herefore, to apply himself to the
translation of the Sacred Scriptures from the Latin Vulgate into the
French language. In June, 1523, he published a version of the four
gospels, and in the autumn of the same year he gave to the world the
rest of the New Testament. Five years later he added a translation of
the Old Testament. It was a magnificent undertaking, prompted by a
fervent desire to promote the spiritual interests of his countrymen. In
its execution, the inaccuracies incident to so novel an enterprise, and
the comparative harshness of the style, can readily be forgiven. For,
aside from its own merits, the version of Lefevre d'Etaples formed the
basis for the subsequent version of Robert Olivetanus, itself the
groundwork of many later translations.

[Sidenote: The translation eagerly bought.]

[Sidenote: Delight of Lefevre.]

Lefevre and his associates had not erred in anticipating remarkable
results from the publication of the Scriptures in the language of the
people. The copies of the New Testament no sooner left the press than
they were eagerly bought. They penetrated into obscure hamlets to which
no missionary of the "new doctrines" could find access. By the
wool-carders of Meaux the prize thus unexpectedly placed within reach
was particularly valued. The liberality of Bishop Briconnet is said to
have freely supplied copies to those who were too poor to afford the
purchase-money. The prelate introduced the French Scriptures into the
churches of Meaux, where the unparalleled innovation of reading the
lessons in an intelligible tongue struck the people with amazement. "You
can scarcely imagine," wrote the delighted Lefevre to a distant
friend,[155] "with what ardor God is moving the minds of the simple, in
some places, to embrace His word since the books of the New Testament
have been published in French, though you will justly lament that they
have not been scattered more widely among the people. The attempt has
been made to hinder the work, under cover of the authority of
parliament; but our most generous king has become in this matter the
defender of Christ's cause, declaring it to be his pleasure that his
kingdom shall hear the word of God freely and without hinderance in the
language which it understands. At present, throughout our entire
diocese, on feast-days, and especially on Sunday, both the epistle and
gospel are read to the people in the vernacular tongue, and the parish
priest adds a word of exh