton, when hee tooke hys othe to the kyng.M. Grafton, so it is, that the kynges moste excellent maiestie hath by his gracious gift presented me to the Byshopricke of London, for the whiche I am sory, for if it would haue pleased hys grace, I could haue bene well cōtent to haue kept mine old Bishopricke of Herford. Then said Grafton, I am right glad to heare of it, and so I am sure wil be a great nomber of the Citie of London: for thoughe they yet know you not, yet they haue heard so much goodnes of you from hence, as no doubt they will hartely reioyce of your placyng. Then sayd Boner, I pray God I may do that may content them, and to tell you M. Grafton, MarginaliaBoner reproueth Stokesley for his persecutyng.Before God (for that was cōmonly his othe) the greatest fault that I euer found in Stokesly,  

was for vexing and troublyng of poore men, as Lobley   the booke bynder and other, for hauing the Scripture in English, and God willyng hee did not so much hynder it, MarginaliaBoners promise to set forth the Scripture in English.but I will asmuch further it, and I wil haue of your Bibles set vp in the Churche of Paules   at the least in sondry places vi. of them, and I will pay you honestly for them & geue you hartie thākes. Which wordes he then spake in the hearyng of diuers credible persons, as Edmund Stile Grocer, and other. But now M. Grafton at this tyme I haue specially called you to be a witnes with me that vpō this translation of bishops Sees, MarginaliaBoner sweareth hartely to the kynges supremacie.I must accordyng to the statute take an oth vnto þ^e kyngs maiestie knowledging his supremacy, which before God I take with my harte and so thinke him to be, and besech almighty God to saue hym, and long to prosper his grace: holde the booke syrah, and read you the othe (said he) to one of his Chappleines, and he layd his hand on the booke and so tooke his othe. And after this hee shewed great frendshyp to the sayd Grafton and to his partener Edward Whitchurche, MarginaliaMyles Couerdall corrector in printyng the Bible of the large volume.but specially to Myles Couerdall, who was the corrector of the great Bible.  

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Now, after that the aforesaid letters were deliuered, the Frenche kyng gaue very good wordes,  

& was well content to permit the doyng thereof. And so the printer went forwarde and printed forth the booke euen to the last part, & then was there a quarell picked to the printer, and he was sent for to the Inquisitors of the fayth,   and there charged with certeine Articles of heresie. MarginaliaThe printyng of the Bible stayd at Paris, throughe the practise of English Byshops.Then were sent for þ^e Englishmen that were at þ^e cost and charge therof, and also such as had the correctiō of the same, whiche was Myles Couerdall: but hauyng some warnyng what would folowe, the sayd Englishemen posted away as fast as they could to saue them selues, leauyng behynde them all their Bibles, whiche were to the number of xxv.C. called the Bibles of the great Volume, and neuer recouered any of thē, MarginaliaEnglishe Bibles burnt at Paris.sauyng that the Lieutenaunt criminall hauyng them deliuered vnto him to burne in a place of Paris (like Smithfield) called Maulbert place, was somewhat moued with couetousnes, and sold iiij. great dry fattes   of thē to a Haberdasher to lappe in cappes   , and those were bought agayn, but the rest were burned, to the great and importunate losse of those that bare the charge of them. But notwithstandyng the sayd losse, after they had recouered some part of the aforesayd bookes, and were well comforted and encouraged by the Lord Cromwell, MarginaliaHow Grafton and Whytechurche became Printers.the sayd Englishemen went agayne to Paris, and there gotte the presses, letters, and seruauntes of the aforesayd Printer,   and brought them to London, and there they became Printers them selues   (whiche before they neuer entended) and Printed out the said Bible   in Lōdon, and after that Printed sundry impressions of thē: but yet not without great trouble and losse, for the hatred of the Bishops namely Steuen Gardiner, and his felowes, who mightly did stomacke and maligne the Printyng therof.

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Here by the way, for the more direction to the story  

, thou hast louing reader, to note and vnderstand that in those dayes there were ij. sundry Bibles in Englishe,