language and the Hebrew also, he, however, prevailed on an Irishman, named King, who had also an accurate knowledge of the English Language, to render the Sacred Volume from the English Version at least into Irish, The Version thus obtained, Bedell undertook diligently to revise; collating, together with the English Version, the Hebrew Text, the Septuagint, and the Italian Translation of Diodati. But when the work had been completed, and was now just ready to be put to press, it was kept back by the machinations of some envious opponents, who alleged that its author was an unlearned and mean man, and one therefore that could not have been equal to such a task. A copy of this Version, however, saved from the wreck of the abovementioned factious opposition, is said to be at this moment passing through the press, at the expense of the Hon. Mr. Boyle." If the principles of the Committee, then, are not new, so neither is the manner in which their attempts are received. The resem blance between the "seditio," as it is here called, of 1685, and the "factious opposition" (for such seems to be the correct rendering of the term) of 1827, is too striking to escape notice. Here was a case, however, in which, in the revision, the Original could be consulted. And how does this differ from the case of the Persian Pentateuch, translated from the Arabic, and sent to this country to undergo the revision of Professor Lee ;-or from that of Sabat's Arabic Testament, revised by Martyn and Mr. Thomason in India; and, on a second edition, again revised by Professors Lee and Macbride in this country ;-or from that of the Amharic, translated from the Arabic by a native Abyssinian, under the inspection of a learned French Orientalist, and revised in this country by Professor Lee and myself? And then, as to the incompetence of the Translators employed: there is the Modern Greek Version, executed by a Bishop of the Greek Church, revised by Ecclesiastics appointed by the Synod at Constantinople, and printed in this country under the inspection of the Rev. Mr. Renouard (late Arabic Reader at Cambridge, and formerly Chaplain at Smyrna) and myself the Modern Armenian Version, executed by M. Zohrab, of Paris-the Calmuc Gospels, translated by Mr. J. J. Schmidt, of St. Petersburg, the first Mongolian and Calmue Scholar in Europe. I might go on with the List; but I have said enough to show how justly the Reviewer remarks: "After the most careful and patient investigation, we are obliged to state, that, without one single exception, the New Versions which have appeared, either at the direct expense or under the immediate sanction of the Earl Street Committee, have either been executed by incompetent Translators, or printed without having been subjected to a proper revision."— Review, p. 6. But it is said moreover, that in REPRINTS of Foreign Versions also, the Committee "seem to stumble, almost instinctively, on the most incompetent Editor that could have been discovered." Such has, doubtless, been the case with the Carshun and Syriac, edited by M. Silvestre de Sacy of Paris; with the Syriac, Arabic, and Malay, edited by Professor Lee; with the Arabic, edited by Dr. Macbride; with the Coptic, edited by Professor Lee and the Rev. H. Tattam; with the Ancient and Modern Greek, edited by the Rev. Josiah Pratt, and the Rev. G. C. Renouard; with the French, edited by the Rev. D. Chabrand, of Toulouse, and the Rev. J. Monod, jun. of Paris.—Of my own competency or incompetency as an Editor, it is not for me to speak. The Reprints which I have edited have been, the Ethiopic Gospels, Syriac Testament, and Ancient and Modern Greek Testament. If there were any suspicion, on the part of the Bishops and Clergy of the Church of England, of such an unhappiness in the selection of Editors, it is singular, that in almost the only Reprint of a Foreign Version which is circulated by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, the Text of the Bible Society's edition should be that which they have chosen to adopt; for thus runs the Title-page of the French Bible sold, at this time, at the Office of the ancient Society just mentioned: "La Sainte Bible contenant le Vieux et le Nouveau Testament, revue et corrigée avec soin d'après les Textes Hebreu et Grec, et fidèlement réimprimée sur la Bible Protestante Françoise publiée par l'Association Angloise et Etrangère de la Bible, avec de nombreuses corrections, conformes à l'édition la plus approuvée maintenant en usage dans le Sud de la France. à Londres, 1819." The edition is "revised and corrected" indeed; but here is the But we have been led away from the subject of NEW VERSIONS. It remains to state a few facts respecting those Versions against which distinct charges have been brought ;-these are, the Mohawk, Calmuc, Chinese, Turkish, and Bengalee. And first of the MOHAWK : This Translation was obtained, indeed, in the manner related by Mr. Owen in the passage quoted from him by the Reviewer, and judgment was passed on it after the sort of examination which he describes. The Reviewer holds up this examination to ridicule : but in what better way such a work could have been examined he does not inform us; nor does he go on to tell us, with Mr. Owen, the names of some of the Examiners. These, it will be seen, were not "blind partisans" of the Bible Society, but men of acknowledged respectability and learning. The persons mentioned by Mr. Owen, as having assisted on the occasion, are, the Rev. Professor Bridge, of the East-India College; the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, Rector of St. Olave's, Jewry; and the Rev. R. Ormerod, A. M., Vicar of Kensington. Let us now see what has been the further history of this Version.