Eliot (J.)-Continued.

130 printed leaves without page numbers, and 2 blank leaves, in the following order: 1 blank leaf, the title of the new testament in English on 1 leaf verso blank, the dedication of the new testament to Charles II. in 2 leaves, the title of the new testament in Indian ou 1 leaf verso blank, Matthew to Revelation in 126 leaves, and 1 blank leaf at the end, 4°. Signatures A, A (repeated), B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee. Ff, Gg. Hh, Ii, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, and Xx, all in fours. Matthew begins on the second A2, and Revelation ends on Xx3. In the Massachusetts Indian language. See the fac-similes of the two title-pages.

It is worthy of remark that the Indian title is dated 1661, the year in which the new testament was finished at the press. At that time it was generally the custom, when the title was on a leaf of the first sheet of the text, as this one is, to give it the date of the year in which the printing was begun. If the gospel of Matthew was first put in type, instead of the gospel of John (which begins a new set of signatures with Aa), then the title may have been origin. ally printed with the date of 1659 or 1660, the year of its commencement, and afterwards reprinted with the whole sheet for particular reasons. However that may be, in all the copies which I have examined, this title appears to be on the original first leaf of signature A, and not an insertion in place of a canceled leaf. Dr. Trumbull mast be mistaken in his statement, that "the English title and the Epistle, printed on a sheet of which the first leaf was left blank, were inserted between the first (blank) and second leaves of the first sheet as originally printed.-and the signature A3 is repeated." In all the copies examined, and of which good descriptions have been obtained, the English title and dedication are not inserted between any of the leaves of the first sheet, but are placed before it; and the first leaf of "the first sheet as originally printed" can not be properly called a blank leaf, as it contains the Indian title, and is blank only on the verso. By a typographical error, the page headings of chapters 21 and 24 of the gospel of Luke, on the recto of leaves L2 and Li, were wrongly printed "Chap. 10" and "Chap. 15," as in both of the Lenox copies of the separate issue. Other vari. ations are found in copies bound with the old testament and metrical psalms. In most copies of the bible with the English general title and dedication, the diamond-shaped figure is found on the Indian title of the new testament, and the errors occur in the page headings of Luke on L2 and L4. In a few dedication copies of the bible, which have the same errata in the page headings of Luke, the diamond figure is omitted in the Indian new testament title, the space between the two lines being blank. See the fac-similes. In other respects the two titles are so much alike that they appear to have been printed from the same type, without resetting.

Eliot (J.)—Continued.

...

Some bibles with the general title in Indian only, and with the diamond figure on the Indian new testament title, have the page headings of Luke 21 and 24 correctly printed. Mr. O'Callaghan (List of Editions of the Holy Scriptures · printed in America, p. 2) has called attention to the fact that "each verse forms a distinct paragraph until we come to Luke xv. (verso of K3); between that and the end of the Gospel, more than one, sometimes six verses are crowded occasionally into a paragraph, in order apparently to close that gospel and sig. L at the same time." It is probable that sheets A to L (Matthew to Luke) were printed by Green alone, and that Johnson began the gospel of John with sheet Aa, before the printing of Genesis had been commenced. For remarks on the typography and other features of the work, see the note to the whole bible of 1663. The above translation of the Indian title is from Dr. Trumbull's Origin and Early Progress of Indian Missions in New England.

In a letter to Mr. Richard Floyd, the treas. urer of the Corporation in England, dated from Roxbury, December 28th, 1658, Mr. Eliot wrote as follows: "I shall not trouble you with any thing at present save this one businesse of moment, touching the Printing of the Bible in the Indian Language, touching which businesse sundry of the Elders did petition unto the Commissioners, moving them to further it, as a principall means of promoting Religion among them. And God so guided (without mans contrivance) that I was there when it came in. They moved this doubt whether the Translation I had made was generally understood? to which I answered, that upon my knowledge it was understood as farre as Conecticot: for there I did read some part of my Translation before many hundred English Witnesses, and the Indians manifested that they did understand what I read, perfectly, in respect of the language, they further questioned whether I had expressed the Translation in true language? I answered that I feared after times will find many infirmities in it, all humane works are subject to infirmity, yet those pieces that were printed, viz. Genesis and Matthew, I had sent to such as I thought had best skill in the language, and intreated their animadversions, but I heard not of any faults they found. When the Commissioners ended their meeting, they did commit the further consideration of this matter to our Commissioners, as I understand, of whom our Gov. ernour is president. Therefore at the coming away of this Ship, I repaired to the Governour about it. I proposed this expedient, for the more easie prosecution of this work, viz. that your selves might be moved to hire some honest young man, who hath skill to compose, (and the more skill in other parts of the work, the better) send him over as your servant, pay him there to his content, or ingage payment,

