148 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. called for the work, and so it was left unffifished.". What degree of credit is due to this statement, every reader who is at all conversant with the history of this period will easily judge. Wood observes, C4 that the laborious task was undertaken by the request,of the assembly of divines," and, towards the close of the year 1645, an ordinance was read for printing and publishing it. He had for his assistants the learned Selden and Whitlocke ; but why it was never completed he could never learn.t Another writer affirms, that the premature death of Mr. Young prevented the accomplishment of the design ; after which it was taken up. by Dr. Grabe.t Mr. Young, however, in the year 1633, edited, from the same manuscript, the " Epistles of Clemens Romanus ;" and, in the year 1637, he published, with a Latin version, " Catena. Grascorum Patrum Jobum, collectore Niceta Heraclew Metropolita." In 1638, he published " Exposito in Canticum CanticorumFolioti Episcopi Londinensis, una cumAlcuini in idem Canticum Compendia." This work was written by Gilb. Foliot, bishop of London, in the reign of Henry II. He greatly contributed to the publication of Walton's Polyglot Bible, particularly by his annotations in vol. vi. of that learned production. He continued in the office of librarian till the king's death; and had made pre- parations for editing various other manuscripts from the royal library, besides those mentioned above, but the con- fusions of the times prevented their publication. After his death, most of his Greek, and Latin manuscripts, collected and written with his own hand, came to the possession' of the celebrated Dr. Jahn Owen.§ From the concurrent testimony of Anthony Wood and Dr. Walker, it is certain that Mr. Young espoused the sentiments and cause of the presbyterians, andwe have no evidence that he ever declined from them afterwards; therefore, he is with justice classed among the puritan * Kennet's Hist. of Eng. vol. iii. p. 148. + Wood's Atbenm Oxon. vol. i. p. 794. Aikin's Lives of Selden and Usher, p. MS.-This famous manuscript is now deposited in the British Museum; but Dr. Grabe neveraccomplished his design. However, in the year 1786, Dr. Woide, by unexampled labour and care, published a most perfect fac-simile of the New Testament, printed in types resembling the characters of the original. The Rev. Mr. Baber, one of the librarians of the British Museum, has lately published a fac-simile of the Psalms, and has also this year, 1813, announced his intention of publishing the Pentateuch in a similar style. Wood's Athenm, vol, i, p. 794.
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