-The edition printed in London having been exhausted, the Managers of the American Bible Society at New-York found the demand still extensive enough to require a further supply: they therefore printed a second edition. This they did not send forth rashly, and without inquiring into the nature of that which they were distributing: for, on hearing that some complaints were abroad against the Version, they suspended its circulation forthwith, until the nature and foundation of these complaints should have been ascertained. In their Ninth Report (for 1825) is the following passage: "In the last Report it was mentioned, that, from doubts entertained about the correctness of the Version of St. John's Gospel in the Mohawk Language, it was deemed expedient to suspend its circulation. From various sources the Board have obtained satisfactory evidence, that, although there are some trifling inaccuracies in it, principally in orthography, yet there is no error that can hinder its usefulness. Accordingly, the suspension was removed, and grants of that Gospel made to the Indians who speak and read the Mohawk Language, at Greenbay, in the Michigan Territory: at Grand River, in Upper Canada; at Caughnawaga, and St. Regis, in Lower Canada." In the Tenth Report (1826), the Managers state again: "Through the medium of the Montreal Bible Society in Lower Canada, many copies of the Gospel according to St. John in the Mohawk Language have been faithfully distributed among the Indians residing at the Lake of the Two Mountains, and at St. Regis; and also among those at the Caugh nawaga Village, who were able to peruse them, and received the word of God with expressions of joy and gratitude. As a pleasing instance of the prompt and independent spirit of these children of the forest, it is stated, that the Indians at Caughnawaga, being members of the Church of Rome, convened a Council of their Chiefs, to deliberate on the propriety of receiving the Scriptures, and unanimously resolved, that all their people should be left at liberty to accept of the Gospel. "Several other parts of the New Testament have been translated into the Mohawk Language, which it is the intention of the Managers to publish, as soon as they have undergone a revision that may test their accuracy; and the expectation is entertained, that ultimately the whole New Testament will be furnished to that portion of the Aborigines of our country, commonly called the Six Nations. The want of competent translators has hitherto imposed difficulties in the way of its accomplishment. The partial Versions heretofore published, have been less perfect than could be desired; and yet the Board have received satisfactory assurances from intelligent persons resident among those Tribes, that very great advantages have been derived from their distribution and use. A strong inducement is thus supplied for renewed efforts to procure further and more correct translations." And so, for myself, I confess I cannot for a moment doubt that this little book, the Gospel of St John in the Mohawk Language, with all its imperfections, has been, in its own proper place and nation, a blessing in the earth. We proceed to the CALMUC SCRIPTURES: "In this case," says the Reviewer, "In order that they might not proceed in the dark in a matter of such importance, the Committee directed a set of Queries to be sent to the Moravian Missionaries settled among the Calmucs. We shall extract two or three of these questions, with the answers: "Query 2. Who is the translator or translators (of portions of the New Testament stated to have been translated into the Calmuc Language)?— Answer. Several persons have employed themselves in this work, and those chiefly such as have not had the benefit of a literary education, but who had a good understanding of the sense of the Scriptures, who felt an impulse of the heart to the task, and who had already acquired a pretty complete knowledge of the Calmuc Language. The most eminent among these is Conrad Neitz, who, more than forty years ago, being commissioned by this congregation to qualify himself for performing this service in the Gospel, for the Calinucs, lived among them at different times, travelled also with them, and, considering his education, acquired a very accurate knowledge of the idiom of their language, facility in speaking it, and acquaintance with the mode of thinking and manners of this people. He has also even studied their writings. Most of these translations were executed by him. “Query 3. Can the