Eliot (J.)- Continued.

let him serve you here in New-England at the presse in Harvard Colledge, and work under the Colledg Printer, in impressing the Bible in the Indian language, and with him send a convenient stock of Paper to begin with. all. The Governour was pleased to send for Mr. Norton to advise in it, who came and did heartily further it, whereupon the Governour promised to write unto your selves, and propose the matter, which also I doe, and doe earnestly intreat your assistance herein." In a postscript he added: "They have nope of the Scriptures printed in their own Language, save Genesis, and Matthew, and a few Psalmes in Meeter, and I blesse the Lord they have so much, and such as see these Notes may easily observe that they read them, and improve them, which putteth my soule into an earnest longing that they might have more zeal. I blesse the Lord, that the whole book of God is translated into their own language, it wanteth but revising, transcribing, and printing. Oh that the Lord would so move, that by some means or other it may be printed." According to his promise, Governor Endicott wrote to Floyd, December 28th, 1658: "I have been moved by divers able and godly men here with us to propound unto your pious consideration, whether it be not needful for the better instruction of the Indians amongst us in the true knowledge of God, to get the whole Bible of the old and new Testament, which is already Translated into the Indian tongue, to be printed: Many here with us Divines and others judge it a thing that will be acceptable to God, and very profitable for the poor Hea. thens. If your selves doe so esteem of it too, it will be necessary to provide paper and letters and such things as may further the work, as also a Journey man Printer to be helpefull under Mr. Greene onr Printer to expedite the work... Mr. Eliot will be ready at all times to correct the sheetsas fast as they are Printed, and desireth nothing for his paines."

In reply to these letters, the Corporation wrote to the Commissioners in New England, May 7th, 1659, as follows: "As to the printing of the bible in the Indian language; mensioned in Mr. Endicotts letter; which wee vnderstand is alreddy translated into the Indian tounge; wee conceiue will not onely bee acceptable vnto god; bat uery proffitable to the poor heatben and will much tend to the promotion of the sperituall parte of this worke amongst them; and therfor wee offer it not onely as our owne but as the judgment of others that the New Testament bee first printed in the Indian language; and doe desire to vnderstand by the next what number of them you intend to hane printed; and how much paper the number will take vp and that you send ouer one sheet of paper which might agree with that alreddy printed; and whether you haue matterialls sufficient to carry on the same; aud because wee would haue noe faile therin haue thought

Eliot (J.)-Continued.

good to send you ouer a cattalogue of the matterialls fitt for printing with the charge of them according to information ginen vs; because wee are aduertised that if any of them bee wanting it may prejudice the finnishing of the worke and as for a printer if you want one wee desire you to send vs word how hee must be quallifyed whether a Composer or letter printer." To this letter the Commissioners replied, September 7th, 1659: "touching the printing of the bible in the Indian language being incurraged by youer selues and pressed by Mr. Elliotts affectionate zeale which hee hath constantly held forth for this work, wee shall take order for the printing of the New Testament; which being finished wee shall therby bee the better directed in our further proceeding therin; wee thinke to print & thousand Coppies, and for paper and other materialls shall depend on Mr. Vsher whoe hath vndertaken to furnish according to the printers direction." In the treasurer's account which accompanied this letter was an item of 801. 078. 06d., "To Mr. Vsher for printing letters for the bible." Besides the type here referred to, a new printing press and other necessary materials were purchased in London at the expense of the Corporation, and sent over to Massachusetts, where they were put under the care of Samuel Green, the regular printer of the college press at Cambridge.

A reference to the undertaking is found in the tract entitled, A further Account of the progress of the Gospel Amongst the Indians in New England (London, 1660), in the introductory remarks of Joseph Caryl, dated "the 6th of the first Moneth, 1659" (i. e., March 6, 1660), as follows: " And because, as the whole Work is great, so there are some great parts of it now in hand, as the Printing of Davids Psalms and the New Testament (besides an intendment of printing of the whole Bible) in the Indian Lan. guage."

The printing of the new testament was accordingly begun, and a specimen sheet sent to the Corporation in England, who in a letter dated from London, April 28, 1660, replied as follows: "Gonserning youer printing of the New Testament in the Indian language, a sheet wherof you have transmitted to vs, wee concurr with yoner selues therin, and doe approue of that provision you haue made for printing the same conceineing and offering as onr judg. ments that it is better to print fitteen hundred then but a thousand; hopeing that by incur. ragement from Sion Collidge, with whom wee haue late conference, you may bee enabled to print fifteen bundred of the ould Testament likewise; knowing that the foundation of trae religion is from the bible the ould and new Testament and that the furtherance therof is of principle consernment; and further considering the mutablenes of the times and the liues of those whose hartes are stired vp in that worke especially Mr. Elliott whoe wee