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！
ce proved。 The young civilians turned out after the first three years' course introduced that new era in the administration of India which has converted traders into statesmen and filibusters into soldier…politicals； so that the East Indian services stand alone in the history of the administration of imperial dependencies for spotless integrity and high average ability。 Contrast with the work of these men； from the days of Wellesley； the first Minto； and Dalhousie； from the time of Canning to Lawrence and the second Minto； the provincial administration of imperial Rome； of Spain and Portugal at their best； of even the Netherlands and France。 For a whole generation of thirty years the civilians who studied Sanskrit； Bengali； and Marathi came daily under the gentle spell of Carey； who； though he had failed to keep the village school of Moulton in order； manifested the learning and the modesty； the efficiency and the geniality； which won the affectionate admiration of his students in Calcutta。
A glance at the register of the college for its first five years reveals such men as these among his best students。 The first Bengali prizeman of Carey was W。 Butterworth Bayley； whose long career of blameless uprightness and marked ability culminated in the temporary seat of Governor…General； and who was followed in the service by a son worthy of him。 The second was that Brian H。 Hodgson who； when Resident of Nepal； of all his contemporaries won for himself the greatest reputation as a scholar； who fought side by side with the Serampore brotherhood the battle of the vernaculars of the people。 Charles； afterwards Lord Metcalfe； had been the first student to enter the college。 He was on its Persian side； and he learned while still under its discipline that 〃humility； patience； and obedience to the divine will〃 which unostentatiously marked his brilliant life and soothed his spirit in the agonies of a fatal disease。 He and Bayley were inseparable。 Of the first set； too； were Richard Jenkins； who was to leave his mark on history as Nagpoor Resident and author of the Report of 1826； and Romer； who rose to be Governor of Bombay for a time。 In those early years the two Birds passed through the classesRobert Mertins Bird； who was to found the great land revenue school of Hindostan； and Wilberforce Bird； who governed India while Lord Ellenborough played at soldiers； and to whom the legal suppression of slavery in Southern Asia is due。 Names of men second to those； such as Elliot and Thackeray； Hamilton and Martin； the Shakespeares and Plowdens； the Moneys； the Rosses and Keenes； crowd the honour lists。 One of the last to enjoy the advantages of the college before its abolition was John Lawrence； who used to confess that he was never good at languages； but whose vigorous Hindostani made many an ill…doing Raja tremble； while his homely conversation； interspersed with jokes； encouraged the toiling ryot。
These； and men like these； sat at the feet of Carey； where they learned not only to be scholars but to treat the natives kindly； andsome of themeven as brethren in Christ。 Then from teaching the future rulers of the East； the missionary…professor turned to his Bengali preaching and his Benevolent Institution； to his visits to the prisoners and his intercourse with the British soldiers in Fort William。 And when the four days' work in Calcutta was over； the early tide bore him swiftly up the Hoogli to the study where； for the rest of the week； he gave himself to the translation of the Bible into the languages of the people and of their leaders。
CHAPTER X
THE WYCLIF OF THE EASTBIBLE TRANSLATION
1801…1832
The Bible Carey's missionary weaponOther vernacular translatorsCarey's modest but just description of his laboursHis philological keyType…cutting and type…casting by a Hindoo blacksmithThe first manufacture of paper and steam…engines in the EastCarey takes stock of the translation work at the opening of 1808In his workshopA seminary of Bible translatorsWilliam Yates； shoemaker； the Coverdale of the Bengali BibleWengerA Bengali Luther wantedCarey's Bengali BibleHow the New Testament was printedThe first copy offered to GodReception of the volume by Lord Spencer and George III。Self…evidencing power of the first editionThe Bible in OoriyaIn Maghadi； Assamese； Khasi； and ManipooriMarathi； Konkani； and Goojarati versionsThe translation into Hindi and its many dialectsThe Dravidian translationsTale of the Pushtoo BibleThe Sikhs and the BibleThe first Burman version and pressThe British and Foreign Bible SocietyDeaths； earthquake； and fire in 1812Destruction of the pressThomason's description of the smoking ruinsCarey's heroism as to his manuscriptsEnthusiastic sympathy of India and ChristendomThe ph渘ix and its feathers。
