The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-12-27
CURIOUS BIBLES.
BIunders that Men Make Live
After Them.
FIRST ENGLISH BIBLE PRINTED.
A Single Error in Each of the Following
Editions Has Given 1t a Marked
Distinction.

Editions Has Given II Marked
Distinction.
Some one has said that, 1.-THE evil
men do lives after them; the good is
often inferred with their bones.
In slightly altered form this bit of
cynic philosophy presents itself to any
one examining case Of curious old
Bibles in the Lenox Library on Fifth
avenue.
The blunders that men make live
after them, also, assuming, frequently,
the proportions of evil.
As in the case OF the old English
Bibles under discussion, each edition of
which has long been distinguished from
others by descriptive name derived
from blunders, more or less ludicrous,
into which the early translators fell.
The Oldest Bible in this interesting
case was printed in l535-Coverdale's
translation-and is the first Bible ever
printed in the English language. All
the more creditable therefore is the
absence of noticeable errors of typogra
ply or translation. Taking them in
chronological order, we have next the
first edition of Matthew's version of
the Scripture in English, published in
1887, and called 1.-THE Bug Bible"
Psalms 91st and 8 V. is referred to
by way of explanation, and there the
promise that "Thou shalt not be afraid
for the terror by night" is significant
ly rendered: $50 that thou shalt not
nede to be afraiyed for eny bugges by
night nor for the arrowe that flyeth by
daye.
A startling insinuation that the
"bugges' that infest the night are of
ancient and honorable descent.
In 1889 Archbishop Cranmer's ver-
sion of the Bible in English appeared in
London, and bears the high distinction
of being called "The Great Bible. "
The first edition of the Geneva YER
sion, appearing in 1860, is known as
1.-The Brooches Bible" from the fact
that the statement made in Genesis,
iii. chapter, vii verse, to the effect
that Adam and Eve made aprons for
themselves, is rendered by the trans
lators: "And they sewed fig leaves to-
gether and made themselves breaches.
In 1868 there was printed in London
the English Bible known as 1.-THE
Treacle Bible" Evidently the trans
lator who fastened that appellation on
his work gave his preferences to treacle
over "balm," for sis there no balm in
Gilead?" reads: SIS there no treale in
Gilead?"
The first edition of the Douay Bible,
published in 1609-10, is also known as
the "Rosin Bible, because the trans
Gilead?" And the treacle and rosin
blunders stand perpetuated for all time.
In quick succession we find, appear
ing in London, of course, the first Eng
fish Royal Version "-1611-dubbed:
1.-THE Great He Bible" and embody-
ing thereby the compositors or trans
lator's error: 'He went into the city"
Following quickly - in the same
year apparently-comes The Great
She Bible" in which gentle Ruth is
rehabilitated and ''she' goes into the
city.
Those were hypercritical and pains
taking times, when the omission of a
single letter, converting "she" into
''he," could fasten reproach upon a
volume for all time. This potent error
was made in the transcription of the
fifteenth verse of the third chapter of
Ruth.
In 1881 we find an English Bible
printed in Misunderstanding under the
heavy disparagement of being known
as 1.-THE Wicked Bible"
The mischief being created by leav-
ing out the little word mot" in Exodus
xx., IA. We read: "Thou shalt (not)
commit adultery"
A similar catastrophe befell the Bible
printed in English - London - 1653,
stamping it as 1.-The Unrighteous
Bible"
In this, 1. Corinthians, vi, 8, il
made to read: "Know we not that the
unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom
of God?"
The Oxford edition of the Bible
which was gotten out in 1717, goes by
the acrid name of " The Vinegar
Bible" The perversion of the wore
vineyard, in the head lines of Luke
XXX, giving us ''the parable of the
vinegar" instead
From the Clarendon Press, the Ok
ford edition of 1904 comes the worst Of
all the blunders that have been perpe
trated in cold type.
1.-THE Murderer's Bible" is so called
from the misprinting of Numbers
xxxv., IS, giving us, instead of the
sentence "the murderer shall surely bt
put to DEATH" the statement that "Tht
murderers shall surely be put together
The Oxford Bible, which appeared il
1907, is called 1.-THE Ear Bible" ant
in Matthew xiii, 43, of that edition.
those who have "ears to ear" are ex
horted to hear.
So potent is any departure from the
right way that single error in each
one of these laboriously translated
tones, has gained for itself marked
distinction, while the excellencies o.
their work are passed over as matter
of course. Mail and Express.