134 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE 



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. ISTorton to advise in it, who came and did 

 heartily further it, whereupon the Governour 

 promised to write unto yoar selves, and pro- 

 pose the matter, which also I doe, and doe 

 earnestly intreat your assistance herein." In 

 a postscript he added: "They have none 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 instruc- 

 tion 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 our Printer to expedite the 

 work . . . Mr. Eliot will be ready at all times 

 to correct the sheetsas fast as they are Printed, 

 and deaireth nothing for his paines." 



In reply to these letters, the Corporation 

 wrote to the Commissioners in JSTew England, 

 May 7th, 1659, as follows : " As to the printing 

 of the bible in the Indian language; mensioned 

 in Mr. Endicotts letter; which wee vnder- 

 stand is alreddy translated into the Indian 

 tounge ; wee conceiue will not onely bee accept- 

 able vnto god; but uery proffltable to the poor 

 heathen and will much tend to the promotion 

 of the sperituail 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 priutedin the Indian 

 language ; and doe desire to vnderstand by the 

 next what number of them you intend to haue 

 printed ; and how much paper the number will 

 take vp and that you send ouer one sheet of pa- 

 per 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 mat- 

 terialls fitt for printing with the charge of them 

 according to information giuen 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 hea 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 he» 

 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 a 

 thousand Coppies, and for paper and other 

 materialls shall depend on Mr. Ysher who© 

 hath vndertakin to furnish according to the 

 printers direction." In the treasurer's account 

 which accompanied this letter was an item of 

 80Z. 07*. 06d., "To Mr. Vsher for printing let- 

 ters for the bible. " Besides the type here re- 

 ferred to, anew printing press and other nec- 

 essary 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 refereuce 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 introduc- 

 tory 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 ac- 

 cordingly begun, and a specimen sheet sent to 

 the Corporation in England, who in a letter 

 dated from London, April 28, 1660, replied as 

 follows: "Conserning youer printing of the 

 New Testament in the Indian language, a sheet 

 wherof you have transmitted to vs, wee con- 

 curr with youer selues therin, and doe approue 

 of that prouision you haue made for printing 

 the same conceiueing and offering as our judg- 

 ments that it is better to print filteeu hundred 

 then but a thousand ; hopeing that by incur- 

 rageraent from Sion CoUidge, with whom wee 

 haue late conference, you may bee enabled to 

 print fifteen hundred of the ould Testament 

 likewise; knowing that the foundation of true 

 religion is from the bible the ould and new 

 Testament and that the furtherance therof is 

 of principle consernment ; and further consid- 

 ering the mutablenes of the times and the 

 liues of those whose hartes are stired vp in 

 that worke especially Mr. Elliott whoe wee 



