rinitarian Society, for I suppose that it was written
by you, afforded me the highest satisfaction. I admired its tone and
spirit, and said at the time that a more convincing piece of reasoning
had never been penned on any subject. The case of Luther and the early
Reformers, who were converted from the errors of Popery by the perusal of
the Vulgate, the book of the Popish Church, is certainly exceedingly
strong; as it at once does away with any argument which may be raised
against the propriety of circulating versions made from it. Perhaps it
would have been as well to add that the Lollards' Bible, the book which
converted England, was a literal translation from the Vulgate and not
from the original tongues, which, as is well knows, Wickliffe did not
understand. Those who decry the Vulgate should please to remember that,
though adopted by the Popish Church, its foundation was laid before
Popery existed, and that before criticising a book it is desirable to
have read it. There are faults in the Vulgate, indeed far too many; but
I believe them to be more the result of infirmity than malice, all the
heavy and strong texts most dangerous to the Papal system appearing in it
uncurtailed and unmodified. No people dread the Vulgate more than the
Papists themselves, which they know to be _a terrible two-edged sword
which will cut off their hands if they handle it_.

I now beg leave to send you an extract of a letter which I received
yesterday morning from Madrid. It is from my landlady, who is my agent
there, and I consider it to be my duty to communicate it to the Society,
as I consider that it speaks volumes as to the state of affairs in the
capital and the spirit of enquiry abroad; at the same time I presume not
to offer any comment upon it. The rest of the letter treats of
indifferent matters.

'The binder has brought me eight Bibles, which he has contrived to make
up out of _the sheets gnawn by the rats_, and which would have been
necessary even had they amounted to eight thousand (_y era necesario se
puvieran vuelto_ 8000), {422a} because the people are innumerable who
come to seek more. Don Santiago has been here with some friends, who
insisted upon having a part of them. The Aragonese gentleman has
likewise been, he who came before your departure and bespoke twenty-four.
He now wants twenty-five. I begged them to take Testaments, but they
would not.' {422b}

We go on selling Testaments at Seville in a quiet