Welsh Version

Welsh Version The first edition of the New Test. was printed in London in 1567, in consequence of a law enacted by Parliament in 1562. The translation was made by William Salesbury, assisted by a certain Huet, a chanter of St. David's, and Dr. Richard Davies, bishop of the same place. In 1588 the entire Bible was given to the Welsh people, the Old Test. being translated by Dr. W. Morgan, afterwards bishop of St. Asaph, with the aid of several eminent scholars, who also revised Salesburv's version of the New Test. A new and, revised editionm was prepared by Dr. R. Parry, successor to the see of St. Asaph, and published in 1620. This edition was held in such high estimation that it has been used as the text of all succeeding editions. Being in folio, a small and portable edition was published in 1630, which, besides the Old and New Tests., contained the Apocrypha, the Book of Common Prayer, and a metrical version of the Psalms; the latter, which is still used in the Welsh churches, was prepared by Pryss, archdeacon of Merioneth. Of the editions of the whole Bible which have appeared from time to time we mention the following:

1654 — sometimes called Cromwell's Bible. 1678 — with corrections by the Rev. St. Hughes. 1690 — published by the Reverend D. Jones. 1690 — printed at Oxford for the use of churches, in Roman characters, sometimes called Bishop Lloyd's Bible.

1718 — printed at London, often called Moses Williams's Bible.

1727 — printed at London; less valuable. 1746 — printed at Cambridge; the third edition, published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, and containing the same as published in the first, in 1718. 1752 — reprint of that of 1746. 1769 — by the same society. 1770 — with notes by the Reverend P. Williams, and reprinted very often. 1789 — printed for the use of churches by the same society. 1790 — with Mr. John Canne's references. 1799 — printed by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

These editions, with the exception of ten thousand copies of the New Test. printed in the year 1800 at Shrewsbury, were all that appeared before the formation of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The great scarcity of the vernacular Scriptures prevailing in Wales was the cause of finally bringing about the formation of the British and Foreign Bible Society. The first edition of the Scriptures issued by this society was the Welsh Bible, the text adopted being that of 1752. This edition left the press in 1806. Including this, their first edition, the number of copies issued at successive intervals by the British and Foreign Bible Society, from the year 1806 up to March 31,1879, may be briefly stated as follows:

Bibles 813,466 Testaments ............................. 1,038,507 Diglots, Welsh and Englis.............. 86,686

Total ......................... 1,938,659

Besides the British and Foreign Bible Society, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and the American Bible Society have published the Scriptures in Welsh. See Bible of Every Land, page 153 sq. (B.P.)