New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-09-05

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very hazy and secondhand knowledge
of its sacred teachings; the colleges
tell us SO, yegvettina that eur literary
English ne longer bears the mark Of
its exquisite imagery and majestic
Prose. The day is past when the
Bible was the textbook fer the ssudy
Of ethics and aecial relatiens. and
when even such writer's aa Byron and
the Satanic School, as our freshman
English literature acrimoniously
labeled them, owed the purity Of their
diction and the beauty Of their i'm.
agery TO thorough working knowl-
edge of the masterpiece Of all liteRa.
ture.
And the Bible has lost none Of its
power. There must be some super
fetal reason why the general reader
who deyours countless novels. detec-
tive stories, books Of economics and
science a year never seems TO find
time TO get acquainted with 1t.
Sees No Reason
French Strether, managing editor of
The Worlds Work, lover Of the Bible
for itself if for no other reason, has
become convinced that the hook is not
generally read because Of it's present
typographical form, broken up into
short verses and confused by verse
numbers. These, he says, constantly
interrupt the readers mind and eve
and prevent him from getting the
mass effect, the full rounded beauty
Of its philosophy and it's literary style.
AS result, Mr. Strosher has edited
and arranged the Moderu-Printed
Bible, of which the Gospel of Saint
Matthew is just published by Double
day, Page & Co. 1t is a pleasingly
bound book in gray board and green
linen with neat blaek-Iettsred
paneled white label. The text is
printed in single column and is
divided naturally into chapters and
paragraphs just as any modern book
Ia printed. The text of the Kins
James rather than the Revised version
was chosen because it is generally con-
sidered that the older and more
familiar text is superior in the excel
lence of its English prose style.
But Mr.. Strother reminds US that we
are not 80 modern after all, for che
Madern-Printed Bible is not an in.
novatien but return to the readable
simplicity of the older English yer.
sions. Neither WycliYe nor Cover.
dale, whose paragraphing this edition
follows. broke the text up into short
verses or intruded confusing verse
numbers. That was an innovation OF
King James's scholars.
Bibles Fascinating Study
Perhaps few Of us have ever won.
eaeSsa about the Bibles that our an.
eestora read. Yet tho hiatory of these
old volumes which repase under elas,
eases In tho museums is teeming with
! nigh adventure and romance. If on,
rorebears were scholars as we'll as
swordsmen, they probably possessed OF
certainly read copy of one of the
earliest and most fascinating Of printed
books. the ComplutensiaR, or first great
polyglet Bible. For book lovers were
kinder to their friends in those days
Then lent their books and, like GroIier
imprinted on their volumes not only
their own name, but "amicorum."
At this time, 1902, there was no tex
OF the New Testament in the original
language. The few Greek scholars eapa.
Die OF such a task were without re.
sources, and from the very nature Of
their occupation looked specifically upor
the infant art Of printing. The Jews
being wealthy and more energetic, had
printed the Old Testament in Hebrew
in Mass. Old Latin copies Of the Vulgate
had become corrupted by alterations in
reeeDyiRg. Cardinal Xinenes, a great
Spaniah eharehman, scholar and sol
diers conceived an idea Of Tremendous
scholastic importance, the publishing Of
the complete Bible in the oyisina
tongue. The work was done in his uni.
versity, ct Aicola, and gathered there
the most learned scholars OF Europe
1t was fifteen years in preparations.
But what courage and patience il
must have taken to read the six thich
folio volumes! To be sure, there is q
choice Of four languages-H Hebrew
Chaldee, Greek and Latin, with Chal.
dean roots on the margin and sometimea
IAaaAeEaiasaR translat!ons. To the madeira