thereby. The Holy Spirit who inspired the sacred writers may be
trusted so to direct men's hearts and spirits that they may read
aright what He has written; and it is folly and presumption to
think that man may improve upon the Word of God."

"But there are errors in all versions of the Scriptures, are there
not--in all translations from the original tongue?"

Magdalen was now the speaker, and she looked earnestly at Clarke,
as though his words were words of the deepest wisdom, from which
there was no appeal.

"Errors in all--yes; but our Latin version is marvellously true to
the original, and when Wycliffe translated into English he was far
more correct than Tyndale has been. But it is the Tyndale
Testaments which have had so wide a sale of late in this country,
and which have set London in commotion--these and the writings of
Martin Luther, which the men from the Stillyard have brought up the
river in great quantities. But be the errors never so great, I call
it a shameful and a sinful thing, one that the Holy Church of olden
days would never have sanctioned--that the Word of God should be
publicly burnt, as an unholy and polluted thing, in presence of the
highest ecclesiastics of the land. In truth, I hold it a crime and
a sin. I would that such a scene might even now be averted."

"I should well like to see it!" spoke Dalaber, with that eager
impetuosity which characterized his movements. "I hate the thing
myself, yet I would fain see it, too. It would be something to
remember, something to speak of in future days, when, perchance,
the folly of it will be made manifest.