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Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII - James Aitken Wylie

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ought greatly more with<strong>in</strong> reach <strong>of</strong> all classes<br />

than <strong>the</strong>y ever were before. Wicliffe's Bible existed<br />

only <strong>in</strong> manuscript, and its cost was so great that<br />

only noblemen or wealthy persons could buy it.<br />

Tyndale's New Testament was not much more than<br />

a twentieth part <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong> Wicliffe's version. A<br />

hundred years before, <strong>the</strong> price <strong>of</strong> Wicliffe's New<br />

Testament was nearly three pounds sterl<strong>in</strong>g; but<br />

now <strong>the</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>ted copies <strong>of</strong> Tyndale's were sold for<br />

three shill<strong>in</strong>gs and sixpence. If we compare <strong>the</strong>se<br />

prices with <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong> money and <strong>the</strong> wages <strong>of</strong><br />

labor at <strong>the</strong> two eras, we shall f<strong>in</strong>d that <strong>the</strong> cost <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> one was nearly forty times greater than that <strong>of</strong><br />

<strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r; <strong>in</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r words, <strong>the</strong> wages <strong>of</strong> a whole<br />

year would have done little more than buy a New<br />

Testament <strong>of</strong> Wicliffe's, whereas <strong>the</strong> wages <strong>of</strong> a<br />

fortnight would suffice for <strong>the</strong> laborer to possess<br />

himself <strong>of</strong> a copy <strong>of</strong> Tyndale's.<br />

Footnotes:<br />

1. Fox, vol. 4., p. 620.<br />

2. Latimer's Sermons.<br />

3. Fiddes, Life <strong>of</strong> Wolsey, p. 209 et seq. Burnet,<br />

81

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