Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 12.djvu/373

 doctrine of the celibacy of the priesthood identified him completely with the reforming party. He lived for a certain time at Tübingen, where he obtained the degree of D.D. (, De Præsulibus Angliæ, 1743, p. 417.) Later on he was a Lutheran pastor and schoolmaster at Bergzabern, in the duchy of Deux-Ponts, ‘where by translating in his leisure hours … various religious works into our language … he is of very great service in promoting the scriptural benefit of those persons in the lower ranks of life who are anxious for the truth’ (R. Hilles to Bullinger, 15 April 1545, in Original Letters, Parker Soc. 3rd ser. 1846, p. 247). He took the name of Michael Anglus during his exile. Letters from him during this time are printed in the ‘Remains’ (Parker Society, 1846). Coverdale's bibles and other works appear in the proclamation of 8 July 1546 among those forbidden to be imported, bought, sold, or kept (, Concilia, iv. 1). He lived at Bergzabern in poor circumstances between 1543 and 1547. The ‘Order of the Communion’ (March 1548) came to Frankfort during the fair-time, and Coverdale translated it into German and Latin. The latter was sent to Calvin with a hope that he might cause it to be printed. This was not done (, History of the Book of Common Prayer, 1855, p. 61).

He returned to England in March 1548, was well received at court through the influence of Cranmer, and was appointed chaplain to the king and almoner to Queen Catherine, whose funeral sermon he preached in September 1548 (MS. in Coll. of Arms, i. 15, f. 98). He wrote to Paul Fagius from Windsor Castle, 21 Oct. 1548 (Remains, p. 526). On 27 April 1549 some anabaptists were examined at St. Paul's, and one of them ‘bare a fagot at Pauls crosse, Myles Couerdale preached ye rehearsall sermon there’ (, Annales, 1631, p. 596). In the same year Whitchurch printed the second volume of the ‘Paraphrase’ of Erasmus, with a dedication by Coverdale, who helped in the translation. He was one of the thirty-one persons to whom was issued in January 1550 a commission to proceed against anabaptists as well as those who did not administer the sacraments according to the Book of Common Prayer (, Mem. i. 385). In 1550 there appeared a translation of Otto Wermueller's ‘Spyrytuall and moost precious Pearle,’ with a commendatory preface by the Protector Somerset, who alluded to the consolation he had received from the book, but without speaking either of author or translator. These are specially mentioned by H. Singleton, who reprinted the ‘Pearle’: ‘I have thought it good to set it forth once againe, according to the true copy of that translation that I received at the hands of M. Doctour Milo Coverdale, at whose hand I received also the copies of three other workes of Otho Wermullerus. … The “Precious Pearle,”which the author calleth of “Affliction,” another of “ Death,” the third of “Justification,” and the fourth of “The Hope of the Faithful.” These I have imprinted.’ The original editions seem to have been printed abroad. On 20 July 1550 he had a gift of 40l. from the king (, Athenæ, Bliss, ii. 762), and on 24 Nov. he preached Sir James Welford's funeral sermon at Little Bartholomew's in London.

When Lord Russell was sent down against the western rebels in 1551, Coverdale accompanied him to assist the secular arm with his preaching, and subsequently delivered a thanksgiving sermon after the victory. On 7 March 1551 he preached at Westminster Abbey on the occasion of the funeral of Lord Wentworth (, Diary, pp. 3–4), and went with Peter Martyr and others on 19 May of the same year to visit Magdalen College, Oxford (, Athenæ, i. 556). His behaviour in Devonshire gave satisfaction. He acted as coadjutor to John Voysey, bishop of Exeter, who resigned his see in his 103rd year, and Coverdale was appointed to the bishopric by the king's letters patent on 14 Aug. 1551. He was consecrated at Croydon on the 30th of the same month, and enthroned 11 Sept. (, Fasti Eccles. Angl. 1854, i. 377–8). Cranmer specially interested himself in this appointment. Coverdale pleaded poverty as an excuse for not paying first-fruits (, Cheke, p. 125, and Cranmer, i. 382). The revenues of the see had been much reduced by Voysey. Coverdale was one of the eight bishops and twenty-four other persons who were appointed in the same year to reform the ecclesiastical laws (Cranmer, i. 388). From Vowell we obtain our information about Coverdale's episcopal life. He ‘most worthilie did performe the office committed unto him, he preached continuallie upon euerie holie daie, and did read most commonlie twise in the weeke, in some church or other within this citie.’ He was hospitable, liberal, sober, and modest. ‘His wife a most sober, chast, and godlie matron.’ To Dr. Robert Weston, afterwards lord chancellor of Ireland, ‘he committed his consistorie and the whole charge of his ecclesiasticall iurisdiction’ (Catalog of the Bishops of Excester, 1584). On his accession to the episcopal bench he was very constant in attendance at the House of Lords during the parliaments of 1552 and 1553. After the