, 1880-03-07
AN OLD BIBLE.

TEE OLDEST COPY OF THE scriptures PROBABLY
IN EXISTENCE.
Rochtstkr Erprkss
It vas In 1850 that met in Mobile. Ala. the
owner Of this book-Dr. J. r. Witherspoon,
grandson Of President Witherspoon, one Of the
s1gaers Of the Declaration Of Independence
The Doctor was an educated gentleman, and
urged me If ever came in the region Of Green's
boro, Ala, to be sure to call him and he would
show me bis wonderful Bible. was not slow to
accept his invitation, and rode on horseback
some dozen miles out Of my way to sec the
greatest wonder of the age Of. this Kind Of book.
Ifound the venerable Doctor living elegantly
on broad acres and with tho siavcs about him,
for he did not seem to think there was any
thing in his Bible against slavery, though his
grandfather signed the declaration TINT " all
men arc created equal" The book was soon
brought out from careful keeping, nnd sure
enough, though had seen for years the great
Van Ess library. with Bibles having a chain at
tached that once held them to pulpit, and the
Bible Of Philip Melanchthon, with his autograph,
I had never seen any such Bible as this.
took 1t in my hand with awe, for it Was writ
ten in the days Of King Alfred, and by monk OF
Cornwall, England. who worked at it forty years,
almost q lifetimo,-and was evidently on the
very finest Of parchment, little inferior to satin.
How such q finish could be put upon the skin OF
A0*sf5
lug of the book was in oak boards, tied with
buckskin thongs, was mystery and almost a
contradiction.
But more wonderful yet was the writing With
In. The pages were ull ruled with great accura-
cy, and written us uniformly in the lines as
print, which was not then invented, for some
aud Gutenberg. The style was German text
hand, and was an abbrcviatiun from the vulgate
Of Jerome, made in the fourth century.
with a large Capital, Of ininitabe beauty and
splendidly illuminated with red blue and black
ink, still in vivid letters, with no two Of the cap
before him Of our age. Each chapter is divided
remember when "the venerable Bede made
verses. This dot OF the Bible speak of may
have been the work Of u subsequent age.
As to the size Of the book, it was about that Of
that was mistaken for Bible once by family
In Alabama, and brought out at the request OF
a colporteur who wished to see their Bible! This i;
the books of the Old Testament except the
Psalms and the Apocrypha- Two chapters, the
Inst Of Leyiticus and the first Of Numbers, con
book, had been recently Wantonly nbstracted or
cut out, in the house of Or. Witherspuon, BY
some bibiomaniac who DID not dnre steal tn the
New Testament except the chapters where the
disputed text occurs, about " the three who bear
record In Heaven"
In regard to the history of this Bible, the
Doctor told me that it was found by friend Of
his father among a lot Of old books bought at
auction for song-sou1e twenty shilGng5-And
taken to Clergyman. the Rev. D1. McCalla, Of
South Carolina, as n book that the purchaser
could not make head nor tail Of, and which
might be OF value to Soma book. book
gave him some half dozen books for It rom
his library, such as could be easily understood
by the people" and the man was happy in the
exchange. Dr.. McCalla certainly was, for he
had driven sharp bargain. and had Il book that
was worth when f1rst written. s.. $40, and would
be worth that now to any old bookworm-who
desireth not new books nny more than new
wine, ~ for he saith the old is better
This heirloom barely escaped getting out OF
the family line, for It was once loaned by Dr.
Witherspoon, but he had the forethought to put
the borrower under written bonds to return It,
and, the man dying, the book was lent by his
widow to some third person, and finally - found %
Its way, as q rare treasure, into some College,
Harvard, think whence 1t WIS recovered un-
der threat Of suit on the bond.
Tleft the sight and handling of this most
wonderful Bible Of nny in existence, perhaps,
with many longing. lingering LOOK, but not tn
had written its history very fully at tho re-
quest and dictation of the venerable owner.