The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-11
American SOciety's Fine
!, Collection.
Transferred to the New York
Public Library.
Between Five and Six Thousand
Volumes Pertaining to Holy Writ.

New YORK, May ll-lhc managers OF
tho American Bible Society announce
that carly In tho year negotiations were
opened with tho Now Yor!, Public
Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilcen Foun
dations, which resulted in forma! agree
ment with the trustees of thai Institution
in accordance with which the greater part
of the society's collection of books and
manuscripts will be transferred To the
custody Of the New York Public Library
as special deposit, such books being
retained at the Bible house as arc nccdfui
for reference and use In conducting the
society's work. The removal OF the books
20 the Lenox Library building on Fifth
avenue at the corner OF Seventletn street
has already been commenced, and VIII
be consumnated as soon as circumstances
allow. Ii is not TO be inforrod. however.
that the interest of the managers in this
collection will cease because of this trans
for for il will still be their aim 10 add TO
tho collection from the new publications.
of tho society at home and abroad, and it
will continue 90 be known as the Library
of the American Biblo Society.
This collection of Bibles and books per-
tanning TO the Bible consists OF between
five and six thousand volumes, some OF
which have been Ia the library for more
than 80 years.
BY far the larger part OF the collection
CONSISTS Oh NCOpltS Ol lic IDllbie VI parts VI
tho Bible in very many languages and
dialects. Editions in English predoininate,
and these include not only copies bearing
the date of 1911, and subsequent reprints
of tho authorized version, but hundreds
of volumes, which illustrate what individ-
Eal sonoiarship has done in attempting TO
improve upon the work of King James
translato-s. The early editions Of the
Doaay Scriptures are we'll represented,
and some of tho Genevan and other ver-
sions which antcdatod the version now in
common use. There IL largo number
of American editions of tho Revised Eng-
| lish Bible. The assortment Of Scriptures IN
the Chinese and Japanese languages Is
worthy of special meution.
The library contains but few mana
scripts, but among the few are roll OF
ancient date containing portion OF tho
| Hebrew Pentateuch; Syrlac Lectionary,
written in the Esurangelo character; "a
| beautiful Latin Bible, supposed TO have
| been made in the fourteenth century, and
"a fragment of the Gospel OF Matthew, in
| Slavic, attributed 30 the eighth century.
The collection is rich in WORKS devoted
| TO the history of the Biblo and az the
| translation of the Biblo some OF them in
| N series extending from John Lewis
History of English Translations" HTst
| published i'm 1881, to the latest edition OF
| Condits History in 1896; some Of thom
more general in their scope, like tho vari-
Gus editions of lie Longs "Bibliotleca
| Sacra," Bagster's "Bible Of Livery
| Land" and Reuss History Of tho
! Sacred Scriptures of the New 1estament
Here also may be mentioned volumes
| containing either the Lords prayer
| CRATIC Dominica--or other passages OF
| Scripture, in great variety of Ian
| guages; one, for example, published IN
! Leipsic in l745; another In Amsterdam in
! 1895; third in st. Petersburg In 1870;
and another IN Chicago n 1884, as we'll
| AS editions of Specimen Verses" OF tho
/ British and American Bible Societies.
| Next in importance PERHAPS are the
! volumes which record the history and
| proceedings of the great Bible societies
| and the missionary societies OF tho world,
| showing what great progress Las been
| made in this nineteenth century In trans
| lating and circulating the Scriptures and
carrying the knowledge of tho gospel TO
| the ends of the earth. This class Includes
| formal histories of Bible societies, Ike
those Of Owen, Browne and Strickland;
controversial pamphlets, especially numcr-
GUS in the earlier decades OF tho century;
| jubilee memorials, which came IL at n
later period tho Annual Reports of the
British and Foreign Bible Society, OF tho
| American Bible society, OF the American
Board of Foreign Missions; tho ''Doou-
mentary Histol? of tho American Bible
| Union;" and the Bible Society Record.
| A smaller group contains biographies
| or memorials of men who have borne otli-
cial relations to tho American Bible
Society. such as BouiiIot. Jay. Freling
huysen and Williams Dodge, Stuart
and Walsh, among 1t presidents and
e-presdents; DR.. Milnor, Dr. j. G.
Brigham, DIR. Spencer II. Cone. and DR..
! :. |. Prime among its secretaries; and
! DIR. s. H. Turner, DIR. Gardner Spring
| and DR. Chambers, among those who
have rendered special services or It's sew
eral committees.
Among the treasures worthy OF the
| highest regard are the archives OF the
| American Bible Revision Committee,
comprising their journals and files of cor
| respondence from 1871 10 1885, together
with scrap books of contcmporancous
comment and history, and other litera-
ture relating to tho work which engaged
their attention for fourteen years. Tn
| fortunately, the set of specimens Of rovls-
ION which were conildcntIally submitted
90 them by their correspondents In Eng
land Is incomplete, but IL is hoped that
| additions may be made TO the collection
in the future which will leave no5hng