Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-10

An illustration of the superiority of the
terse, homely Saxon over the more polished
paraphrases of later TRANSACTIONS may be
noted in the account of the finding of our
Savior in the Temple, where it says "they
founde hym-siteing in the middes OF ye
doctoures hearinge them and poSyEge
them"
Even in these early days sectarian differ
ences showed themselves in the rendering
of various passages, as, for instance, lst
Timothy, iv, IA, which in our version ends
{" with the laying on of the hands OF the
presbytery," is rendered in Matthews
Bible " with the laying on of the hands of
an elder" while Cranmer's version has it
with the layinge on of handles by the
autoritie of priesthode.
In the same year in which the Great Bible
first appeared Richard Taverner put forth
version of his own, taken partly from
Matthew's copy and partly translated by
himself, But Taverner's Bible never was
very popular, probably owing to its prox.
unity to the far more important authorized
version of Cranmer. His Bible, however,
is of no small value, and abounds in many
specimens of vigorous English, some of
which one could wish to see retained in
later translations. One instance must suf-
flee. "We have an advocate with the
Father" as we have it, is rendered by
Taverner, "We have spokesman with the
Father" adding in the following verse:
For He is the mercy. stock for our sins. "
Up to this point, the collector must an
ticipate no little difficulty in possessing
himself of copies of the various versions of
the English Bible. The Genevan Bible of
1860 and its successors he will more easily
meet with.
The Genevan version is landmark in
the history of the English Bible in more
WAYS than one. 1t is the first version
which is divided into texts. And it is to a
large extent the work of Nonconformists,
animated by strong Calvinistic instincts,
which are very apparent In some OF the
notes. For instance, the note to Romans
tx, Is, reads " As the only will and pur-
pose of God is the chief cause of election
and reprobation so his free mercy in
Christ is an inferiour cause of salvation, and
the hardening of the heart al inferiour
cause of damnatlon.
The Genevan Bible is best known as the
Breaches Bible, so styled from the
peculiar rendering Of the word in Genesis
lii. 7, which we now translate "aprons."
Scarcely less curious a popularity is the
use of the word "cratch" for "manger,"
in Luke IL, l6.
This Bible, though never authorized by
the church, achieved remarkable popular.
ity. 1t is computed that between the
years 1850 and 1880 no fewer than 200 edi-
lions were issued and SO great was its
hold on the public favor that our revised
authorized version of 1911 failed for some
years to replace it. The large number of
editions through which the Brooches Bible
passed creates some difficulty for the COL
lector, as emendstions We're frequently be.
ing made with the text during the period,
to say nothing of printers errors. OF the
latter a good instance is in an edition of
1862, where the text blessed are the
peacemakers reads blessed are the
place-makers.
The only other great translation of the
Bi0le prior to the authorized version of
1911 was the Bishops Bible, a revision of
the Great Bible, undertaken by Bishop
Parker and completed in 1865 This YER
sion obtained the sanction of the Convoca-
ton in l57l, and remained the authorized
version used in the churches while the
Brooches Bible continued the popular Bible
in the homes of the people. The loyalty
OF the Bishops Bible is attested by a title
page almost as fulsome in its hattery Of
Elizabeth as Holbein's title to the G eat
Bible had been OF her father. The version
suffered many emendations, but it's various
editions are many of them known best by
the printers errors or peculiar renderings
which they contain. 1t is often styled the
" Treacle Bible, " because of the rendering
4" Is there no 'tryacle' in Gilead, where
we read 90 balm ;" and the Douai version
has "rosin." Another peculiar reading is
in Ecclesiastes TX, l, where, instead of
e" Cast thy bread upon the waters" TOR as
Matthew's Bible had it, "Send thy
/ vyttuavls over the waters"), the Bishops
rendering is Lay thy bread upon wet
faces, The notes, also, are often very
quaint, as, for instance, that intended to
elucidate Psalm XIV, ga vesture OF gold
of Ophir." Ophir, says the note. q is
thought to be the llande in the west coaste
of late found by Christopher Colombo,
from whence at this day is brought much
fine gold
The versions enumerated above, in addi-
ton to the Rheims and Douai Bibles, of
which there is no space at present to en-
! large, brings the collector up to 1911, when
our present venerable and beloved version
was put forth by the forty seven transla.
| tors appointed by the Hampton Court Con-
! ference, under royal sanction and author
| ity. OF this version it is needless 30 say
| anything, except that, as in the case of it's
| predecessors, most of it's photographed
/ interest is associated with textual peculari.
| ties. An unlucky omission of the word
mot from the Seventh Commandment
in the 1851 copy has gained that edition
| the nickname of the wicked Bible, and
made it a prize in the book market, And
the misprint which changed The parable
of the vineyard into The parable of the
vinegar has given the d" Vinegar Bible
of TAG equal notoriety.
We might multiply instances. Indeed
our Bible has, at one time or another, sui
fered so severely at the hands of the prin.
ter, that one is tempted to suspect more
| than accidental satire in that lannon's prin.
ter's error which made David exclaim, in
Psalm exix., lGl, printers have perse-
cuted me without cause ~
Happily, neither David nor any one else
concerned has had cause to reiterate the
| complaint In modern editions. Indeed,
! the accuracy Of every copy of the thou
] SAilhs OF EAlslpnS hulCh INV CiiCnAaAS 4S
one Of the wonders of Bible production IN
the present day.
The English Bible is shortly about to
enter on a new phase of its history. one
can hardly contemplate with unmixed sat
isfaction the supplauting Of our beloved
venerable version by new translation,
however scholarly. And the foretaste we
have already had in the Revised New Tes-
lament is not wholly encouraging, Bat it
is early days to forbode. In any case a
first edition of the new Bible, when 1t APP
pears, will be necessary aud easy acquI-
sition for every boOk-lover and who
knows but $50 years hence it may claim as
honored a place in the library of the future
as a CloveTdale occupies in the library OF
to-day?
| A new machine for separating gold from
sand ith9ut the sid Of water is reported to