Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1882-10-12
OLD AND RARE BIBLES.

OLD AND RARE BIBLES,
The Prices They Bring in America and
EurOpe-The Most Valuable Bible In
the world.
The sale of old and rare Bibles forms
an important branch of the secondhand
book trade in New York. Bibles of an
early date, or of which small editions
only have been published, are eagerly
sought after, and for good copies high
prices are occasionally paid. The de-
mand, of course, fluctuates from time to
time, but certain books meet at all times
with ready sale, and American houses
find the trade lucrative enough to en-
ploy European agents and to send buyers
to Europe at certain periods for the spe-
cial purpose of searching OUT old and
curious Bibles. The majority of the
Bibles which appear in the market
through American channels are of little
value. The Uninitiated are likely to at
tach great value to mere age; whereas
unless an old book possesses peculiarities
of text oris photographed rarity it is
almost worthless.
From information gathered bya World
reporter on the subject it appears that
the Bibles most in demand are the ''Vin-
egar,'' ''Breeches,'' presbyterian,
and Douai versions. OF the first named
there are probably twenty copies in
America. The version takes its name
from the substitution of the word ''vin-
egar" for vineyard in the twentieth
chapter of Matthew. 1t was pub
lished in two volumes by Bassett, of
London, in 1717, and there are perhaps
a hundred copies extant. 1t is embel-
lished with frOntispiece and vignettes
by Won der Gricht. A fine copy has
been sold in England for as much as
twenty guineas, though a fair one could
be bought here for seventy-five dollars.
Two impressions were taken on vellum,
one of which is in the British Museum
and the other in the Bodleian Library at
Oxford. The Brooches Bible is 80
called from the use of the word "breech-
esq in place of aprons in Genesis iii,
z. The Brooches Bible was printed in
1860 at Geneva by ROuland Hall, and
went through fifty editions within thirty
years. 1t is common in America, but
perfect specimens are hard toget. Copies
have been sold in New York at from ten
to twenty dollars. The "Presbyterian''
Bible is found in the American market
from time to time. 1t is King James
version, and was published by Buck q
Daniel of Cambridge, in 1858. The sub
stitution of the word ''ye'' for ''we'' in
Actsvi 3, materially alters the import
of the text. The error was, without
foundation, imputed to the Presbyte-
rians, hence the name of the book. Cop
les may be boughtfor thirty dollars each
The number eXtant is unknown. Cop
les of the version printed by John Cos
turier at DOuai in 1886, are numerous,
and are sold at low prices.
There are innumerable other versions
of the Bible which attract purchasers on
account of their containing typOgraph-
ical or other errors. During the Com
monwealth in England the press was
prolific of Bibles, which were not re-
markable for accuracy of text. DR.. Cot
ton, the famous bibliophile, stigmatized
the Bibles of the Protectorate as ''filled
with egregious blasphemies and damn
able errata." 1t is we'll known that
Bible formed part of the equipment of
each of Cromwell's Ironsides. 1.-The
Soldiers POcket-Book," published in
London in 1913, and reprinted at Cam
bridge, Mass, in 1861, has on the title
page the characteristic sentence: 'sTrust
in the Lord and keep the powder dry"
Copies of the reprint are valued at 81 to
So. Of the originals two only are said
the British Museum and the other formed
part of the collection of the late Mr..
George Livermore. Mr.. Sotheran, the
London publisher, reproduced in 1862
the SOLDIERS Pocket-Book" in fac sim
lie. Five copies were printed on vellum,
one of which was sold at the Men
zies sale in New York for S17.
The first Bible printed in a foreign
language in America was the German
version issued at Germantown, Pa, in
1743. 1t is becoming rather valuable, a
copy having been sold at the Brindley
sale in April of last year for $3.50. The
volume is thick, clumsy quarto. The
Elliott Indian Bible, printed in one of
the dialects of the North American In
dlans, is great curiosity. 1t was pub
lished at Cambridge, Mass, in 1868, by
Samuel Green and Marmaduke John
son. 1t is believed that no person living
can understand the language in which il
was written. The best known copy was
originally in possession of Mr. John
Allen, the sale of whose library caused
such stir in photographed circles in
New York. 1t brought 5000. A copy
now would be worth 81, 900 to 81, 800.
A second edition was printed at Cam
bridge in 1855, and copy disposed of
at the Brindley sale sold for $500.
The first book printed in America was
that published at Cambridge, Mass, in
1929, and known as the bay Psalm
Book" In Bible printed at the same
town in 1868 two important errors were
made which are said to have been inten-
tional tricks on the part of the irreverent
compositor. The substitution of fright
eousness" for "unrighteousness . in
sSomans, vi, Is, gives a ludicrous turn
to the verse. In /. Corinthians, vi, 9,
the omission of the word "not'' promises
the inheritance of heaven to the I'M
righteous.
There is on view at Messrs. Leavitt's,
the book auctioneers, "Bible of
the Sword" printed in 1885 at Neu-