Every great reform in the world has been； in the first instance； the work of one man； who； however much he may have been the product of his time； has conceived and begun to execute the movement which transforms society。 This is true alike of the moral and the physical forces of history； of contemporaries so apparently opposite in character and aims as Carey and Clarkson on the one side and Napoleon and Wellington on the other。 Carey stood alone in his persistent determination that the Church should evangelise the world。 He was no less singular in the means which he insisted on as the first essential condition of its evangelisationthe vernacular translation of the Bible。 From the Scriptures alone； while yet a journeyman shoemaker of eighteen； 〃he had formed his own system；〃 and had been filled with the divine missionary idea。 That was a year before the first Bible Society was formed in 1780 to circulate the English Bible among soldiers and sailors； and； a quarter of a century before his own success led to the formation in 1804 of the British and Foreign Bible Society。 From the time of his youth； when he realised the self…evidencing power of the Bible； Carey's unbroken habit was to begin every morning by reading one chapter of the Bible； first in English； and then in each of the languages； soon； numbering six； which he had himself learned。
Hence the translation of the Bible into all the languages and principal dialects of India and Eastern Asia was the work above all others to which Carey set himself from the time； in 1793； when he acquired the Bengali。 He preached； he taught； he 〃discipled〃 in every form then reasonable and possible； and in the fullest sense of his Master's missionary charge。 But the one form of most pressing and abiding importance； the condition without which neither true faith； nor true science； nor true civilisation could exist or be propagated outside of the narrow circle to be reached by the one herald's voice； was the publishing of the divine message in the mother tongues of the millions of Asiatic men and women； boys and girls； and in the learned tongues also of their leaders and priests。 Wyclif had first done this for the English…reading races of all time； translating from the Latin； and so had begun the Reformation； religious and political； not only in Britain but in Western Christendom。 Erasmus and Luther had followed himthe former in his Greek and Latin New Testament and in his Paraphrase of the Word for 〃women and cobblers； clowns； mechanics； and even the Turks〃； the latter in his great vernacular translation of the edition of Erasmus； who had never ceased to urge his contemporaries to translate the Scriptures 〃into all tongues。〃 Tyndale had first given England the Bible from the Hebrew and the Greek。 And now one of these cobblers was prompted and enabled by the Spirit who is the author of the truth in the Scriptures； to give to South and Eastern Asia the sacred books which its Syrian sons； from Moses and Ezra to Paul and John； had been inspired to write for all races and all ages。 Emphatically； Carey and his later coadjutors deserve the language of the British and Foreign Bible Society； when； in 1827； it made to Serampore a last grant of money for translation〃Future generations will apply to them the words of the translators of the English Bible'Therefore blessed be they and most honoured their names that break the ice and give the onset in that which helped them forward to the saving of souls。 Now what can be more available thereto than to deliver God's book unto God's people in a tongue which they understand？'〃 Carey might tolerate interruption when engaged in other work； but for forty years he never allowed anything to shorten the time allotted to the Bible work。 〃You； madam；〃 he wrote in 1797 to a lady as to many a correspondent； 〃will excuse my brevity when I inform you that all my time for writting letters is stolen from the work of transcribing the Scriptures into the Bengali language。〃
》From no mere humility； but with an accurate judgment in the state of scholarship and criticism at the opening of last century； Carey always insisted that he was a forerunner； breaking up the way for successors like Yates； Wenger； and Rouse； who； in their turn； must be superseded by purely native Tyndales and Luthers in the Church of India。 He more than once deprecated the talk of his having translated the Bible into forty languages and dialects。16 As we proceed that will be