The Rev A Brandram No.20
Jalapa 23rd April 1828
My Dear Sir,
I told you in my last that I hope my next letter would be written in this place, and I am glad that there occurred no hindrances of the kind alluded to in regard to my setting out on this second journey in Mexico in your service. I left the capital on the 2nd instant, and arrived in Puebla on the 4th.
I have two letters of introduction for the Bishop, one of which was from our friend Salazar. The other was from Don Miguel Santamaría the Colombian minister residing in this country. I mentioned this gentleman's name to you with pleasure, and add, that he has taken a greater interest in my concerns here, and has been more serviceable to me in them than any individual I have met with in Mexico. For my last journey he furnished me with letters of introduction, and for the present journey he has furnished me yet more amply, as he has more acquaintances in the course of the tour I am now taking than in the northwesterly directions in which I last traveled. One thing I have observed with a good deal of satisfaction so far as he is concerned, that he never minces with the objects in which I am engaged, but freely and openly introduces me as an agent of the Bible Society, engaged in the circulation of the Scriptures in this country. This gentleman is a native of Vera Cruz, has resided some time in Colombia, and is now as above-mentioned the resident minister in Mexico from Bogota.
To return to the Bishop. I went with my two letters of introduction to him, and was ready graciously received. He said he had heard of me and of my objects in this country, and on account of which and from the respect he had for the persons who had written the letters he had just read, he was glad of an opportunity of paying me what attention he could. This house, said he, is yours, and more than that, (added he laying his hand upon his breast,) this heart is at your service. I of course rendered him a thousand thanks for such kind offers. But as I had looked to this interview with so little interest in anxiety, I had another and a higher return to make. I lifted up my heart in thanksgiving and to him in whose hand are the hearts of all, and who disposeth them to whatsoever he will, and I bless his Holy Name for disposing the mind of this individual to befriend his cause in this land. The Bishop's interest is considerable. In his own diocese of course he has the entire sway, but as he is now the only Bishop in Mexico his influence is great throughout all the country. I trust the Lord will stir him up to befriend us not only in a negative way, but also in a more active manner. I had three other interviews with the Bishop whilst I remained in Puebla, my stay there having been prolonged several days beyond the period I expected. I made him a present in the name of the Society of a Spanish Bible in Morocco binding, and also one of Bagster's Hebrew and Greek Bibles interleaved. Three copies of the Brief View were also put into his hands. With this present he was well pleased, and I hope it will attach him the more to your great objects. During the second and third interviews with him I endeavoured to ascertain whether he would be disposed to give his name to encourage the circulation of your edition of the Bible, a specimen or copy of which I had given him. I did not wish to be to direct in my request, nor did I like on the other hand to let the occasion slip without knowing his mind upon the subject. I therefore went round him and round him, coming nearer each time, and upon coming close upon the subject he politely declined, stating at the Apocrypha as the obstacle.
Upon talking with him as to the extent to which the Mexican language was spoken in his diocese, he said three-fifths of the people spoke it. I mentioned my desire to procure a translation of a part of the New Testament into this tongue. I was glad to find that he entered into this, and that he was ready to lend his aid for the accomplishing of it. I trust the delays experienced in finding a translator for this language has been to throw the work into the hands of the Bishop. He spoke in a very proper manner of the precautions to be taken to procure a faithful and good translation. He has engaged to get an attempt made. His plan is to set some individual skilled in the language to translate two chapters, one in the Old and one in the New Testament, and when these are ready they are to be examined by two or three competent judges. If these pronounce the translation good, the translator will go on, but if otherwise not, and a new translator to our will be sought for. This I think is a good plan, and I hope we shall hear of favourable results before long. The Bishop promises to give his name to authorize the translation when accomplished. He desired me to write to you that he will be a co-operator with your society. It would I think greatly animate him, and would strengthen our party in this land, if Lord Teignmouth should address a few lines to him, upon the subject of this translation and upon the circulation of the Scriptures in general. Should this suggestion meet with his Lordship's approbation, it might be proper before writing to have some little conversation with Mr. Rocafuerte, the Mexican chargé d'affaires in London, a gentleman most friendly to the Bible Society. I was in a mistake when I said in a former letter that the Bishop is a native of Spain, he is a native of Puebla.
In conversing with the Professor of the Mexican language in the Ecclesiastical College of Puebla, as to the usefulness of a Mexican translation of the New Testament, and whether he thought the curates would read it to the people on Sundays and holidays, he said he thought such a translation would be very acceptable and useful to the people, and that he did not doubt but the priests would read it in the church, and he was sure that in doing so they would not only benefit the people, but themselves also. Many of the people understood Spanish he said, but when they made their confession to the priest they uniformly spoke in their own tongue.
From Puebla I went to Tlascala returning next day to the same place. My object was to ascertain the prevalence or otherwise of the Mexican language in that quarter. It prevails. I was told that of those who understand the Spanish, they spoke it with great unwillingness giving a decided preference to their own tongue. Upon my mentioning a translation of the New Testament into their native language and of establishing schools for teaching it, a decided approbation was given to such a plan, and much confidence was expressed as to the good results which might follow. In Tlascala, I saw the identical standard with which Cortés entered and conquered that place. It was stained with blood, such are the traces of conquerors, a race of men soon I hope to become extinct. There was to me a more interesting object in that city. I saw, and stood, in the first pulpit in which the gospel was preached in the New World. A Friar stood behind me, and if you can make anything emblematical of this circumstance, you may. Your letter of the 11th (and 18th) February came into my hands yesterday along with Mr. Jackson's note of the minutes of the Committee regarding my requests about editions of the Scriptures. I thank you for ordering a pica edition of the New Testament and for your other grants. I do note of course thank you for what you have not done is about the adding the two epistles of Peter to the volume containing the Gospel by Luke and the Acts. You give no reasons for your negative, because I suppose you had none to give.
I withdraw my motion for the present regarding a small pica Bible with marginal references. I shall probably say something about Torres Amat's version in my next. I gave you an order in January last for Bibles to be sent to Tampico. Please send the same quantity of each to Vera Cruz as soon after the receipt of this as you can. My object on this journey is not to hold sales in particular towns, but to establish permanent sales as extensively as I can in the districts I visit.
Mrs. Thomson, about whom you so kindly inquire, is well, with the exception of her anxiety for the safety of her husband on this journey exposed to perils of various kinds. Pray for him, and be assured that he is sincerely desirous of approving himself as your servant, believing that your service, is the service of God.
I am ever yours, James Thomson.