New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-25
THE BIBLE IN SPAIN
George Barrow's Successors ana
Their Work.

corresnondence Of The Lon
don Times.
=. .h,e vaar of the English B'bles
~ Borrow. could he revisit
Snain. would have no reason i"' 49,,
sac,ion at the progress MADE py t,,s
ccriptures in that country. ne wou.o
not he surprised Spain never cnaneeI
they are his words-and the b'ole 10
on unknown book among the great nloss
of the Spanish population to,oas
,,,as when Borrow, exactly three-quai
tore If a century ago. was underso,ns
considerable buffetings' ana mos ~.
tle accidents which cheduer nissionai'
life I'm Spain" Peasants to-day VIZ ~
casionalIy remark that they nav hoa."
30 the English Bible. but have been un-
oh,o m Obtain copy in Spanish, as III
porrov's time il very frequently &C
cnrred that the poor laborers IN tne
neighborhood. being eager 70 OBTAIN
taments and having no money 10 VI,e.
,,e in exchange. brought various ar'ic''s
IN our habita;ion al equivalents lor -
ample rabbits fruit. and oarley pu'
tho commoner attitude is that OIL me d.
caIde Of remote Corcuvion. who saio 10
Rorrow. II have heard that inc bngisn
biohly priZe this eccentric BOOK.
The priests are still no donpt s'''Ne,S
hostile upon occasion. especlalE wv Yu'
nf-tho-vav villages as Borrow found ~
,hadas wbero thev with horrid curses
donn,nced tho work" the New Testa-
,nant, There arc I'm tho smaller village
nun her OF simple. noble rh'"". NV
ing ready with loins giri 70 'h"'k d"u
benfsh ali heresy from tholT pa i,h"N
one of them. an old prfSb1N" 90 "
rias confessed some months %"
humble pride that lie had bFen IN
means Of preventing the spread 81 neIe
sv In his village. having hurn' nun
her of Spanish restamenfs pipueh' ~
him I'm confession t. be examined - ~
as a whole parcel Of them dlrecteu "a
him through the post he kne" not
,ybence Borrow. indeed. rode forth 10
distribute Bibles i'm Spain IN spirit OF
hitter hatred toward Roman catholicism
Sometimes the grandeur and mystery OF
the Spanish cathedrals inspired nm ior
2 moment with some measure 81 tolel
ence. he found II almost Impossible 10
"hear the solemn music and tho nome
chanting and inhale tho incense 81 rl"
,,,i~rh,, ,aneerS and entertain
doubt that we arc treadng the moor 81
\ house where God delighteth 10 dWe1;
Yet he hasteps 70 add. the Lord Is
distant from that house. He hears not.
He secs not, or if He DO it is with an
ger"
Rut il Is rather as literary and CIV
ilizinp Influence. and by no means ~ an
Influence hostile 10 the Roman tathoilc
religion. that further spread ot the
Spanish version of the Bible might he
welcomed i'm Spain. Tie Bible Is not re
nIaced in humble Spanish homes by any
other book-not even by Don QriXote {.
at the most, If reading there is. II IS tnat
of some thoroughly worthless hanpcnnE
newspaper. the existence oi when inc
nriests are the first to deplOre. The noble
New Testament. and il is curious To sec
trv. more general acquaintance with
the Bible might DO much TO remedy this.
The French translation Of the Bible TO
one accustomed To the English gives an
IMPRESSION of thnneSs and lack OF mn
agination. Il is jejunc and unlnsplred.
but the Bibte in the Spanish translation
of Valera is a work Of noble prose. with
much Of We had nearly said with all
but that. or 50 II must appear 10 an
Englishman, is sheer impossibilltN
the sound and color and poetry Of the
English authorized version Borrow :
humble successors still traverse Andalu-
sia. driving before them one or more
donkeys laden with Spanish Testaments.
They are Spauiards travelling in tho
service of an American society. When
they have put up 1T an inn for the night
and the asses. bearers of the sacred load.
are quietly i'm their stalls. caring for
none Of these things. the peasants. II 1t
be winter. after a frugal meal gather
round the wood fire burning on the
ground at one end of the kitchen one
Of the men begins an impromptu SER
Spanish language. perhaps the most
beautiful Of living languages, is most
insufficiently honored in it's own cOun-
mon into which he WeaVeS texts from the
the various expressions of interest.
mockery and courteous indifference on
the faces of his listeners. lit up by the
flames from the blazing fire, the rest Of
the kitchen and patio being In an ink
darkness Most Of them cannot reaG,
but they are interested in books that
are sold beneath cost price or even
given away.
The Spanish peasants are naturally
intelligent. but they have no book learn
ing, and are almost unnaturally igno-