Milner

Desiderius Erasmus, New Testament translated into Latin, (Basel, 1522).

Like Queens MS 27, this edition of Erasmus’ most important work came to Queens’ in the eighteenth century. Given its importance to the Reformation, it seems almost inconceivable that Milner wouldn’t have consulted it during his preparation of the History. Erasmus reputedly worked on his New Testament whilst he was at Queens’ in the early sixteenth century. Having returned to early Greek manuscript sources, Erasmus sought to provide the first widely available corrected Latin translation of the New Testament. By challenging the long-established vulgate version of the bible, Erasmus unwittingly triggered immense controversy in the Catholic Church and played a significant part in events that led to the Reformation. Apart from its historical and religious importance, the book also represents a landmark in the history of printing. One of its many innovations was the parallel Greek and Latin text that enabled (educated) readers to check Erasmus’ translation against the original Greek for themselves.