accuracy and correctness of these translations be relied on? Answer. Confidently. The translations have been made with much diligence and fidelity, and have been repeatedly corrected and revised by brethren acquainted with the subject and the language. Nevertheless, this work is still imperfect, particularly as the Calmuc has as yet received no literary cultivation, and the common aids for acquiring a language, such as dictionaries and grammars, are entirely wanting.' "On the receipt of this information, the Committee instantly voted a sum for the purchase of a set of Calmuc types; and, without any further inquiry whatever, recommended the Moravian Missionaries to proceed in translating such entire books of the New Testament as their circumstances might enable them to execute, with the promise of further assistance from the Society, from time to time, in proportion to their progress in the undertaking."" —Review, p. 12. Now, in the first instance, what could be a more natural, and what a better course to take, than that of applying for information respecting such a Version as this, to the Missionaries who had been so long employed in teaching among these people the truths which these very Scriptures contain?-But were the Translations of the Missionaries adopted therefore, and published forthwith, without further thought or examination? So far from it, that scarcely any part of their Version can be said to have ever been published at all. It was at Petersburg that the Calmuc Gospels were printed, and there that an Editor and Translator was found for them, Mr. J. J. Schmidt-for the Missionaries sent indeed into Russia the portions which they had prepared, which served for consultation and reference; but the Version was, in truth, Mr. Schmidt's own; and in the Latin Title-page prefixed to the first edition of the Gospel of St. Matthew, it bears his name. And of Mr. Schmidt's intimate acquaintance with the Mongolian and Calmuc Dialects, no man who is at all acquainted with the recent history of Oriental Literature on the Continent can for a moment doubt. He has been lately engaged in a controversy concerning the History and Languages of Central Asia, with the celebrated Klaproth; who, though an antagonist, scruples not fully to acknowledge "les rares connaissances de M. Schmidt en Mongol et en Kalmuk :”—Journal Asiatique de Paris, tom. V. p. 193. We come next to the CHINESE TRANSLATOR-Dr. Morrison. Now let it be observed, that the charge of incompetency brought against this Translator is founded entirely on his own statements about himself-statements which natural modesty and diffidence might well induce any man to make, but which surely ought not to be brought as evidence against him. Let ut hear what others have to say of him. Take this statement, full of good sense-and, I am persuaded, of truth also-which was sent to me lately by Sir George Staunton :— "I beg to assure you, that it was with pain and surprise that I read the other day, in the Quarterly Review, the animadversions on Dr. Morrison's Translation of the Scriptures, to which you allude. "The writer of the article in question demands qualifications in the Trans lator of the Scriptures, and a degree of perfection in the Translation itself, which, however desirable in the abstract, would, in the case of a Chinese Version, have necessarily the effect of postponing the accomplishment of the work to an indefinite period; and, consequently, wholly frustrate the object in view, as far as respects the communication of religious knowledge to the Natives of China of the present day, through such a medium. "I cannot say that I have examined Dr. Morrison's Translation so critically as to be able to give a positive opinion on its precise degree of merit; but I have no hesitation in saying, that I conceive his qualifications for the execution of the task to have been far superior to those of any other person whatever. He is, unquestionably, our best Chinese Scholar-he had made himself fully acquainted with the previous labors of the Catholic Missionaries-he was in constant communication with intelligent Natives during the progress of the work-and his general zeal, diligence, and integrity, in the Cause to which he has devoted himself, are too well known to need any confirmation from my testimony. "G. T. STAUNTON." Again-I was one of a Deputation from the Committee of the Bible Society who waited on Lord Amherst before he went out to India; and I well remember that he said to us-I give his expressions as nearly as recollection enables me― "To one of your Translators, at least, I can bear a favorable testimonyDr. Morrison. I recollect particularly one instance of his accuracy. It was necessary once, when I was in China, that a certain paper should be drawn up, which etiquette required to be of the most faultless composition: every rule of Chinese propriety of diction was to be strictly adhered to. Dr. Morrison drew it up; and, when it was submitted to some Chinese Authorities for inspection, it was pronounced altogether correct and unblamable." of Dr. Morrison's Translation of the entire Bible in Chi A copy |