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Providence in bringing about this great event." If," said he, " you are asked what are the sentiments of the archbishop of Brusa concerning the translation of the Scriptures into other tongues, say, that he wishes to inquire of him who objects to such a measure, How did the Apostles address the multitude assembled from every quarter of the world on the day of Pentecost? And how did they afterwards preach the gospel to all nations? Was it in the native tongue of the Apostles, or did they speak to each nation in their own tongue wherein they were born? The gift of tongues to the Apostles is," said he, "to me an unanswerable argument for the necessity and duty of translating the Scriptures into every language.' When our conversation turned upon the projected edition of the New Testament in Turkish with Greek characters, he called up two of his unlettered rustic flock, and read to them a portion of the proposed translation, one of whom appeared very tolerably to make out the meaning.

When I saw the bishop in the morning on his return from officiating in his church, he informed me that he had delivered a discourse to his people in Turkish, in the course of which he had taken occasion to speak to them of the object on which I came, and to mention to them the benefits they were soon likely to enjoy through our means of having the New Testament translated into their own language.

Not thinking the existence of a few cases of plague in Brusa, a sufficient reason to prevent my going there, I the next morning took my leave of the worthy and hospitable prelate, and entered the city, taking a letter to a respectable Greek, who kindly accommodated me in his house during my stay. Besides making the necessary arrangements concerning the books I had sent hither to the gentleman, whose decease I mentioned above, and most of which have got into circulation, I had frequent opportunities of conversing on the subject of our good work with many persons who came to see me. I found an Hellenic school established here with about thirty scholars, and a numerously attended Romaic one. The chief director of the schools, and the Hellenic master, having acceded to the propriety of introducing the New Testament as a book to be studied in the schools, and having engaged that certain days should be fixed for this purpose, I promised that a donation of books should be sent them to carry this useful measure into effect. They agreed in thinking that a portion of the time which is now devoted to the study of Esop's Fables, Lucian's Dialogues, Homer or Sophocles, might be more profitably employed in giving the youths who attend the school an acquaintance with the great charter of a Christian's duty, privileges, and hopes.

In a visit I made to the Armenian bishop, in company with a common friend, we entered at length into the object and operations of the Bible Society, and (after answering numerous questions he put to us, and solving some doubts) the conversation ended in a frank recognition on his part of their excellence and utility, and in admiration of the Christian zeal which dictated them. He made some pertinent observations on the necessity of laying a sound foundation in the education of every Christian individual, by an acquaintance with the Scriptures in his youth, and upon the worthlessness of all human science when put in comparison with religious knowledge. I pre

sented him on my departure with a few copies of the new edition of the Armenian Testament, printed at Constantinople, for the use of their school, which contains from 200 to 300 scholars, and we took our leave with much goodwill on both sides.

On the 1st of June I left Brusa for Michalitch, and with the noble mountain of Olympus on our left, travelled for some distance through the fertile plain at its foot, rendered more verdant and beautiful than usual by the almost continued rain which fell during my stay in Brusa. Ascending from thence into a hilly but fertile district, we reached in seven hours the little town of Apollonia, the site of the ancient city of the same name, picturesquely situated on a small island projecting into the extensive lake of Apollonia, and united to the main land by a wooden bridge. The remains of a fortification of the date of the Lower Empire surround the island, which contains about 400 houses, three-fourths Greek and the remainder Turkish. It is the residence of a vicar of the archbishop of Nicomedia, who has twentyfour villages subject to him in this district, completely insulated from the rest of his diocese. In a considerable part of these villages, as well as in Apollonia itself, the use of the Modern Greek language is preserved, a circumstance very rare in the interior of Asia Minor. This probably arises from their having a communication by water (in their flat-bottomed boats adapted to the shallowness of their lake and the river Rhyndacus, by which its waters reach the sea) with Constantinople and the places on the shore of the sea of Marmora, where Greek is universally spoken. There is at Apollonia a Romaic school with eighty children, where, as in all the Romaic schools on the old plan, nothing is read by the children but a few ecclesiastical books in the Ancient Greek, so that they simply learn to read, without understanding. In the Hellenic schools alone, few of which exist since the breaking out of the Greek revolution, the grammar and construction of the Ancient Greek language is taught. You see, therefore, how great a blessing the introduction of the Romaic Testament would prove in such schools.

