An answer to a certain book, writtenAn answere to a certeine booke, written

Now let us come to the book of Psalms, which of all books of scripture is in your translation most corrupted, so as I may truly affirm that in some ⟨p. 305⟩one short Psalm in latin moe may be found, then you shall ever find in the Hebrew text of all the books of the Bible. Which came to pass by this means, for that in S. Jeromes days the other books in the latin translation were corrected according to the Hebrew, but this book only although it need as much correction as any other,¹ yet because it was in the corruptions thereof so generally used, as it could not be changed without much trouble and offence in the Church, was not dealt withal by S. Jerome, but suffered to remain as it was, and to carry still about with it those manifold & grievous sores, which should with diligence in time have been cured. This being by the best of your own side confessed, it is a wonder, that Genebrard your Hebrew Doctor of Paris would labour so much with all his wit and cunning to make some agreement between your translation & the text: wherein as he hath taken very great pains, so hath he showed himself in many places altogether ridiculous in devising such silly shifts, as he is enforced for some show of consent in the meaning, howsoever the words sound most diversly. And ⟨p. 306⟩when he hath searched all the corners of his head for reasonable expositions, yet is he fain oftentimes to give over, and let the words quietly pass without his construction. If I should gather and set down in particular discovery the corruptions of this book, this only work would be a volume of greater quantity, then is the Psalter it self. Therefore as hitherto I have done, so will I proceed, to take a little of much, and in certain evident examples of sundry places, set before the readers eyes how unworthy your translation of this book is to be called by the name of so worthy a scripture.

Now let vs come to the booke of Psalmes, which of all bookes of scripture is in your translation most corrupted, so as I maie truelie affirme that in some ⟨p. 305⟩one shorte Psalme in latine moe may be founde, then you shall euer finde in the Hebrew text of all the bookes of the Bible. Which came to passe by this meanes, for that in S. Ieromes daies the other bookes in the latine translation were corrected according to the Hebrewe, but this booke onely although it needde as much correction as any other,