Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-22
ROBERT MERSHON TELLS
OF ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE
Lecture for Wellesley College
Fund Gives Valuable
Data.

Robert w. Mershons talk on the Bible
and other sacred books given at the New
Century Club on Thursday evening, for
the benefit of the Wellesley College FunoA
contained great deal of valuable data.
MIR. Mershon said of the Bible, IN part:
Some idea of the cost or selling price OF
the entire Bible may be had when we
consider the fact that in order TO secure q
single copy--it will be understood that
this was in the centuries before the IN
vention of printing and the printing press,
Dukes and Duchesses were known to
mort gage the entire crops OF their estates.
ROYALTY itself had 10 skirmish and scheme
IN order 30 secure the coveted book and
it is a matter of history that one woman,
the Duchess of AnIou paid about l,Oon
bushels of corn, the same ot rye and bar
ley, about 500 of wheat, rs well as several
sheep hogs and other farm animals tor
her copy In this connection. and IN view
Of statements that must follow, it is Of
interest 20 note that the Bible would
never have come down to us had IL not
been for the love and devotion OF the old
Catholic monks and nuns who made 1t
duty OF love aad DEVOTION the perpetua-
ton of the Book Of Books, and all OF the
other great works that have come down
from and beyond the time of the Saviour
II was CassiodorIs. All old Abbot of tho
Third Century, who first made the rule
that part nf every day should be gwen
over to the making of books and later
St Wolamia, Alcuin, st. Dunstan and
others, from century 80 century earned
on the work until it was taken up by the
first of the universities.
The next known attempt to put the
BihIe into English was that of William
Tvndal, who produced in 1925, the New
Testament. printed At Cologne. OF this
New Testament not q single perfect ex-
ample is known to exist The British
| Museum and the Library of France con-
tain the best copies known and they are
decidedly fragmentary. and this owing
greatly to the endeavors Of Bishop Iun-
stall Of London, who used every means
within his power TO intercept copies OF the
| book as they were being brought into
England and when copies Were found
in London and other places, they were
/ burned in front Of st Psuls Cathedral
Every known device was resorted 70 by
/ Tyndall and his supporters 20 smuggle
the books into England, they were put
into all kinds of packages containing other
articles, and even into sacks of -four, but
SO active was Tlustal owing 10 his deter
come known in the Brit .sh Isles, that com
paratively few copies reached their des-
tination An interesting story is told IN
connection with this TO the effect that
when Tunstal learned that friend o.
Tyndall's was planning = trip TO the Con
tinent. he went % him, gave him some
money and instructed him TO purchas'
the remaining copies OF the Testament
from TVudall. When Tyndall was tolC
oi Tunstali's offer he exclaimed thai
TInstau merely wanted the books q
destroy them, but when his friend ex
planned that while that was without ques
ton the purpose OF Tunstall the book
were so unsatisfactory TO Tyndall, being
. a first publication. he could use the money
toward bringing out better book. Tyn
dali accepted this view Of il as reasonable
the bargain was made, and the remalnde
/ OF the first edition Of the first Testamen
in English was sent TO England and de
stroyed
In 1880 Tyndall published the Penta
teuch, i { being printed IN Holland. while II
/ 1884 Tvnda1l's second New Testamen
i was issued and in 1886 his third and las
( New Testament.
The next talk IN the series of bool
/ lectures viii be given Monday, Jsnusrl
/ "a. st 4 p. m.