The next morning I pursued my journey to Michalitch, skirting the northern shore of the lake for five hours, until we reached Ooliabat, a miserable village seated amid the ruins of an old fortress, where we crossed the Rhyndacus, and passing over a plain, which in winter is overflowed by the waters of the lake, and renders Michalitch unhealthy, in one hour and a quarter more reached that town. My first movement was to visit Theoctistus, whom I found at his school after finishing his morning labours. He is a man of about forty years of age, retiring and modest in his demeanour, but with the eye and look of a scholar. Wherever I had been, I had had the satisfaction of hearing him uniformly spoken of with affection, as well as with no common respect for his character, talents, and acquirements. From the high esteem in which he was held, both as a schoolmaster and a preacher, there had been a competition between Brusa and Michalitch which should possess him, and the archbishop of Brusa finally ceded his claim from the proper feeling, that if Michalitch were deprived of him, it might have been impossible for the inhabitants properly to fill his place, and the school, lately established, might have gone to decay. He instructs between thirty and forty scholars,

several of whom are doing credit to his labours. I was present the day after, whilst he was lecturing a class on a passage in one of the discourses of St. Athanasius, for the Greek fathers as well as classics form a part of the course gone through at the Hellenic schools. It is the custom of the masters, before they give a passage to be studied by the scholars, themselves to construe it to the class, enlarging upon it as they go on, and illustrating it by quotations, anecdotes, or whatever else may strike them as most likely to elucidate and impress the matter of the passage on the minds of the scholars, who are then sent away to study it, and afterwards appear again before the master. Their system has thus more the character of lectures than lessons; and though it may perhaps have the effect of lightening too much the labours of the pupils, it certainly renders their studies more interesting and attractive than the method pursued in our grammar schools. But I was going to say that I was highly pleased with the clear and able manner in which Theoctistus explained and illustrated by different quotations from Scripture the passage in question, which embraced some of the prominent and peculiar doctrines of Christianity. The subject of the discourse was the resurrection of our Lord.

We conversed fully together on the subject of the Turkish version, which I found him quite willing to undertake. It was agreed that for his labour he should receive 3000 piastres, which, if possible, he is to conclude within a year, and as each book of the New Testament is completed, he is to send the copy to me. I have every hope that it will prove a work of general acceptance and utility, and have no doubt that the name of Theoctistus, which is well known throughout Anatolia, will be a strong recommendation to it. I shall send you a copy of the agreement, which is attested by the archbishop. I must not forget to add that Theoctistus willingly acceded to the suggestion I made to him of introducing the New Testament as a book to be studied in his school, and I am to send him a few copies in Ancient Greek for this purpose.

On the 4th of June I left Michalitch for Mondania, a distance of twelve hours. We passed through two or three small villages before we reached the coast at Triglia, a considerable town in the diocese of Brusa, containing from 500 to 600 Greek houses, and a few Turkish. The country around is covered with olive groves, and the place is celebrated for its produce of oil. It has a numerous Romaic school, and a small Hellenic one. Midway between Triglia and Mondania is another Greek village named Saghi, with about 120 Greek houses, and thirty Turkish.

I passed the night at Mondania, and the next morning took boat for Kio, which lies at the extremity of the gulf of Mondania. This was an ancient Greek city, said to have been founded by Kios, one of the Argonauts. A few foundations and columns only remain to mark its former site. The present town stretches prettily along the shores of a small bay, and is surrounded by a rich country abounding in vineyards, olive and mulberry groves for the production of wine, oil, and silk, the three staple productions of all this part of Asia Minor. Kio contains about 600 Greek houses and a few Turkish, and seven churches, besides two others attached to monasteries in its immediate vicinity. The Hellenic school has sixty scholars, besides which

it still continues to flourish. He promised to introduce the the New Testament into his school, and I shall send him a of some copies as soon as they reach me from England.

