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to rede the Gospel of Jesu Christ in the Englyshe
tonge that seven or eyght may heare, is rekened
of you the develles servise.
(ibid. C4 v )
The vituperative tone of these extracts may be Protestant,
but a later paragraph suggests that beneath the religious
fervour is a basic attitude to learning:
the lay men maye have myche more profyt of
hearynge of fyve wordes red in Englysh, that
they understand, then of v thousand wordes that
they do not understande, be they never so fynely
chopped champed or chanted.
(ibid. C6-C6v)
He belabours the same theme in A new boolce of spirituall
Physik extolling the virtues of King Lucius "the fyrst
christian kynge of our lande" who "caused many bookes of
latin to be translated into hys owne naturall tonge.,,2
This emphasis on reading and understanding for
oneself permeates all Turner's works, religious and
scientific. He makes it clear that he writes in English so
that he can be understood by his own countrymen, not
excluding those of his own birthplace, Northumberland.
31
Even the title to his English translation of The Cathechisme,
or maner to teach children and others the Christian fayth
states that it is "Easely to be understanded and read as
well of the people of the North Country, as others" (quoted
2William Turner, A new booke of spirituall PhYSik
(Rome, 1555), S.T.C. 24361, Fa!. 32V.