rest in the Bible. In Catholic times educated
people, like priests, had read the Bible chiefly in Latin, though the
New Testament had been translated into English. But most of the people
could not even read. They knew the Bible stories only from the sermons
and teaching of the priests, and from the great number of statues of
Biblical kings and prophets which covered the beautiful churches of
the Middle Ages.

But the new Protestant teachers were much more enthusiastic about the
Bible. Many of them found the whole of their religion in its pages,
and were constantly quoting texts of Scripture. New translations of
the New Testament were made, and at last, in 1611, the wonderful
translation of the whole Bible known as the "Authorised Version,"
because it was the translation ordered and approved by the
Government, was published. About the same time a translation into
English was made for Catholics, and this was hardly less beautiful. It
is known as the "Douai Bible" because it was published at Douai by
Catholics who had fled from England.

From that time the Bible has been the book which English people have
read most, and it has had an immense influence on the English
language.

Even in the Middle Ages the Bible had given many new words to the
language. Names of Eastern animals, trees, and plants, etc., like
_lion_, _camel_, _cedar_, _palm_, _myrrh_, _hyssop_, _gem_, are
examples of new words learned from the Bible at this time.

But the translations of the Bible in the Reformation period had a much
greater effect than this. Many words which were already dying out were
used by the translators, and so kept their place in the English
language. Examples of such words are _apparel_ and _raiment_ for
"clothes." These words are not used so often as the more ordinary word
_clothes_ even now, but it is quite probable that they would have
passed out of use altogether if the translators of the Bible had not
saved them.

There are many words of this sort which were saved in this way, but
they are chiefly used in poetry and "fine" writing. We do not speak of
the "firmament" in an ordinary way; but this word, taken from the
first chapter of the Bible, is still used as a more poetical name for
_sky_.

But the translators of the Bible must also be put among the makers of
new English words. Sometimes the translator could not find what he
considered a satisfactory word to express the meaning of the Greek
word he wished to translate.