The sun., 1902-06-01

s3.O2s TOR 4 LONG lost BIBLE
u Was the Flint Printed In English iu
America -PubIished secretly In B"s-
ton In lsa7-lts Evistcoc~ Ions
D~nirsi Tho Edition wn Ptrsi~d
A, book salr In the city last Monday
g .0?s was given for q copy n the Bible
prin'~d in Boston In 1889 hv kneeland and
Green. and ssnt out with the forged Inn
print Of tho London printer. Mark has
kett The "Iist~nc> of this book has long
b~>n doubted George Bancroft. among
others, called Il . -pretend'-d edition
Twenty-Five vearr ago. copy wAs dis
covered by George p Phi.e. an old New
York bookseller. now living In retirement
In Philadelphia and WAS anld To the late
Thomas J Mckee. well known ~ Q Law 70
yer and ardent book collector Mr. McK-~
having paid a high price for what eIp~rts
had called an alleged book remained
silent concerning his Possession ~ the
volume. and until last week hardly three
p~rsons outside of his family were aware
~ the fact
Tha, 3. one reason why his unique Bhl~
attracted 40 much attention lac, Monday
the prio~ given privately ia@t fall fer ~.
finest ~opv in existence ~ Eliot Indian
Bible. ioss 1ss Coo,. and moro than thrs-
times the prio~ given hy the Library of
Congr.~~ some years ago Tor q copy 81
Atk~n's Bible in Ebglsh. Phiadelph ia.
i7s7. 1850
II has long been supposed that the Bible
printed in PhiladelphiA At the close of the
Revolution was the first edition Of the Holy
Scriptures printed in America in the Eng
liah tongue This Bible. issued by Robert
Ai,keu. q printer and bookseller. was ln-
gun in 1874. the New Testament beins com.
ple,ed in that year. and the entire book
t-lng issued In 1882, with a general tit!s
pag. t->aring the latter date
rp to $50. when Isaiah Thomas pub.
llshed his '1ii.'ory of Printing In America
this edition held the distinction Of bcins &
the earliest issued here in English Thomas
however. made the statement that Knee
land 4 Green. the Boston printers. issued
from their press for Daniel lienchman ard
other booksellers small quarto Bible
and he was Informed 81 this hy thos- Who
had assisted in the printing
~. giv,~ the date ~ 'ahnut the time that
the partnership ~ Kne-alaud A 6rren es-
pir-d. shich was 1882. and quotes IN. inn
PRINT, viy London. Printed Nv Marx
Bask.tt, Printer TO the Kings Mosl tNc"l-
lent Ma lcsty, and toy The Assigns 81 hut~ft
Rn.kctt, MDCCIIl He sta,er that u Vac
carried through the press az privately a.
possible and bnre the London imprint. 10
prevent a prosecution from thus' IN Ing
land and scotland who published The htle
Nv IA sii from he Crown. or ram pri,i-
lego. A. lid th. Universities Of oxford
and TatnbritR.
Thomas was In error in ono particular.
and this mistake i- r~rhaI- responsible
for the advcr-" position taken on 'h" que--
,ion ~ the authenticity ~ this edition hv
George Bancroft, ia" historian. and hv
tho-e who have followed his lead Thomas
ssid i, ha. 'he London imprint If 'h"
copy from which " ~as reprinted
This is h-dh inCorre,f sud ImpUsshl"
Tho fact is. that while q London imprint
Wa copied. II was All unhu hofize'i IA" hat
had never appeared on any bona fd" Eng.
lish edition. and could not. sav" ~ roNal
PERMISSION In" authoriZ"d imprint ~as
iOyfurd Printed 10y Thomas Basket.
Printer 20 'he University. ~. NJ
daring 20 copy this imprint, the Roston
printer. .aleci.d the nearly idenrirA nam"
- Marx Basket. LONDON piIn'"r ~ r"-
pre
rhnmas. story wss soon a--ail"d In
HE History ~ america RancI"f, Al
tackled the truth 90 tho tale calling ku""-
lands a Grren's issue 'pr"'"rd"d-
edition Bancroft. chief arg,iineu' vas
that no copy ~ the Mark Basket ".iitInu
had ever h~rn discovered. and that y
scarcely Possible that n" entire issue
could have disspy~ared
TN copy ~ tie pretended american
edition - produced. h- sad. -r" ,r'h'
can - given tu ia" -"'urd-hHfd story.
Tho Mckee orpN, iusi sild. - apIar'nilv
tho l"rs lo.t one. and -. eAls'"rc" anuu-
the truth - Thomas's statement ~aN' Iu
tNI~ and orusnenis used. n I- 'j"ufl,al
With no su'h"iiS.d Blhl". - 'h~ -,u"
J.riod which wrr" printed ~ Thows
Basket
john Anderson Jr - thi. ci, Who
"a. = friend of Mr. Mck-- and ,~ar" -
hi- t-,s.-s.iou ~ Tho bible - i;;.. tu-,k
'or uauv vears q keen interest IN 'he -u',-
ie.f hoping to un.arth 4 sc'uud cupS
Fot q long tune he searched wIHo'r SUI
c~~.. hut IA isaa ie can" scr"ss aU lu.
r~r'e~' Wbls. which Wa- plainly ~ q 49,.
und eEiu'rn and issiIr't mn" N"ars !a,er ~
samuel ku~elaud
History sts'es thai NE IaTu~r.hlp .
ku"-.lsud h Hr~,u vas dis."Nri O" ~:
Gre~n N"u p" New l. udun ,oru. at
kne,'laud r-inaiis-l in Boston 'ill lsG1 H.
i;6l hn'~laud se"fn. 2" ha," 'Ak"i -ria"
~ lhs she..is a., tho i75: Bible sLd s~'"d
. now edition bearing fresh 'rI- page
l. NAV - ha' tho printers l--au.
frightened. after printing th" pira,"d B.hi~
IN l,S. aud alluNs,t uulN a few "oIIrs -
eo srnsd rhis would accoun, for 'h-
fa,l 'hs' 'h~ Mch~e cuyN - thai ~,iiitun
- apparently untdu"
TlIu.s -svs tia GuN Iian~s'k Iz.-
-..-.-i copy. h'n tho Hancock hhrar,
with all ifs ahlsha hi.tutical Cplh-f iuns
vas unfortunately d~~truN'Si hv mol
Nc uih~f copy ~ ~. t-si "tu,nn .ave
Nr Auler-a,ns l. srn~u ir ~vIs, u b-ar.
Tho aut"gr-ph - David li,nssiure. one
~ o." >ienr's ~ IN. n"clara'ion ~ Indie
,e.d.rcc Tho V"iumc al~n CONTAINS ar
Int. lsai -