Object Record
Metadata
Accession number |
P21 |
Title |
THE ENGLISH VERSION OF THE POLYGLOTT BIBLE, CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT; WITH THE MARGINAL READINGS: TOGETHER WITH A COPIOUS AND ORIGINAL SELECTION OF REFERENCES TO PARALLEL AND ILLUSTRATIVE PASSAGES, EXHIBITED IN A MANNER HITHERTO UNATTEMPTED. |
Date |
1831 |
Notes |
This is the first authentic American edition of the English text from Samuel Bagster's genuine polyglot Bible, which had been printed originally in London in 1822 with the text in eight languages, four to a page. After a fire destroyed all but a few copies of the New Testament it was reprinted in 1831, with the alternative of six or eight languages. The English text was first printed separately in 1816 with copious references. In 1825 Thomas Wardel published an English Version of the Polyglot Bible but it is probable that he imported the sheets from England, supplying his own title page. Since the only language is English the term polyglot is a misnomer here, intended as a sales scheme. According to Richardson Lought in Hawkers and Walkers in Early America, "The early peddler, if contemporary documents are to be believed, was a lanky and hawk-beaked youth, an adventurous, brave, mercenary fellow, who had a rare understanding of human nature and a ready tongue. His most effective salesmanship was the 'soft sawder' flattery. He was accused of purveying wooden nutmegs and cucumber seeds, oak-leaf cigars, shoe-peg oats, polyglot Bibles (all in English) and realistically painted bass-wood hams. He always left his customer convinced and satisfied with their share of the bargain, but he usually managed to clear out after finishing the deal." |
Collection |
Framed Bible Leaves |
Subjects |
Bible Leaves Bible History |