£58 
fhould have fhewn the fame zeal as this 
Catholic nobleman in promoting the gene- 
ral knowledge of the Scriptures. In that 
eafe, we fhould not have had reafon to 
lament, that we are now only in pofleffion 
of the new tranflation of the twelve firt 
books of the Old Tefament*. S 
While Lord Petre’s generolity fecure 
to our author all the comforts of life, all 
the means neceflary to proceed with his 
work; it was, neverthelefs, inadequate to 
indemnify the expences of the prefs. The 
* Ht will not’ be thought ‘improper to 
throw into a note fome fhort account of the. 
early encouragement which Dr, Geddes met 
with in this work, as ftated by himfelf in 
his Profpectus :— i 
* ¥ cannot (fays he, in his Profpeétus) re- 
frain at prefent from mentioning two or three 
perfons, to whom I have had particular obli- 
gations :— 
.« The late Dr. Kennicott (on whofe tomb 
every biblical ftudent ought annually to ftrew 
the tributary flower) has a peculiar claim to 
my grateful remembrance. I had hardly 
made known my defign, when he anticipated 
my withes to -have his advice and affiftance 
towards the execution of it, with a degree of 
unreferved franknefs and friendthip, which I 
had never before experienced in a -ftranger. 
Not contented with applauding and encoura- 
ging himfelf, die pufhed me forwards from. my 
. obicurity to the notice of others: he fpoke of 
me to BARRINGTON; he introduced me to 
Lowts. The very fhort time he lived, after 
my acquaintance with him, and the few op- 
‘portunities I had of profiting from his con- 
verfation, are diftreiling refiections 5; but ftill 
I count it a happinefs to have been acquainted 
with a man, whofe labours f have dally occa- 
fion to blefs, and whofe memory, I muf ever 
revere. 3 
‘* Another perfonage to whom, if my work 
have any merit, the world will ftand princi- 
pally indebted for it, is the Right Hon. 
Lord Petre, at whoferequeft it was under- 
taken, and under whofe patronage it is carried 
on. For although the plan itfelf is of 20 years 
fianding, and although the author had never 
any thing fo much at heart as its accomplifh- 
ment, yet bis circumfances in life were fuch 
as muft have rendered that impoffible, with- 
out the providential interpofition of fuch a 
patron. But Lord Petre is not only the 
author's patron, he is in fome refpedts the 
author. It was his great love for religion, 
and his-extreme defire of feeing {criptural 
knowledge. more generally promoted among 
thofe of his own communion, that fuggefted 
to him the idea of procuring a new tranflation, 
before he knew that.I had ever entertained 
a fimilar idea, and at atime when I almoft ’ 
cefoaired of feeing it realized.” 
Account of the ‘fate Dr. Geddes, 
[April 1; 
fub{cribers were few in comparifon of the 
magnitude of the undertaking; and the 
volumes already publifhed were finifhed in 
a ftyle fo handfome, and even, expenfive, 
that little,. or perhaps fearcely any, profit 
‘could have accrued to the author had the 
wliole impreffion been fold. 
In the year 1792, the firft volume of 
this work, dedicated to his patron, Lord 
Petre, and containing the firft fix books of 
the Old Teftament, was publiféd. This, 
he informed the public, had been delayed 
more than a year by a combination of 
caufes and circumftances, which he could 
neither forefee nor prevent ; the principal 
of which was along feries of bad health,and 
a lowne(s of fpirits which accompanied it. 
‘© A dangerous fever (fays he) and its 
lating confequences put a ftop to the 
prefs-work for a whele year. ‘This was 
to be fubmitted to with Chriftian refigna= 
tion; but the rubs I bave received from 
human nylignancy are a trial of patience 
not eafily borne. Will it be readily be- 
lieved, that thefe rubs have chiefly been 
raifed by profeffed Catholics? by members 
of that very body which I principally 
meant to ferve; by mine own brethren, if 
brethren they may be called, who ft dowz 
and {peak againf} their brother, and flander 
their own mother’s fon! Ignorance, envy; 
and malice, im the various fhapes. of 
Monks, Friars, and Wiflings, have been 
buly thefe ten years in depreciating my 
labours, and afiaffinating” my reputa- 
tion*)”” J Sie 
Soon after the publication of this vo- 
lume, three“Vicars Apoffolic, who ftyled 
themfelves the Bifhops of Rama, Acanthos, 
and Centuria,iffued a Paftoral Letter,addref- 
fed to their refpeétive flocks} warning 
them againft the reception and ufe of Dr. 
Geddes’s verfion. This epifcopal ftretch 
of. power, as Dr. Geddes conceived it to 
be, occafioned a ‘correfpondence between 
him ‘and the Bifhop of Centuriz; in the 
eourfe of which the prelate, availing him- 
felf of the authority belonging to his of- 
fice, declared the De€tor fufpended from 
the exercife of his ecclefiaftical functions; 
unlefs within the courfe of a few days he 
fhould fignify his fubmiffien to an injunc- 
tion contained in the Paftoral Letter, 
Little did the Bifhop know of Dr. Geddes’s 
mind, if he fuppofed that threats could in- 
timidate, or dread of perfonal danger and 
inconvenience could arreft him in his pro-~ 
grefs. His reply was conceived in a ftyle 
* See Addrefs to the Public, p. 1793. 
bighly 
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