the life of william carey-第44章
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d to the establishment of the General Baptist Society's missionaries at Cuttak； the capital。
In 1814 the Serampore Bible translation college； as we may call it； began the preparation of the New Testament in Maghadi； another of the languages allied to the Bengali； and derived from the Sanskrit through the Pali； because that was the vernacular of Buddhism in its original seat； an edition of 1000 copies appeared in 1824。 It was intended to publish a version in the Maithili language of Bihar； which has a literature stretching back to the fourteenth century； that every class might have the Word of God in their own dialect。 But Carey's literary enthusiasm and scholarship had by this time done so much to develop and extend the power of Bengali proper； that it had begun to supersede all such dialects； except Ooriya and the northern vernaculars of the valley of the Brahmapootra。 In 1810 the Serampore press added the Assamese New Testament to its achievements。 In 1819 the first edition appeared； in 1826 the province became British； and in 1832 Carey had the satisfaction of issuing the Old Testament； and setting apart Mr。 Rae； a Scottish soldier； who had settled there； as the first missionary at Gowhatti。 To these must be added； as in the Bengali character though non…Aryan languages； versions in Khasi and Manipoori； the former for the democratic tribes of the Khasia hills among whom the Welsh Calvinists have since worked； and the latter for the curious Hindoo snake…people on the border of Burma； who have taught Europe the game of polo。
Another immediate successor of the Bengali translation was the Marathi； of which also Carey was professor in the College of Fort William。 By 1804 he was himself hard at work on this version； by 1811 the first edition of the New Testament appeared； and by 1820 the Old Testament left the press。 It was in a dialect peculiar to Nagpoor； and was at first largely circulated by Lieutenant Moxon in the army there。 In 1812 Carey sent the missionary Aratoon to Bombay and Surat just after Henry Martyn had written that the only Christian in the city who understood his evangelical sermon was a ropemaker just arrived from England。 At the same time he was busy with a version in the dialect of the Konkan； the densely…peopled coast district to the south of Bombay city； inhabited chiefly by the ablest Brahmanical race in India。 In 1819 the New Testament appeared in this translation； having been under preparation at Serampore for eleven years。 Thus Carey sought to turn to Christ the twelve millions of Hindoos who； from Western India above and below the great coast…range known as the Sahyadri or 〃delectable〃 mountains； had nearly wrested the whole peninsula from the Mohammedans； and had almost anticipated the life…giving rule of the British； first at Panipat and then as Assye。 Meanwhile new missionaries had been taking possession of those western districts where the men of Serampore had sowed the first seed and reaped the first fruits。 The charter of 1813 made it possible for the American Missionaries to land there； and for the local Bible Society to spring into existence。 Dr。 John Wilson and his Scottish colleagues followed them。 Carey and his brethren welcomed these and retired from that field； confining themselves to providing； during the next seven years； a Goojarati version for the millions of Northern Bombay； including the hopeful Parsees； and resigning that； too； to the London Missionary Society after issuing the New Testament in 1820。
Mr。 Christopher Anderson justly remarks； in his Annals of the English Bible； published half a century ago：〃Time will show； and in a very singular manner； that every version； without exception； which came from Carey's hands； has a value affixed to it which the present generation； living as it were too near an object； is not yet able to estimate or descry。 Fifty years hence the character of this extraordinary and humble man will be more correctly appreciated。〃
In none of the classes of languages derived from the Sanskrit was the zeal of Carey and his associates so remarkable as in the Hindi。 So early as 1796 he wrote of this the most widely extended offspring of the Sanskrit：〃I have acquired so much of the Hindi as to converse in it and preach for some time intelligibly。。。It is the current language of all the west from Rajmahal to Delhi； and perhaps farther。 With this I can be understood nearly all over Hindostan。〃 By the time that he issued the sixth memoir of the translations Chamberlain's experiences in North…Western India led Carey to write that he had ascertained the existence of twenty dialects of Hindi； with the same vocabulary but different sets of terminations。 The Bruj or Brijbhasa Gospels were finished in 1813； two years after Chamberlain had settled in Agra； and the New Testament was completed nine years after。 This version of the Gospels led the Brahman priest； Anand Masih； to Christ。 In their eagerness for a copy of the Old Testament； which appeared in 1818； many Sepoys brought testimonials from their commanding officers； and in one year it led eighteen converts to Christ。 The other Hindi dialects； in which the whole New Testament or the Gospels appeared； will be found at page 177 ｛see footnote number 16｝。 The parent Hindi translation was made by Carey with his own hand from the original languages between 1802 and 1807； and ran through many large editions till Mr。 Chamberlain's was preferred by Carey himself in 1819。
