Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-06-03
thought | would take no chances, and


SO it is in safe keeping. ,,
MIR. Bay6rd is himself deenly i'm.
pressed with the contents Of the
precious volume. For practical pur.
poses the facsimile copies which are
low on sale are much more satisfactory
than the original. They have comfort
able margins, are printed op better
paper, and have newer, IL not netter
iuk. The striking feature that runs
through that entire hook continued
Mr. 5ayard. as he passed his hand ever
the pages OF thu fac-simile volume be.
fore him, 'is its spirit of reverence,
You will see here that Bradford coll
lected all the names and tities OF the
Deity, ami copied out in his own hand
the Hebrew words which expressed
those Titles. lie also relates that be
began to study Hebrew that be might
see how tho precious appellations
looked in their original settling, and be
states, too, that no cannot expect
to attain much proficiency in that
language, but like Moses, looking into
the Promised Land. he desires to get q
single view. To that end, be copied
in English and then in Hebrew series
OF the choice texts of Scripture, like
Honor thy father and thy mother.
William Bradford founded every
thing on the Bible. Over on page 90,
he gives an account of the first civil
marriage in the colony. He relates
that this custom came from the Neither.
lands, or the low countries, as he calls
1T, and he cites the arguments for
making marriage primarily civil,
instead of an ecclesiastical ceremonial.
lie says tho civil courts have to deal
with inheritances, and therefore that
u is better that the civil law should
take cognizance of that upon which
Inheritance depends. But what is evil
IDENTITY the overwhelming argument
with him is not these matters of ex.
pediency. but the Bible warrant which
he finds for civi marriage. in tho book
OF Ruth, a passage from which be
quotes. This spirit runs through the
whole book. II is misnamed as log
book. Bradford was no navigator. /
believe he was very seasick most of the
time, but he has written here a his.
tory in q reflective and philosophical
style, which is wonderful in its sim.
plicity. its sincerity, it's truthfulpess,
and its spirit Of reverence. Ovhr in
the back be gives a list of marriages
and births. and in the former category
the name Roger Williams appears. The
author also speaks Of him in the course
of the history. II is this record OF
marriages and births that probably
gave the British whatever of claim
they had to this book. 1t was said
that Massachusetts, belonged to the
blshopric OF London, and as such some
officer, as the troublous times of the
war were approaching cunningly
thought 1t would be hest to smuggle
this book to England for safe keeping.
1t has all come out right IN the end,
however, aud We shall doubtless ap-
preciate the grand old original all the
more from its long absence. -
Speaking of his work in London, Mr..
Bayard said that his great aim mad
been to impress the English people
with the feeling of kinshin and friend
ship which should prevail between the
two great Anglo-SaxoE peoples of the
world. The sentiment has been fully
met. The Bishop of London is so strong
a friend of America and SO particularly
fond OF New England that he took hold
with special zest to help bring about
the return of this book, and the whole
episode is but type of the friendly
feeling the English have for lie. Mr..
Bayard was especially gratified, on
attending st. Paul's Church his last
Sunday in London. by the reference of
the archdeacon to his service. as an
amhassador and how large had been
the contribution of that service to the
cementing. of friendly ties between the
nations. Besides being monument to
the Pilgrim Fathers, this manuscript
history, in its return, is a monument
to the am bassadorship of Mr.. Bayard,
although he modestly declines to have
bis part in the matter so understood.
was merely willing and cheerful
agent to help to bring it about-that is
all, " said he.