, 1906-06-27
FAMOUS OLD BOOKS,
SCRIPTURES TREASURED BY THE
BIRLloMANIAcs.
Geneva Bible, Better Known as the
"Breeehes Bible" One of the Most
Precious Known to coIlectors-oth.
err Sacred Translatlons.

One of the books which a biblioman-
Geneva Bible. better known as the
"Breeches Bible" This name is due
to the rendering OF Genesis Ill, T.
where Adam and Eve are said to have
"sewed fig tree leaves together and
made themselves breeches."
This had been the reading of the first
English Bible, Wyclife's version, blu
later translators had substituted the
word apron" for "breeches," and the
Geneva Bible reverted to the original.
The fact that only n edition of the
Geneva version contained this sen
tence makes the limited number more
precious to the book g%atherer. The
title pages Of this edition announces
hat IL was Imprinted at London by
the Deputies of the Queene's Most
Excellent Majestic" in 1899. The first
edition appeared in 1850, and for
sixty years this was the favorite Bible
with Ii people, h reluctantly laid
II aside for the authorized version OF
1611. While IL was more a revision of
Tyndale's version thar a direct trans
lation of original manuscripts, 1t rep
resented the work of the best years of
the Punishment of the Reformers who
fled to Geneva during the dark reign
of Mary. That Her Most Excellent
Majestic" Elizabeth accepted its ded-
ication vas a significant omen for the
future of the Bible. 1t was of even
greater Importance than the scene
which occurred three months previous
on her royal entrance into London.
The glittering procession had stopped
at the Little Conduit in Chepe" for a
ceremony such as the people loved.
An old man in ~emblematic dress
stepped before the Queen, and she
was told that he was Time. Time"
she said, land Time 1t was that
brought me hither." A white robed
maiden at his side was introduced as
Truth, the daughter of Time" In
her hand was an English Bible. on
which was written "Verbum veritas-
is" This she presented to the Queen,
who took 1t with both hands, raised it
to her lips, and, laying it next her
heart, thanked the city for its precious
gift.
The Geneva Bible is not noted for
its odd bit of translation alone. II
was the first Bible in which the old
style black letter gave way to the
present Roman type. 1t was the first
to divide the chapters into paragraphs
and the first to omit the Apocrypha,
or books of doubtful authenticity ap-
pended to the Old Testament. 1t omits
the name of St. Paul from the Epistle
to the Hebrews, and uses italics for
all words not occurring in the orig
inal.
The copious marginal notes are es-
pecially interesting as giving the au-
thors' opinions on many temporal mat
ters. Indeed, the one of these notes
was to a great extent the cause of the
book being replaced by the authorized
version, made under the direction of
King James. For instance, in the pass
age where the Hebrew midwives did
not as the King of Egypt commanded.
but saved the men children alive the
marginal note declares: Their dis
obedience to the King was lawful,
though their assembling was evil"
ut is false" said King James, ito dis
obey a king is not lawful. Such trait
conceits should not go forth
among the people"
At a conference of bishops and cler-
gy, in 1904, the question of a new YER
sion was discussed. The idea was ia
vored by the King, who was some.
thing of a scholar and felt that a
translation made under his auspices
would rebound to his glory. Then, too.
there was his avowed dislike of the
Geneva Bible. Whether or not his
motives were all admirable, his meth
cd of carrying out the project was full
of merit. The best scholars of the
day, of all casts of thought, were en-
listed, and all former English trans
lations were used in connection with
the original manuscripts. The result
was a version that was accepted IN
q~uestioningly until the carefully re-
vised version of 1885.