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men； and those who hoped most from the conference were doomed to complete disappointment。 Not one among them； not the King； had the slightest purpose that the conference should do what proved to be its only real service。 Some of the men； grave and earnest； were coming to present their petitions to the King； others were coming to oppose their petitions； the King meant to deny them and to harry the petitioners。 And everything came out as it had been planned。 Yet the largest service of the conference； the only real service； was in no one's mind； for it was at Hampton Court； on the last day of the conference between James and the churchmen； January 18； 1604； that the first formal step was taken toward the making of the so…called Authorized Version of the English Bible。 If there are such things as accidents； this great enterprise began in an accident。 But the outcome of the accident； the volume that resulted； is 〃allowed by all competent authorities to be the first； ＇that is； the chief＇ English classic；〃 if our Professor Cook； of Yale； may speak； 〃is universally accepted as a literary masterpiece； as the noblest and most beautiful Book in the world； which has exercised an incalculable influence upon religion； upon manners； upon literature； and upon character；〃 if the Balliol College scholar Hoare can be trusted； and has 〃made the English language；〃 if Professor March is right。 The purpose of this study is to show how that accident occurred； and what immediately came from it。
With the death of Elizabeth the Tudor line of sovereigns died out。 The collateral Stuart line； descending directly from Henry VII。； naturally succeeded to the throne； and James VI。 of Scotland made his royal progress to the English capital and became James I。 of England。 In him appears the first of that Stuart line during whose reign great changes were to occur。 Every one in the line held strongly to the dogma of the divine right of kings； yet under that line the English people transferred sovereignty from the king to Parliament。＇1＇ Fortunately for history； and for the progress of popular government； the Stuart line had no forceful figures in it。 Macaulay thinks it would have been fatal to English liberty if they had been able kings。 It was easier to take so dangerous a weapon as the divine right of kings from weak hands than from strong ones。 So it was that though James came out of Scotland to assert his divine and arbitrary right as sovereign； by the time Queen Anne died； closing the Stuart line and giving way to the Hanoverian； the real sovereignty had passed into the hands of Parliament。
＇1＇ Trevelyan； England Under the Stuarts。
But the royal traveler； coming from Edinburgh to London； is interesting on his own accountinteresting at this distance。 He is thirty…seven years old； and ought to be in the beginning of his prime。 He is a little over middle height； loves a good horse； though he is an ungainly rider； and has fallen off his horse three or four times during his royal progress； is a heavy drinker of the liquors of the period； with horribly coarse； even gross manners。 Macaulay is very severe with him。 He says that 〃his cowardice； his childishness； his pedantry； his ungainly person and manners； his provincial accent； made him an object of derision。 Even in his virtues and accomplishments there was something eminently unkingly。〃＇1＇ It seemed too bad that 〃royalty should be exhibited to the world stammering； slobbering； shedding unmanly tears； trembling at the drawn sword； and talking in the style alternately of a buffoon and of a pedagogue。〃 That is truly not an attractive picture。 But there is something on the other side。 John Richard Green puts both sides： 〃His big head； his slobbering tongue； his quilted clothes； his rickety legs stood out in as grotesque a contrast with all that men recalled of Henry and Elizabeth as his gabble and rhodomontade； his want of personal dignity； his buffoonery； his coarseness of speech； his pedantry； his contemptible cowardice。 Under this ridiculous exterior； however； lay a man of much natural ability； a ripe scholar with a considerable fund of shrewdness； of mother wit and ready repartee。〃＇2＇
＇1＇ History of England； chap。 i。
＇2＇ Short History of the English People； chap。 viii； sec。 ii。
Some good traits he must have had。 He did win some men to him。 As some one has said； 〃You could love him； you could despise him； you could not hate him。〃 He could say some witty and striking things。 For example； when he was urging the formal union of Scotland and England； and it was opposed； he said： 〃But I am the husband； and the whole island is my wife。 I hope no one will be so unreasonable as to suppose that I； that am a Christian king under the Gospel； should be a polygamist and husband to two wives。〃＇2＇ After the conference of which we have been speaking； he wrote to a friend in Scotland： 〃I have had a revel with the Puritans and have peppered them soundly。〃 As indeed he had。 Then； in some sense at least； 〃James was a born theologian。〃 He had studied the Bible in some form from childhood； one of the first things we hear of his doing is the writing of a paraphrase on the book of the Revelation。 In his talk he made easy and free use of Scripture quotations。 To be sure； his knowledge； on which he prided himself unconscionably； was shallow and pedantic。 Henry IV。 of France； one of his contemporaries； said that he was 〃the wisest fool in Christendom。〃
＇2＇ Trevelyan； England Under the Stuarts； p。 107。
Now； it was this man who was making his royal progress from Edinburgh to London in March； 1603； nearly a year before the gathering of men which we were observing at the opening of this study。 Many things happened on the journey besides his falling off his horse several times； but one of the most significant was the halting of the progress to receive what was called the Miliary Petition； whose name implies that it was signed by a thousand menactually somewhat less than that numbermostly ministers of the Church。 The Petition made no mention of any Bible version； yet it was the beginning of the events which led to it。 Back of it was the Puritan influence。 It asked for reforms in the English Church； for the correction of abuses which had grown under Elizabeth's increasing favor of ritual and ceremony。 It asked for a better…trained ministry； for better discipline in the Church； for the omission of so many detailed requirements of rites and ceremonies； and for that perennially desired reform； shorter church services！
Very naturally the new King replied that he would take it up later； and promised to call a conference to consider it。 And this he did。 The conference met at Hampton Court in January； 1604； and it was for this that the men were coming from many parts of England。 The gathering was held on the 14th； 16th； and 18th of the month。 Its sole purpose was to consider that Miliary Petition； but the King called to it not only those who had signed the Petition； but those who had opposed it。 He had no notion of granting any favor to it； and from the first he gave the Puritans rough treatment。 He told them he would have none of their non… conformity； he would 〃make them conform or harry them out of the land。〃 Someone suggested that since this was a Church matter there be called a Synod； or some general gathering fitted to discuss and determine such things； rather than leave it to a few Church dignitaries。 For the purposes of the petitioners it was a most unfortunate expression。 James had just come from Scotland； where the Presbyterians were with their Synod； and where Calvinism was in full swing。 He was much in favor of some elements of Calvinism； but he could not see how all the elements held together。 Predestination； for example； which offends so many people to…day； was a precious doctrine to King James； and he insisted that his subjects ought to see how clearly God had predestined him to rule over them！ But he could not tolerate the necessary logical inference of Calvinism that all men must be equal before God； and so men can make and unmake kings as they need to do so； the matter of king or subject being purely an incidental one。 He remembered the time when Andrew Melville； one of the Scotch ministers； had plucked him by his royal sleeve and called him 〃God's silly vassal〃 right to his face。 So； when some one said 〃Synod〃 it brought the King up standing。 He burst out： 〃If that is what you mean； if you want what the Scotch mean by their Synod and their Presbytery； then I tell you at once that I will have none of it。 Presbytery agrees with monarchy very much as God agrees with the devil。 If you have no bishop； you will soon have no king。〃 He was perfectly right； with reference to the kind of king he meant。 These things were to be settled； he meant； by authority； and not by conference。 That is the point to which Gardiner refers when he says that 〃in two minutes James sealed his own fate and that of England forever。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ History of England； 1603…42。
After that there was only a losing fight for the petitioners。 They had touched a sore spot in James's history。 But it was when they touched that sore spot again that they started the movement for a new version of the Bible。 It was on the second day of the conference；