Here's en excerpt from the 1609-1610 Douay Rheims' Old Testament Preface (available on Archive.org). The New Testament Preface is longer, but if you worked your way through either it all would pretty much look like this. (I tried to find a sample with most of the oddities of this era.) It's really not that hard to understand, except every now and then you'll find a word no longer used. I don't understand the rules for long and short s'es. Actually there's a lot of this I don't understand (like when to use a "v" for a "u" and
vice versa and when not to).
EDIT: One thing I have figured out, however, is why a "w" is called a "double u" and not a double "v." In this Preface w's were "V V" (but closer together).
Quote:
|
If anie demand, why it is now allowed to haue the holie Scriptures in vulgar tongues, which generally is not permitted, but in the three sacred only: for further declaration of this & other like pointes we remite you to the Preface, before the New Teſtament. Only here, as by an Epitome, we ſhal repete the ſumme of al, that is there more largely diſcuſſed. To this firſt queſtion therefore we anſwer, that both juſt reaſon, & higheſt authoritie of the Church, judge it not abſolutely neceſſarie, nor alwayes conuenient, that holie Scriptures ſhould be in vulgar tongues. For being as they are, hard to be vunderſtood, euen by the lerned, reaſon doth dictate to reaſonable men, that they were not written, nor ordayned to be read indifferently of al men. Experiēce alſo teacheth, that through ignorance, ioyned often with pride and preſumption, manie reading Scriptures have erred groſly, by miſunderſtanding God's word.
|