Breton Bible History (3)

**List: Breton Ministry the Bible ( the Bible ) Breton... "III.--VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THIS LANGUAGE.    As early as the year 1814, an application was made by the Antiquarian Society of Paris to the British and Foreign Bible Society, on the subject of procuring a Breton version of the Scriptures. Another representation of the same purport was laid before the British and Foreign Bible Society in 1819; and in 1824 they authorised the Rev. David Jones, who was at that time the secretary of the Auxiliary Bible Society at Swansea, to proceed to Brittany, there to institute inquiries concerning any version or versions of the Bible in Breton that might be in existence.   After a diligent search in all the libraries of the country, Mr. Jones ascertained that no portion of the Scriptures, either in print or MS., existed in the Breton language, with the exception of such scriptural extracts as had appeared in various Romish books of devotion.   With the concurrence of the British and Foreign Bible Society, Mr. Jones, therefore, engaged the services of Legonidec, a Breton of considerable learning, to prepare a translation of the New Testament.   Mr. Jones died during the progress of this work, but the sheets were regularly forwarded by Professor Kieffer of Paris to the Rev. T. Price, of Crickhowel, an eminent Celtic scholar.   After having been carefully revised and corrected by Mr. Price, an edition of 1000 copies of this version of the New Testament was completed in 1827, at Angouleme, where Legonidec then resided: the copies were deposited in the Society's warehouse at Paris.   This translation was made from the Vulgate, for Legonidec was a Catholic, and unacquainted with the original language of Scripture: it possesses many excellences of style and diction, yet at the same time is scarcely suitable for general circulation.   Legonidec's great object was to restore the language to its pristine purity, by the rejection of all foreign words and phrases that had, in the process of time, been mingled with it. But in his efforts to attain to classical correctness, he unconsciously adopted a style of writing that appeared obscure, and almost unintelligible, to his less educated countrymen; and moreover being, like Dr. W. Owen Pughe in Wales, the inventor of a new system of orthography, he unadvisedly introduced his system into this version, and thus rendered it still more unintelligible to the mass of the people. When Protestant mies. first commenced their labours in this country (about the year 1834), they were greatly discouraged to find that this New Testament, the only version possessed by the Bretons in their own language, was but imperfectly understood by them.   The Rev. J. Jenkins, there- fore, of Morlaix, a native of Glamorganshire, and agent of the Baptist My. Society, undertook a new translation, in which he was assisted by a native Breton.   He translated from the Greek original, and consulted the Welsh and English authorised versions, and Martin's and Ostervald's French versions. This work, when completed, was found to be intelligible to the whole Breton population, except the inhabitants of the neighbourhood of Vannes, who speak a peculiar dialect of Breton.   Proofs of its accuracy and faithfulness having been laid before the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, they resolved on publishing an edition of 3000 copies.   The edition was printed at Brest, before the close of the year 1847, and depositories have been established both at Morlaix and Quimper. No edition of the Old Testament has yet been published; but a version executed by Legonidec, and revised by Mr. Price, is preserved in MS. in the library of the British and Foreign Bible Society.   The demand for the revised edition of the New Testament was such as to justify the preparation of another edition of 4000 copies; and these, notwithstanding the opposition of the priesthood, too willingly supported by the civil authorities, are now being gradually circulated, partly by the mies., and partly by colporteurs. IV.--RESULTS OF THE DISSEMINATION OF THIS VERSION.    The ignorance of the people, and the bigotry of the priests, have hitherto retarded the circulation of the New Testament in this country; but the recent sale of an edition of 3000 copies by the instru- mentality of Protestant ministers and colporteurs, is a hopeful circumstance, and likely to lead to important results."--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only] BRETON.   [BREST.]--(1860)   S. Bagster   [Info only: "1847" John 1:1-14 unknown.]

[Christian Helps Ministry (USA)] [Christian Home Bible Course]