STEPHENS, more correctly STEPHEN (ETI ENNE), the family name of an illustrious succession of learned printers, of whom, however, we have to notice specially here only Robert. He was the son of Henri Etienne (Henricus Stephanus), the printer of the Quineuplex Psalterium of Le Fevre d'Estaples, Paris 1509, 1513, and who died in 1520. Robert was born at Paris in 1503. Having received a learned education, he devoted himself to the editing and issuing of carefully-printed editions of learned works. In t545 he issued, under the simple title of Biblia, an edition of the Vulgate, with a new Latin translation of the Bible, printed in parallel columns, and in a type of exquisite beauty. Explanatory notes are added in the margin, and as some of these gave offence to the doctors of the Sorhonne as savouring of the Re formed doctrines, Stephens thought it prudent, on the death of his father, to remove to Geneva. Before leaving Paris, however, he had issued his edition of the Greek N. T., first in a small form
(known as the 0 ntinficant edition, from the first words of the preface), Paris 1546, 1549, and after wards in fol. with various readings from MSS. collated by his son Henry. At Geneva he printed an edition of the Greek text with the Vulgate rendering, and that of Erasmus, 1551. This edition presented the text for the first time divided into verses. Two editions of the Hebrew Bible were also printed by him, one with the Com mentary of Kimchi on the minor prophets, in 13 vols. 4to, Paris 1539-43 ; another in to vols. tomo, Paris 1544-46. It is to him we owe the Thesaurus Lingua Latina', 4 vols. fol. ; as to his son Henry the Thesaurus Ling. Gracea is due—two monu ments of vast learning and unwearied diligence. Robert Stephens died at Geneva, 6th September 1559.—W. L. A.