140 



BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE 



:ijliot (J.) — Continued. 



say on the Origin and Early Progress of Indian 

 Missions in New England. The two dedica- 

 tions have been reprinted in the Collections of 

 the Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. 7 ; in 

 Thomas's History of Printing in America, vol. 

 1; and in O'Callaghan's American Bibles. A 

 few copies of the new testament dedication 

 alone, transcribed from the testament in Mr. 

 Livermore's possession, were reprinted sepa- 

 rately for Mr. David Pnlsifer in 1859. 



It has already been mentioned abo^e, in the 

 note to the new testament, that the printing of 

 the old testament was begun in September, 1660, 

 and that before September, 1661, the five books 

 of Moses had been finished. In the meantime 

 the Corporation in England had received a new 

 charter, and the Hon. Robert Boyle had been 

 appointed its chief ofl&cer. To him the Com- 

 missioners wrote from Boston, September 10, 

 1662, as follows : "the bible is now about halfe 

 done ; and constant progresse therin is made ; 

 the other halfe is like to bee finished in a yeare ; 

 the future charge is vncertaiue, by estimate 

 not lesse then 200 lb ; wee haue heer with sent 

 "twenty Coppies of the new Testament to bee 

 disposed of as youer honors shall see meet; 

 . . . Wee on (ly craue leaue att present for 

 the preuenting of an objection that may arise 

 concerning the particulars charged for the 

 printing wherin you will find 21 sheets at three 

 pounds ten shillings a sheet and the rest but 

 att 50 shilling^ a sheet the Reason wherof lyes 

 heer: it pleased the honored Corporation to 

 ^end ouer one Marmaduke Johnson a printer 

 to attend the worke on Condition as they will 

 enforme you; whoe hath Caryed heer very vn- 

 worthyly of which hee hath bine openly Con- 

 victed and sencured in some of our Courts 

 although as yett noe execution of sentence 

 against him; peculiare fauor haueing bine 

 showed him with respect to the Corporation 

 that sent him ouer; but notwithstanding all 

 patience and lenitie vsed towards him hee hath 

 proued uery idle and nought and absented him- 

 selfe from the worke more than halfe a yeare 

 att one time; for want of whose assistance the 

 printer by his agreement with vs was to haue 

 the allowance of 21 lb. the which is to bee de- 

 fallcated out of his sallery in England by the 

 honored Corporation there." Among the 

 charges in the treasurer's account submitted in 

 September, 1662, is one: "To sundry Disburs- 

 ments for printing the bible by bill of particu- 

 lars £2.37. 05. 00." A few of the items included 

 in this charge are as follows: "To 160 Ream 

 of paper att 6s. per ream , ' ' 48Z. ; "To printing the 

 title sheet to the New Testament!" 11.; "To 

 printing 21 sheets of the old Testament, att 

 31b. 10s. per sheet Mr. lohnson beinij absent," 

 73Z. 10s.; "To printing 25 sheets with his healp 

 att 50 shill: per sheet," 62L 10s.; "To binding 

 200 Testaments at Qd. a peece," 5Z. In reply to 

 the letter of the Commissioners, Mr. Boyle 

 wrote from London, April 9, 1663 : "wee hope 

 the bible wilbee finished by the Returne of the 



Eliot (J.) — Continued. 



Shipps and then and not before wee desire to 

 Receiue some from you; , . . Conserning 

 MarmeduRe Johnson the Printer wee are sorry 

 hee hath soe miscarryed by which meanes the 

 printing of the bible hath bin retarded we are re- 

 solved to default the 21 lb. you mention out of his 

 sallary; Mr. Elliott whose letter beares date 

 three monthes after youers writes that Johnson 

 i s againe Returned into the worke whose broth er 

 alsoe hath bine with vs and gives vs great as- 

 surance of his brothers Reformation and fol- 

 lowing his busines dilligently for the time to 

 come ; and hee being (as Mr. Elliott writes) an 

 able and vsefuU man in the presse wee hauo 

 thought fitt further to make tryall of him for 

 one yeare longer and the rather because vpon 

 Mr. Elliotts motion and the goodnes of the 

 worke; wee haue thought fitt and ordered that 

 the Psalraes of Dauid in meter shalbee printed 

 in the Indian language; and soe wee hope that 

 the said Johnson performing his promise of 

 amendement for time to come may bee vsefuU in 

 the furthering of this worke which wee soe 

 much desire the finnishing of." 



The printing of the old testament was fin- 

 ished before the next meeting of the Commis- 

 sioners, when they wrote to the Corporation in 



' England, September 18, 1663, as follows: "Some 

 time after our last letter Marmeduke lohn- 

 son Returned to the Presse and hatti carried 

 himselfe Indifierently well since soe farr as wee 

 know but the bible being finished and little 

 other worke presenting ; wee dismised him att 

 the end of the tearme you had contracted with 

 him for; but vnderstanding youer honorable 

 Corporation hath agreed with him for another 

 yeare ; wee shall Indeavour to Imploy him as 

 wee can by printing the psalmes aud another 

 little Treatise of Mr. Baxters which Mr. Elliott 

 is translateing into the Indian language which 

 is thought may bee vsefuU and profitable to the 

 Indians; . . .. Wee haue ordered Mr. Vsher 

 to present youer honors by the next shipp with 

 20 Coppyes of the bible and as many of the 

 Psalmes if printed of before the shippes depart- 

 ure from hence." It was also resolved that 

 "Mr. Simon Bradstreet and Mr. Danforth are 

 Requested to take care for the preparation of 

 an epistle to the Indian Bible dedicatory to his 

 Majestie and cause the same to bee printed," 

 which was accordingly done. After the Indian 

 version of the psalms in metre had been fin- 

 ished at the press, probably in November or 

 December of the same year, it was appended 

 to the bible, and the work was ready for bind- 

 ing. Twenty copies of the completed book in 

 sheets were then sent to the Corporation in 

 England, where some of them (or perhaps all) 

 were bound uniformly in dark-blue morocco. 

 On the 7th of March, 1664, the Corporation 

 wrote to the Commissioners: " Wee desire by 

 youer next to Informe vs how many bibles haue 

 bine printed in the Indian Language It be- 

 ing that which wee Judge might bee of pub- 

 licke Repute vnto the worke." One copy of 