We may pass over the story of the Dravidian versions； the Telugoo20 New Testament and Pentateuch； and the Kanarese。 Nor need we do more than refer to the Singhalese； 〃derived from the previous labours of Dr。 Carey〃 by Tolfrey； the Persian； Malayalam； and other versions made by others； but edited or carefully carried through the press by Carey。 The wonderful tale of his Bible work is well illustrated by a man who； next to the Lawrences； was the greatest Englishman who has governed the Punjab frontier； the hero of Mr。 Ruskin's book； A Knight's Faith。 In that portion of his career which Sir Herbert Edwardes gave to the world under the title of A Year on the Punjab Frontier in 1848…49； and in which he describes his bloodless conquest of the wild valley of Bunnoo； we find this gem embedded。 The writer was at the time in the Gundapoor country； of which Kulachi is the trade…centre between the Afghan pass of Ghwalari and Dera Ismail Kan； where the dust of Sir Henry Durand now lies：
〃A highly interesting circumstance connected with the Indian trade came under my notice。 Ali Khan； Gundapoor； the uncle of the present chief； Goold鈊 Khan； told me he could remember well； as a youth； being sent by his father and elder brother with a string of Cabul horses to the fair of Hurdw鈘； on the Ganges。 He also showed me a Pushtoo version of the Bible； printed at Serampore in 1818； which he said had been given him thirty years before at Hurdw鈘 by an English gentleman； who told him to 'take care of it； and neither fling it into the fire nor the river； but hoard it up against the day when the British should be rulers of his country！' Ali Khan said little to anybody of his possessing this book； but put it carefully by in a linen cover； and produced it with great mystery when I came to settle the revenue of his nephew's country； 'thinking that the time predicted by the Englishman had arrived！' The only person； I believe； to whom he had shown the volume was a Moolluh； who read several passages in the Old Testament； and told Ali Khan 'it was a true story； and was all about their own Muhommudan prophets； Father Moses and Father Noah。'
〃I examined the book with great interest。 It was not printed in the Persian character； but the common Pushtoo language of Afghanistan； and was the only specimen I had ever seen of Pushtoo reduced to writing。 The accomplishment of such a translation was a highly honourable proof of the zeal and industry of the Serampore mission； and should these pages ever meet the eye of Mr。 John Marshman； of Serampore；21 whose own pen is consistently guided by a love of civil order and religious truth； he may probably be able to identify 'the English gentleman' who； thirty…two years ago on the banks of the Ganges； at the then frontier of British India； gave to a young Afghan chief； from beyond the distant Indus； a Bible in his own barbarous tongue； and foresaw the day when the followers of the 'Son of David' should extend their dominion to the 'Throne of Solomon。'〃
Hurdw鈘； as the spot at which the Ganges debouches into the plains； is the scene of the greatest pilgrim gathering in India； especially every twelfth year。 Then three millions of people used to assemble； and too often carried； all over Asia； cholera which extended to Europe。 The missionaries made this； like most pilgrim resorts； a centre of preaching and Bible circulation； and doubtless it was from Thompson； Carey's Missionary at Delhi； that this copy of the Pushtoo Bible was received。 It was begun by Dr。 Leyden； and continued for seven years by the same Afghan maulavee under Carey； in the Arabic character。 The Punjabi Bible； nearly complete； issued first in 1815； had become so popular by 1820 as to lead Carey to report of the Sikhs that no one of the nations of India had discovered a stronger desire for the Scriptures than this hardy race。 At Amritsar and Lahore 〃the book of Jesus is spoken of； is read； and has caused a considerable stir in the minds of the people。〃 A Thug； asked how he could have committed so many murders； pointed to it and said； 〃If I had had this book I could not have done it。〃 A fakeer； forty miles from Lodiana； read the book； founded the community of worshippers of the Sachi Pit？Isa； and suffered much persecution in a native State。
When Felix Carey returned to Serampore in 1812 to print his Burmese version of the Gospel of Matthew and his Burmese grammar； his father determined to send the press at which they were completed to Rangoon。 The three missionaries despatched with it a letter to the king of Ava； commending to his care 〃their beloved brethren； who from love to his majesty's subjects had voluntarily gone to place themselves under his protection； 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