I was pleased to find that of the sixty copies I had some tim sent hither, scarcely one remained unsold, and the indiv member of one of the most respectable families of the to with disinterested views had undertaken the care of their tion, and had executed it with zeal and judgment, was very of a fresh supply. A portion of the copies which I sent to E also found their way to this place.

In the afternoon of the 7th I returned by sea to Mondania passed two days, and concluded, as I before mentioned, my ment with Theoctistus. I also conversed further with the ar on the subject of supplying his diocese with copies of the Ne ment, and introducing it into the schools existing in various his charge. I await the arrival of copies, to forward to him number for this purpose, he having promised to superi proper application of them in Brusa, Mondania, Triglia smaller villages.

On the 10th of June I sailed from Mondania, and rea island of Chalke in the evening, where I was thankful to fi family in good health.

Island of Chalke, near Constantinople, July 23

I HAVE just received a letter from Theoctistus, in which me that the Gospel of St. Matthew is nearly finished, a hopes to send me a copy in a few days.

I am glad to learn from Mr. Cockle that the cases of G taments and other books are on their way, I have just distr last copies I had in the Modern Greek alone, in this villag sixty copies have been put in circulation here, and I have introduced into the village school.

Constantinople, September

I HAVE received letters from the Chaldean bishop, anno arrival at Tebriz, with the books which accompanied him. Georgia already well supplied from the Russian Bible S had not, therefore, an opportunity of disposing of any of nian Scriptures. He was on the point of departure for J which part he hoped to effect their distribution; and a time to hear of some fit person, or persons, for making th version of the New Testament in the Curdish language.

The plague still continues, although with diminished act have, however, been alarmed by two accidents occurring in but, as much precaution has been used, and the family in occurred have returned to the Fanal, I hope that this mal prevented from spreading here.

Constantinople, November 23, 1824.

I HAVE at length a prospect of seeing the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles in the Jewish-Spanish language printed. The printer will in about a month proceed on a visit to Malta, when he proposes taking his types with him, and putting the work to press there. I shall give him letters to the Rev. Mr. Jowett, and I dare say the thing may be arranged either at his press or that of the American Missionaries. I am happy to say that the Turkish Testament in Greek characters is making good progress. Theoctistus has already sent me the four Gospels, and promises that by March the whole shall be finished, when he proposes coming to Constantinople. In the mean time I shall give the Gospels into the hands of Mr. Petropolis, who is considered the best Turkish scholar among the Greeks at present at Constantinople, and when Theoctistus arrives, the corrections which are thought necessary can be made, and the copy finally prepared for press.

Constantinople, November 25, 1824.

I HAVE had the satisfaction, during my residence this summer at the Prince's Islands, to put into circulation above 400 copies of the Greek Testament, the greatest part of them by sale at reduced prices, among the inhabitants and visitants of these islands, and of some of the villages on the coast of the sea of Marmora. Above 100 copies were distributed in the island in which I resided. I made presents of a certain number of copies of the Modern Greek Testament, in proportion to the number of scholars able to read, to several village schools, where previously no books were in use but such as are written in Ancient Greek, and are almost wholly unintelligible to the children; and I have good hopes they will be well employed, and produce fruit. In the school of Chalke, the children read, every Sunday and holiday, the gospel of the day, from the books given them, which the master enlarges upon and explains.

Constantinople, January 24, 1825.

I SEND you by the present occasion a statement of the issue of copies of the Holy Scriptures from our depository during the last year, by which it will appear that 1383 copies in various languages have been put into circulation in Constantinople and its immediate environs, during that period, and 1576 despatched to various parts of the Turkish empire, forming a total of 2959 copies.

The number of copies distributed in Constantinople and its environs, although not quite equal to that of last year, will, I sincerely believe, be of more advantage. More than half the number consists of Greek Testaments, of which 600 copies have passed through my own hands, and I have the satisfaction of knowing that in numerous instances these books have been anxiously sought after, and gratefully received, and that they have found their way into many schools as well as families. If the number of copies in the Armenian language is not so great as last year, this is owing in the first place to the Armenian Psalter, and Armenian-Turkish Psalter, being no longer

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