130 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE 



Eliot (J.) —Continued. 



fourth leaf, and ends on the recto of the sixth. 

 "The Ancient Creed," in English, begins on 

 the recto of the sixth leaf and ends on the 

 verso. The same in Indian begins on the verso 

 ot the sixth leaf and ends on the recto of the 

 seventh. The Ancient Creed expounded, in 

 questions and answers, begins on the recto of 

 the seventh leaf and ends on the verso, which is 

 paged 1. ' ' The large Catechism, " with the cap- 

 tion "Catechizaonk," commences on page 1 

 (the verso of the seventh leaf) and ends on 

 page 59 (the verso of the thirty-sixth leaf). 

 See the fac-similes of pages 1 and 2. The whole 

 of signature B, comprising pages 4-19, is lack- 

 ing in this copy. "A short Catechism" fills 

 pages GO and 61, ending on the next (unnum- 

 bered) page with "Finis." "The Numeral 

 Letters and Figures." etc., in roman and ara- 

 ble, from 1 to 150, fill the last four pages, be- 

 ginning on the verso of the thirty -eighth leaf 

 and ending with " Finis" on the recto of the 

 fortieth leaf, verso blank. The only portions 

 in English are the Lord's Prayer, the Ancient 

 Creed, the running headings to the pages, and 

 the introductory heading to the numerals. 

 The quotation in Indian from Proverbs 22. 6, 

 which appears on the first leaf, is also found in 

 the primer of 1669, on the verso of the title. 



Another Indian primer, differing almost* en- 

 tirely in contents, was printed at Boston in 

 1720, and again probably twenty years later. 

 For a description of these two editions, which 

 are sometimes wrongly ascribed to Eliot, see 

 Indiane primer. 



The I Indian primer; | or, \ The way 



of training up of our Indian Youth in | 

 the good knowledge of God. | By John 

 Eliot. ! Reprinted from the original 

 edition of 1669. | With an introduction 

 by I John Small, M. A., | Librarian, 

 University of Edinburgh. | 



Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot. | 1877. 



Title 1 leaf on the verso of which are the 

 words " Printed by Turnbull & Spears, Edin- 

 burgh," introduction pp. i-xl, reprint of the 

 1669 primer, nearly in fac-simile, 64 unnum" 

 bered leaves, 16°. 



In a letter to the compiler of this bibliog- 

 raphy, dated from Edinburgh, March 1 2, 1886, 

 Dr. Small says: "In my printed volume the 

 title page of the primer was imitated, as nearly 

 as possible, with the types in his stock, by the 

 printer who got it up for me. " 



Copies seen: Boston Athenaeum, Fames, 

 Lenox, Powell, Trumbull, 



The I Indian Primer ; | or, | The way 



of training up of our Indian Youth in | 

 the good knowledge of God. 1669. | 

 By John Eliot, | To which is Prefixed | 

 The Indian Covenanting Confession. | 

 Reprinted from the Originals in the 



Eliot (J.) — Continued. 



Library of \ the University of Edin- 

 burgh. I With an introduction | By 

 John Small, M. A., F. S. A. Scot. | 

 [Small printer's ornament.] | 

 . Edinburgh: Andrew Elliot. | 1880.- 



Title 1 leaf on the verso of which are the 

 words "Turnbull & Spears, Printers, Edin- 

 burgh," introduction pp. i-xl, half-title of " The 

 Indian covenanting confession " 1 leaf verso 

 blank, introduction to the same pp. xliii-xlvi, re- 

 print of the same pp. xlvii-liv, folded pho- 

 to-lithographic fac-simile of the original broad- 

 side containing the "Christian Covenanting 

 Confession" verso blank, reprint of the 1669 

 primer, nearly in fac-simile, 64 unnumbered 

 leaves, 16°. 



The original introduction of forty pages and 

 the sixty-four leaves of the primer are from the 

 edition of 1877, without being reprinted. 



Copies seen : Congress, Dunbar, Eames, Mas- 

 sachusetts Historical Society, National Mu- 

 seum, Pilling, Trumbull. 



[The Assembly's shorter catechism, 



translated into the Massachusetts In- 

 dian language.] (*) 

 On the 30th of November, 1663, Richard 

 Baxter wrote to Eliot: "Methinks the Assem- 

 blies Catechism should be next the holy Script- 

 ures, most worthy of your Labours." In the 

 narrative entitled The Present State of New- 

 England, printed at London in 1675, "the 

 Assemblies Catechism" is mentioned with 

 other books translated by Mr, Eliot and 

 printed in the Indian language. Increase 

 Mather, in his letter to Dr. Leusden in 1687, 

 also mentions the Assembly's catechism as one 

 which the Indian children learned by heart. 

 No copy of this translation has been found. 

 It seems that Mr, Eliot translated several 

 catechisms into the Indian language. Ac- 

 cording to Daniel Gookin, "he framed two cate- 

 chisms in the Indian tongue, containing the prin- 

 ciples of the christian religion ; a lesser for chil- 

 dren, and a larger for older persons." The same 

 writer also mentions "Indian catechisms, a 

 grammar, primer," and other works, as having 

 been translated by Mr. Eliot, and printed at 

 the expense of the Corporation. In another 

 place Gookin relates that "Indian bibles, 

 primers, catechisms, and other books, trans- 

 lated into the Indian language," were carried 

 for distribution by the Christian Indians who 

 started from Natick, about the year 1672, on a 

 missionary expedition to the southern tribes. 

 The following passage in Mr, Eliot's letter to 

 the Hon. Eobert Boyle, dated August 29, 1686, 

 may also refer lo a catechism" separate from 

 the primer: "My humble request to your 

 honour is, that we may again reimpose the 

 primer and catechism ; for though the last im- 

 pression be not quite spent, yet quickly they 

 will ; and I am old, ready to be gone, and desire 

 to leave as many books as I can." 



