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translation was the best in the world and best gave the sense of the
original。
We do not know much of the personnel of the company。 Their names
would mean very little to us at this distance。 All were clergymen except
one。 There were bishops； college principals； university fellows； and rectors。
Dr。 Reynolds； who suggested it in the first place； was a member； though he
did not live to see the work finished。 This Dr。 Reynolds； by the way； was
party to a most curious episode。 He had been an ardent Roman Catholic；
and he had a brother who was an equally ardent Protestant。 They argued
with each other so earnestly that each convinced the other； the Roman
Catholic became a Protestant； and the Protestant became a Roman
Catholic！ Dr。 Lancelot Andrewes； chairman of one of the two companies
that met at Westminster； was probably the most learned man in England。
They said of him that if he had been present at the tower of Babel he could
have interpreted for all the tongues present。 The only trouble was that the
world lacked learning enough to know how learned he was。 His company
had the first part of the Old Testament； and the simple dignity of the style
they used shows how scholarship and simplicity go easily together。 Most
people would consider that the least satisfactory part of the work is the
second section； running from I Chronicles to Ecclesiastes。 A convert from
another faith； who learned to read the Bible in English； once expressed to
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a friend of my own his feeling that except for the Psalms and parts of Job；
there seemed to be here a distinct letting…down of the dignity of the
translation。 There is good excuse for this； if it is so； for two leading
members of the company who had that section in charge； both eminent
Cambridge scholars； died very early in the work； and their places were not
filled。 The third company； sitting at Oxford； were peculiarly strong； and
had for their portion the hardest part of the Old Testamentall the
prophetical writings。 But they did their part with finest skill。 The fourth
company； sitting at Cambridge； had the Apocrypha； the books which lie
between the Old and the New Testaments for the most part； or else are
supplemental to certain Old Testament books。 Their work was rather
hastily and certainly poorly done； and has been dropped out of most
editions。 The fifth company； sitting at Oxford； with great Greek scholars
on it； took the Gospels； the Acts； and the Revelation。 This company had in
it the one layman； Sir Henry Savile； then the greatest Greek scholar in
England。 It is the same Sir Henry Savile who heard； on his death…bed in
1621； that James had with his own hands torn from the Journal of
Parliament the pages which bore the protest in favor of free speech in
Parliament。 Hearing it； the faithful scholar prayed to die； saying： 〃I am
ready to depart； the rather that having lived in good times I foresee worse。〃
The sixth company met at Westminster and translated the New Testament
epistles。
It was the original plan that when one company had finished its part；
the result should go to each of the other companies； coming back with
their suggestions to the original workers to be recast by them。 The whole
was then to be reviewed by a smaller committee of scholars to give it
uniformity and to see it through the press。 The records are not extant that
tell whether this was done in full detail； though we may presume that each
section of the Scripture had the benefit of the scholarship of the entire
company。
We know a good deal of the method of their work。 We shall
understand it better by recalling what material they had at hand。 They
were enabled to use the result of all the work that had been done before
them。 They were instructed to follow the Bishops' Bible wherever they
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could do so fairly； but they were given power to use the versions already
named from Wiclif down； as well as those fragmentary versions which
were numerous； and of which no mention has been made。 They ransacked
all English forms for felicitous words and happy phrases。 It is one of the
interesting incidents that this same Hugh Broughton； who was left off the
committee and took it so hard； yet without his will contributed some
important matter to the translation； because he had on his own authority
made translations of certain parts of the Scripture。 Several of our capital
phrases in the King James version are from him。 There was no effort to
break out new paths。 Preference was always given to a familiar phrase
rather than to a new one； unless accuracy required it。 First； then； they had
the benefit of all the work that had been done before in the same line； and
gladly used it。
In addition； they had all other versions made in the tongues of the time。
Chiefly there was Luther's German Bible； already become for the German
tongue what their version was destined to be for the English tongue。 There
were parts of the Bible available in Spanish； French； and Dutch。 They
were kept at hand constantly for any light they might cast on difficult
passages。
For the Old Testament there were very few Hebrew texts。 There had
been little critical work yet done on them； and for the most part there were
only different editions running back over the centuries。 We have little
more than that now； and there is almost no new material on the Old
Testament since the days of the King James translators。 There was； of
course； the Septuagint； the Greek translation from the Hebrew made
before Christ； with the guidance it could give in doubtful places on the
probable original。 And finally there was the Vulgate； made into Latin out
of the Greek and Hebrew。 This was all the Old Testament material they
had； or that any one could have in view of the antiquated original sources。
The New Testament materia