按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
on； while they translated the Bible； the Book of Heaven； which was received and revered〃 by all the countries of Europe and America as 〃the source whence all the knowledge of virtue and religion was drawn。〃 The king at once ordered from Serampore a printing…press； like that at Rangoon； for his own palace at Ava； with workmen to use it。 In this Carey saw the beginning of a mission in the Burman capital； but God had other designs which the sons and daughters of America； following Judson first of all； are still splendidly developing； from Rangoon to Kareng…nee； Siam； and China。 The ship containing the press sank in the Rangoon river； and the first Burmese war soon followed。
Three months after the complete and magnificent plan of translating the Bible into all the languages of the far East； which the assistance of his two colleagues and the college of Fort William led Carey to form； had been laid before Fuller in Northamptonshire； the British and Foreign Bible Society was founded in London。 Joseph Hughes； the Nonconformist who was its first secretary； had been moved by the need of the Welsh for the Bible in their own tongue。 But the ex…Governor…General； Lord Teignmouth； became its first president； and the Serampore translators at once turned for assistance to the new organisation whose work Carey had individually been doing for ten years at the cost of his two associates and himself。 The catholic Bible Society at once asked Carey's old friend； Mr。 Udny； then a member of the Government in Calcutta； to form a corresponding committee there of the three missionariestheir chaplain friends； Brown and Buchanan； and himself。 The chaplains delayed the formation of the committee till 1809； but liberally helped meanwhile in the circulation of the other appeals issued from Serampore； and even made the proposal which resulted in Dr。 Marshman's wonderful version of the Bible in Chinese and Ward's improvements in Chinese printing。 To the principal tributary sovereigns of India Dr。 Buchanan sent copies of the vernacular Scriptures already published。
》From 1809 till 1830； or practically through the rest of Carey's life； the co…operation of Serampore and the Bible Society was honourable to both。 Carey loyally clung to it when in 1811； under the spell of Henry Martyn's sermon on Christian India； the chaplains established the Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society in order to supersede its corresponding committee。 In the Serampore press the new auxiliary； like the parent Society； found the cheapest and best means of publishing editions of the New Testament in Singhalese； Malayalam； and Tamil。 The press issued also the Persian New Testament； first of the Romanist missionary； Sebastiani〃though it be not wholly free from imperfections； it will doubtless do much good；〃 wrote Dr。 Marshman to Fullerand then of Henry Martyn； whose assistant； Sabat； was trained at Serampore。 Those three of Serampore had a Christ…like tolerance； which sprang from the divine charity of their determination to live only that the Word of God might sound out through Asia。 When in 1830 this auxiliarywhich had at first sought to keep all missionaries out of its executive in order to conciliate men like Sydney Smith's brother； the Advocate…General of Bengalrefused to use the translations of Carey and Yates； and inclined to an earlier version of Ellerton； because of the translation or transliteration of the Greek words for 〃baptism；〃 these two scholars acted thus； as described by the Bible Society's annalistthey； 〃with a liberality which does them honour； permitted the use of their respective versions of the Bengali Scriptures； with such alterations as were deemed needful in the disputed word for 'baptism；' they being considered in no way parties to such alterations。〃 From first to last the British and Foreign Bible Society； to use its own language； 〃had the privilege of aiding the Serampore brethren by grants； amounting to not less than ？3；500。〃 Of this ？475 had been raised by Mr。 William Hey； F。R。S。； a surgeon at Leeds； who had been so moved by the translation memoir of 1816 as to offer ？00 for the publication of a thousand copies of every approved first translation of the New Testament into any dialect of India。 It was with this assistance that most of the Hindi and the Pushtoo and Punjabi versions were produced。
The cold season of 1811…12 was one ever to be remembered。 Death entered the home of each of the staff of seven missionaries and carried off wife or children。 An earthquake of unusual violence alarmed the natives。 Dr。 Carey had buried a grandson； and was at his weekly work in the college at Calcutta。 The sun had just set on the evening of the 11th March 1812； and the native typefounders； compositors； pressmen； binders； and writers had gone。 Ward alone lingered in the waning light at his desk settling an account with a few servants。 His two rooms formed the north end of the long printing…office。 The south rooms were filled with paper and printed materials。 Close beyond was the paper…mill。 The Bible…publishing enterprise was at its height。 Fourteen founts of Oriental types； new supplies of Hebrew； Greek； and English types； a vast stock of paper from the Bible Society； presses； priceless manuscripts of dictionaries； grammars； and translations； and； above all； the steel punches of the Eastern lettersall were there； with the deeds and account…books of the property； and the iron safe containing notes and rupees。 Suffocating smoke burst from the long type…room into the office。 Rushing through it to observe the source of the fire； he was arrested at the southern rooms by the paper store。 Returning with difficulty and joined by Marshman and the natives； he had every door and window closed； and then mounting the south roof； he had water poured through it upon the burning mass for four hours； with the most hopeful prospect of arresting the ruin。 While he was busy with Marshman in removing the papers in the north end some one opened a window； when the air set the entire building on flame。 By midnight the roof fell in along its whole length； and the column of fire leapt up towards heaven。 With 〃solemn serenity〃 the members of the mission family remained seated in front of the desolation。
The ruins were still smoking when next evening Dr。 Carey arrived from Calcutta； which was ringing with the sad news。 The venerable scholar had suffered most； for his were the manuscripts； the steel punches were found uninjured。 The Sikh and Telugoo grammars and ten Bible versions in the press were gone。 Second editions of Confucius。 A Dissertation on the Chinese Language； and of Ward on the Hindoos； and smaller works were destroyed。 The translation of the Ramayana； on which he and Marshman had been busy for a year； was stopped for ever； fifty years after the present writer came upon some charred sheets of the fourth volume； which had been on the press and rescued。 The Circular Letter for April 1812 is printed on paper scorched at the edge。 Worst of all was the loss of that polyglot dictionary of all the languages derived from the Sanskrit which； if Carey had felt any of this world's ambition； would have perpetuated his name in the first rank of philologists。
Wit