New-York tribune., 1898-10-30
THE AlTkEN BIBLE.
FIRST AMERICAN EDITION OF THE
SCRIPTURES IN ENGLISH.
THE HOWARD EDWARDS COPY JUST OFFERED
AT AUCTION IN PHILADELPHIA - SOME
ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF
THE RARE OLD BOOK.

AT AUCTION IN PHILADELPHIA - SOME
ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF
THE RARE OLD BOOK.
An unusually important sale OF rare books was
h.,d few days ago in Philadelphia. when the
Howard Edwards collection of over two thou
sand volumes chiefly Americana, was offered at
auction Among the many valuable works thus
brought forward one of the rarest and most
highly priced was a copy of the Aitken
R,ble." which brought S2l5. Tris work the
first English Bible printed in America. was
published by Robert Aiken in Philadelphia
IN 17So and is the rarest OF all
the early Bibles printed in this country Ex-
merits estimate that not more than nifty copies at
The outside are in existence to-day, and the
number actually accounted for falls considerably
short Of that figure. Only about once In gen.
Grafton is a copy offered for sale. and hiSl
nrice is always commanded for it. The book is
small in size. the pages measuring six by three
and one half inches. When bound in one volume
Il is a little two inches in thickness but II
was usually issued in two volumes The DIVISION
c,,riously enough. was not always made IN the
same place. In most cases il occurred at the
end Of the Old Testament the second volume
beginning with the Gospel of ST. Matthew. ms
Of course. made the two volumes very unequal in
has the division occurring at the end of the Book
OF Ecclesiastes. thus making the volumes or
about the same proportions. The Lenox Library
IN this city has besides its excellent one-volume
copv the first volumes of two sets ending with
Ecclesiastes The companion volumes OF both or
these are missing The Atken Bible is bound In
plain leather, either brown or olive green ana
is printed in BREWER. The pages are not num-
bered On the title page is the following in
scription:
The Holy Bible. Containing the Old and New
Testaments Newly translated out or the orig
jnal Tongues And with the former Transations
Diligently compared and revised. Philadelphia:
Printed and Sold by r. Aitken at Pope's Head
Three doors above the Coffee House. in Market
Street M.DCCLXXXII"
AN ODD PREFACE.
The mage also bears the State arms Of Penn
svlvania. Then occupying the next page and a
ber follows an odd feature of the book: This
consists Of the proceedings of Congress with re-
gard TO the Bible including reports presented
recommending Mr.. Athens wOrktand the action
taken upon them by the body or IawmaKers'
The proceedings concluded with the following
resolution dated at Philadelphia. September III,
1872:
Reso,ve6 That the United States In Congress
assembled highly approve the pious and lauda-
ble undertaking of Mr. Aitken. as subservient 10
the interest Of religion as well as an instance o1
the progress Of arts in this country, and being
satisfied from the above report of his care ana
accuracy in the execution of the work, they rec
ommend this edition OF the Bible TO the lnhabl-
tants Of the United States. and hereby authorize
him TO publish this Recommendation In the man
''' ~ CHA THOMSON secry.
Mr. Aitken as has been mentioned. thought 1t
proper 10 publish the recommendation in the
Bible itself. thereby introducing new kind Of
preface TO the Scriptures.
: Seldom is a COPY OF the Aitken Bible found in
perfect conditional fact which doubtless speaks
we'll for the piety Of our ancestors. for its worn
and ancient appearance has evidently come
from much use Sometimes the title-page Is
gone and again II is parts OF the text which are
missing Comparatively few of the copies now
located have the leaf bearing the resolution OF
Congress.
Mr. Aitken's enterprise in undertaking to print
Bible was inspired by the scarcity OF the book
which ensued during the course OF the Revou-
tionary War. II had never been lawful to pub
lisb the Bible in English in the colonies, every
CODY having to he imported from England SO
that when commerce with the mother country
had entirely ceased the supply Of Bibles was at
once cut short. Arrangements were made TO
bring over a certain number from Holland ana
one or two other countries but these were far
from sufficient Robert Aitken, who had come
to America from Dalkeith. Scotland. in 1863.
and was established in Philadelphia as a book
seller bookbinder and publisher, determined to
print the first American copy of the Bible, and
having received the authority Of Congress. at
once proceeded TO issue the volumes.
WORKING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
His work was performed under many Difficult
ties and II is recorded of him that upon one oc-
casion in the midst OF his labors he was obliged
ito remove his type and materials hastily out OF
the city and bury them under a barn. In order 10
save them from destruction by the British SOL
diers" More than this, the undertaking was
not a financial success. and. according 10 Mr..
Aitkens own statement he lost three thousand
bounds sterling" in It, But it received hearty
commendation from patriotic Americans. and a
writer in The Freeman's Journal" at the time
said "The very paper that has received the
impression OF these sacred books was manufact-
ured in Pennsylvania; the whole work Is. there
fore. purely American. and has risen. like the
fabled phpnix from the ashes Of that pile in
which our enemies supposed they had consumed
the liberties OF America.
In q book entitled Early Bibles OF America"
by the Rev. DR.. John Wright. a list OF owners OF
the thirty-two copies OF the Aitken Bible that
have been located Is given. together with the
prices which have been paid for few OF them
A copy in two volumes now in the Library or
Congress at Washington was purchased for that
library in 1891 for $3.50. the highest price known
10 have been paid for the work This was at
the sale OF the Baker collection in Philadelphia
The copy had originally been given by Aitken to
his daughter Mrs. Mary A. Bradbury, OF Ger
nantown Penn. a great granddaughter OF Rob
ert Arkcn. owns two copies. and William Y Nc