, owing to our disposal of
copyright to the Presses of the two Universities. With the American
Revisers it was otherwise. During the whole twelve years all the
necessary expenses of travelling, printing, room-rent, and other
accessories were, as Dr. Schaff mentions, cheerfully contributed by
liberal donors from among the friends of biblical revision. There
remained, however, a grave difficulty. It was plainly impossible that
such distinguished men as those who formed the two American Companies
could simply act the part of friendly critics of what was sent over to
them without being recognized as fellow revisers in the full sense of the
words. How, however, formally to establish this parity of position was
found to be very difficult, owing to our connexion with the Presses, who
had trade rights which had properly to be guarded. The result was much
friendly negotiation for several months, but without any definite
adjustment {42a}. At last, by the wise and conciliatory action of the
Presses an agreement was arrived at in August, 1877 {42b}, by which we on
this side of the Atlantic were bound not only to send over the various
stages of our work to our American brethren and carefully to consider all
their suggestions, but also to sanction the publication in every copy of
the revision of a list of all the important passages, in regard of text
and renderings, upon which the English and American Revisers could not
finally agree. The American Revisers on their part undertook not to
publish any edition of their own for fourteen years.
The fourteen years have now passed away, but prior to the expiration of
the time the long-needed marginal references were completed, and in
September, 1898, were attached to the pages of all the larger English
copies of the Revised Version of the Holy Scripture, with a short account
of the sources from which they were derived, and of the circumstances of
their delayed publication. As they were somewhat closely connected with
the labours of two of the members of the New Testament Company, and had
received the general approval of that Company, I had real pleasure in
presenting to both Houses of Convocation on Feb. 10, 1899, the completed
body of references, and, in them, the very last portion of every part of
the work of the Company with which I had so long been connected.
The appearance of the references was very seasonable, as it enabled the
Universities to acquire copyright for any of th
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