The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-04-30
SOME NEW BOOKS.
TIC story Of tho Enrilsh B,bIe.

text which has been made the basis Of the new
version. Next comes the inquiry touching he
accuracy with which the rcvisers hnvo rem
d red tho Greek words which they elected to
ceproduce. Both OF these topics have been
treated ut some length in our columns. but
there is yet third question Of much interest
beuring on the points OF likeness and diver
sence In the numerous attempts which in the
course Of many ages have been made to make
known TO the Anglo-SaNon race the Scriptures
IN their native tongue. The results OF tho on
tended scrutiny and comparison involved in
such ON undertaking arc presented In n palms.
taking and wcll-digc,ted book entitled tho
History Of The English BJ'p by Mr.. BLAcKFoHD
CoSDIr "a. S. Barnes & Coz. We would call
attention to some of the cardinal and suggest
I've data and conclusions laid before us in this
erudite and useful volume
Mr.. Condit properly begins his survey OF tho
attempts to transplant the Bible into the native
language OF the Anglo Saxon folk by reviewing
tho Saxon and English TRANSACTIONS Of tho
Scriptures which were executed before tho
time OF wycliffe; that is to say. during tho
period which elapsed between the dates A. d.
507 and 1924. Throughout this epoch trHnsla-
tors confined themselves for the most part to
detached portions or books OF the Bible, and
those attempts to transfer fragments OF Holy
Writ to the vernacular idiom. far from being
discountenanced, were warmly encouraged by
the Church OF Rome. which neither through
Pope nor Council issued any prohibition on the
subject until after the first quarter Of
tho thirteenth century. 1t was not until
the Council OF Toulouse in 1929 that
laymen were forbidden to have in COM
mon use the books of the Old and the New
Testaments. with the exception of the Fsaltcr
and even this was not to be circulated in the
. ha har bop
and many OF the greatest Popes who preceded
Innooent III. actively furihered the transla-
tons OF the Scriptures into the languages of
Che common people.
In tracing the history Of Saxon versions Of
the Bible the poetical pararhrnse made
by C8dmon (who died in the year 6SG)
stands chronologically at the head Of the
list. 1t does not appear that C9dmon could
himself read but he turned into verse the
principal facts recounted in the Old and New
Testaments. which he heard from the lips OF
the monks of Whitby. He sang the creation Of
:he world. the origin OF man. and all the history
NJ Genesis, the entering Of the children OF
Israel into the land of promise with many other
narratives from the Old Testament; the incar-
nation. passion. resurrection. and ascension Of
the Saviour. the coming of the Holy Ghost. and
the preaching OF the Apostles. and the last
Judgment. comprehendins the pains Of hell and
the delights of heaven. We come next to Guth-
lao. a Saxon anchorite who dwelt at Croyland
in the early part OF the eighth century and who
Is reputed to have made the interlinear Anglo
Saxon translation in an ancient Latin Psalter
which is still extant in the British Museum.
About the year 706 Aldhelm. Abbot Of Mains
bury is known TO have translated the Psalter
into Saxon. and il has been asserted that the
Venerable Bede reproduced the whole Bible
i "a.
bored is roupdly made in the prologue to Wye
LIES Bible" for il worldlie clerks loken vel
here croniclis and boks. thei shulden fynde
that Bede translatide the Bible and eXpoundde
plyche in Saxon that was English" But at
present the prevailing opinion Of Anglo
Saxon scholars is that Bodies versions were
confined to the Lords Prayer, select passages
from several books OF the Bible. and the Cos
pels of John. the latter being In al likeli-
hood substantially preserved in Parker's edi-
tion OF the Four Saxon Gospels. published in
1871. 1t is noteworthy that Bede was not only
an excellent Latin scholar Indeed. his pupil
Alcuin was summoned 10 the court Of Charlie
ynagne in order to correct the errors Of the cur
rent Latin Bible) but possessed some know!-
ed.sc Of the Greek and Hebrew languages.
Many centuries were to pass away before "a
much could be said for any English student Of
the Bible.
1t has been averred that King Alfred trans
lated the whole Scriptures from the Vulgate
Latin into the West Saxon vernacular. but no
such complete version has been preserved and
IL is probable that he only reproduced selec-
tons of different books. particularly the
Jsalms. Here again testimony Is forthcoming
from the preface to Wycifes Bible. viz. King
Aiured that foundide Oxenford translated in
hlse Taste daies the bgynninge OF the Sauter
into Saxon. and wolde more II lie hadie iyued
lengere." What We're long published collectively
as the Anglo-Sayon vers ions Of the four Gospels
may be referred to tie age OF Alfred, though
the eXtant manuscripts % the collection
differ widely in their probable dates. which
range all the way from tho ninth century to the
time OF the Norman conquest. These Saxon
Gospels were OF course translated. not from the
Greek and Hebrew. but from the Latin whether
however. from the old Italc or the YulGatc it is
not easy to determine. The manuscript known
as the Durham Book, or st. Cuthbert : Gospels.
contains an internear Saxon translation OF
Jeromes version Of the EyauseisJs. and is
variously referred to the eighth and the tenth
centuries. Another famous Saxon translation Of
the Gospels. written by an Irish scribe named
Macreogol. and which dates back at least rs
far as the tenth century. is pre- 5crycd in
the Bodleian Library at oxford under the
name OF tue AUSuN l1l VI So 'NllN
the close OF the tenth century Aellrir Saxon
abbot, Engllshed IA large portion al tho Old
Testament. and was seemingly the first to
make known to his unlearned countymeM the
historical books Of the Bible, 1t is noteworthy
that he protests in his preface that he iabprcd
not for the qualification of kings and ooldormcn
alone. but 90 for the edification OF the simple
who know only this Saxon speech, in. order that
tho Word may easier reach the heart Of those
who read or hear it,
With Aefrc closes the Saxon period of Bible
versions and it was not until the native tongue
had recovered from the contempt into which it
sank after the Norman conquest that what
may be termed ths now English versions
began with the mctr!"h parnphrase known
as the Ormulum. which belongs to tho
thirteenth century, and Is. in other words con-
temporary with the Magma Charta. There re-
mains lin the Bod!oian Library bu: single
manuscript OF the Ornuium. which was a
paraphrase OF selections from the Gospel mar
ratiVes put together IN metre, without alitera-
ton, and Tor the most part also with rhyme,
or slightly earlier date Is another pOctical