The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-03
AMERICAS FIRST BIBLE.
DISCO VERY OLA PY0FTHE WORK
PRINTED SECRETLYIN l76l.
A SEMI Mythical Book Said to Have Been
Proved to Exlst-A Forgery Necessitss
ell b the King Giving - Monopoly.

OF the London printer Marx Baskett'
High authorities have crossed lanc Is con-
cerning even the perpe lraton OF the
forgery. ignoring altogether TIE possible
existence OF copy. AIR. Anderson mas
struck up the ld@Ses win the productioh
OF the indisputable copy
This announcement Will create much In
terest among collectors anu book Ia,lcleTs
everywhere who have long fol3wed with
interest the pros ana CoHs VI 'He dutHoi'-
ties concerning IL
ms book has. besides its peculiar value
as a literary forgery. an addiuoLal Eaiue
i'm that il Is now the Irst E..eHsn I,iDIe
printed In America, and as 'hists OJIn
In editions and In sequence are OF sPe-idi
value this volume Viii bring very la &c
price when offered for sac. .,.,.
II was long supposei thdI the -A.hen
Bible publ sned IN ll6I- 81, was me III
English Bibie publisntl in America, aad
the authorize after long contlhued us
cussion on the ex Silence OF the forgery,
agreed that the Aiken B.bie must hOid
one man. however, Isaiah Thomas. who
wrote a valuable and authoritative ms
tory of printing, made the CAIN thdt
there was such a forgery peipetrated' anu
stated certain facts ABOUT its Issuance
from the press with every appearance VI
sincerity and truth.
Thomas says IN his book. published IN
1910: "Kneeldnd & Green, OF Boston,
printed, principally for Ia Rel Hen I'm II,
AN ed tiOn OF me Bible In small 40. rms
was the Ilrst Bible printed In America, III
the English language. IT was carrier .'.,
through the press as privately as posi-
BILE and has the LONDON imprint or the
copy from which II was Reprinted va
London. Printed by Mark Baskttt'
Printer TO the Kings Most Excellent Ma
iesty,' In order 10 prevent pIo'ecuuOh
from those IN England and Scotland WHO
published the Bible By patent from the
crown, or cum prtvilcgio' as IA the r-.s
Lsh universities Of oxford ana am
br.dse WhenH was an aIprehuce OFTEN
heard those who had sI,sis, ca at the case
and press In printing ms BlDle make
mcnt on Of the fact. Inc late Governor
Hancock was rcIatcd to Heuchmdn ana
knew the particulars of the transaction.
tie possessed copy OF TINS lHpiessIoh'
As II has London imprint, al ms Gay
u can be d.Sllngus ncd rom an Enbi9h
edition Of the same date Cdly by those
who are acquainted with the nlcetlts OF
tvpography. TINS Bible issued from the
press ABOUT the Time thdt toe pdlueisnIp
of Kncpldnd ~ Green expired. Inc edlu N
was not large; 1 have been iniormel thdt
il d.d not exceed 100 or 200 cope.
The reason for the forgery lay IN the
fact that there was AT lnaI uule u IA"
or regulation existing Tn Eng ana that
no one COuid PRINT the Il bic without tpe-
cal letters patent from the Crown,
The Bible remained unprniei IN Amer
lea until the close OF tie Revolution, bar-
ring the Basket piracy. II would seem
tnat II the Blbie could have been printed
Il would have been BY some o. the Humgr-
Gus and enterprsing printers OF the
Hlr' Anderson himself says on this
pOirt.
Early after the importation OF the art
Of printing INTO England, the crown
claimed prcrOgatiVe rgh; IN the statue
book and il the English BlDle ana thls
right seems 20 have been Immediately
rtCO sni2Cd ana supp IT. Inc ms PRINT
err TO style himself KING $ printer was
Richard Pyuson, an LOB lie was sue
cecded in time by Richard Grafton. who
got himself IN trouble IN loo. 10y piintIts
an ELBnSh edltOh OF the blpIe III ans
for which he was imprisoned uhIl ne
gave a bona IN ~ POUNDS NOT 20 PIlhi
more En2ilsh Blbie5 ull the kns ana
clergy hdu SeitIeu udISldloh' III
1910 81 be was restored 10 FAVOR ana M
trusted with pllnthS tle loilo EAb ,l9H
Bible under letters patent. FROM lhdt
day 10 TINS the rsnI mas peeh Neateu ~
certain printers, whose names are well
known. IN conjunction with the uhlVer-
sites OF oxford and Cambridge.
ne klug pferoSitlEe rlthi tNtenIed
10 all bItl-n tcli'to.lts' ana thlS lhCluhtu
the American cOluHtS. DtntVe II Is
wen known tAdt we had re- uldr CCiSoIS
OF me press IN AitIiCa rom lhe udte VI
TACT, Wound lhey nave allowed bIple TO
be published openly, contrary to law;
bedllhS an American IihpilHt' ~ bdIHts
History Of the United states the state
mont IS made mat 10 nave printed the
English Bible in America prior TO the
revolution would nave been CONSIDERED an
act OF piracy
Mr. Anderson mas known Of the eXls-
| fence OF inc WORK LOT some years Dut
! uhtI me present TIME uld not care 10
| iHPdIt ms hHo "ledbc 10 the WotIu; ne
| mas spent some uihe IA searching 10 br'hS
the DOCK 10 hsht' ana Is cHtltled 10 mGch
| cIcdit Tor ms service 10 biography.
The Blbie Is IN rT.narkahIe state OF
| prcsarNdton the binding being altogether
! sound, ana the leaves crisp. y careful
! collation. shows mat IL lacks but five
! leaves. and two OF these are in the
! ApOcrypha. The New Testament IS com
| plete ard perfect. II bears the autograph
| OF lhlLp LIVINGSTONE, one OF the ssners
OI the Declaration OF ludcpeud- nee and
contains also some interesting annota-
lions. evidently an the sane handwriting.
There ls contained In the volume an in
tsTcStHS family record, pres um b OF the
Livingstone family. winch begins with
The Year 1917, but SIX years subsequent 10
the publication OF tie work. All the en-
Tries are distincuvely american.
Tae Bible measures 3-S inches by 5-lG
inches. 1t beg MS with tho "Psalter or
Psalms Of DAVID, pointed a. they are to
be sung or said in churches" Following
tbs are The usual forms Of prayers, artie,
CIes, Of rel glOu, etc, the Whole Cccup, ing
twenty -elgnt leaves
AL tle conclusion of the old Testament
proper Is the inscription, THE End of the
Prophets The Apocrypha follows, ana
thei comes the ute page TO the New
Testament, similar to the general title
save shat the name OF Thomas Basket
- substituted for that OF Mark. An in
deN 10 the BIBLE ana some tables occupy
nineteen pages at the end.
IL takes but glance at the volume by
one NtrSei in the typographical art and
possessing photographed knowledge 10
/ locate It's origin. IL is distinctiVelV and
! delghuully American.
The binding alone would indicate its
! nativity. The "nome-made" blind tooling
% H. 10 - a al