The Evening critic., 1883-03-07
An Ancient Bible.

Bait. sun.
Mr.. Walter +. Hopes, No. 4s jefferson
Place, Baltimore County, has an antique In
the way of Bible printed In 1910. The book
is the sizo Of an ordinary family Bible, in its
original leather binding, which has q soft vel
vety appearance aud touch. The back of tho
book has six transverse ropes to hold 1t, and IS
laid longitudlnally with stout hemp cord, the
whole covered with leather. 1t has been In tho
family since 1850, and can be distinctly traced
back that far TO each individual owner. II
has always been handed TO the Oldest child,
whether male or female. 1t was purchased
originally In the southern part Of Scotland,
whefe IL was found chained to one Of the old
wooden stools in vogue at that time. These
articles were like an ordinary milking stool of
tho present day, except that side pieces hung
down oil around them so as 70 nearly cover the
legs. The Bible was chained under the stool
TO keep d It out Of harms May The price pa5d
cents of United States currency. 1t was bought
as keepsake from the present family in
whose keeping II was found, they caring little
for 1t, though It's original cost In those times
must have been considerable. The book
is now in remarkable state OF preserva-
tion. II Is thought to be Matthew's transla-
iion OF 1887. There is no title page. It Is
said that the first ten pages of the book were
destroyed, though what they could have been
is uncertain, for the book now commences
with regular calendar. In this calendar are
given an almanac, followed by description of
the "sum and contents OF all the Holy Scrip.
Following this is "a description of the Kings
OF Judea and Jerusalem, declaring where and
under what Kings each prophet lived and
what notable things happened In their times,
translated out of the Hebrew" Then comes
the table describing them. The next thing is
O preface "to the Christian readers" Then
comes table, occupying twenty.four pages OF
the principal matters contained In the Blble.
Following this are "the names of all the books
of the Bible and the contents of the chapters
of every book" On this page, No. dS, occurs
the date on which the Bible was printed 1t
says: "a brlefrehearsal of the years past since
the beginning of the world unto this year OF
our Lord 16i0, after the manner OF the reckon
ineof the Hebrews and after the reckoning
Of Confuclus and other chroniclers." This
is repeated at the bottom of the page, where
the following occurs: From the birth of
Christ until this present 1919" Each book
in the Old and New Testament has pro-
logue. "Tho First Book of Moses, called
Genesis, is the title given the first book in
very heavy black letters. This Is not a
"breeches" Bible, for In tho third chapter OF
Genesis It says: "And the eyes of bottle them
were opened that they understode howe that
they were naked; thon they sowed fygge
leaves together and make them apurnes."
Though divided into chapters, there is no
versing in this book. Grotesque faces, scrolls,
figures and illuminated capitals head each
chapter. There are about dozen books In
this work not found in the Bibles OF the pres
ent day. Among these are "rhe Story of
Susanna" "The Story Of Bel and the Dragon"
'sThe Prophecy Of Baruck," "The Song of the
Three Children.p