Rev A Brandram. - No.11
Zelaya 14th November 1827
My Dear Sir,
My last letter to you was written from Querétaro, and was dated the 8th current. Zelaya, the place from which I now write you, is 33 miles W. by N. of Querétaro, and forms part of the State of Guanajuato. The population of the city is as near as I can gather, 12,000. On the afternoon of the 9th I arrived here, and our sale commenced the following morning. I should have said our public sale, but on the same evening on which I arrived, I sold Bibles and Testaments to the amount of 21 dollars. This was owing to the following circumstance. Our first debut in every place, we are always obliged to make at the Custom House, and for reasons which you will easily suppose. The Collector of the Customs here, upon examining my papers, and finding that my mules were laden with books, made eager inquiry as to what books they were. I told him they were Bibles. Bibles! said he, why it was only last night I wrote to Mexico for one. This was followed by more particular inquiries regarding the Bibles I brought, as to their size, price, etc., and at the same time every friendly attention was paid to me, and none of the cases were opened to examine their contents. A few minutes after I alighted at the Inn, the Collector called, and brought with him a priest, who he introduced as a friend of his, saying, that he had immediately sent him word of the arrival of the Bibles; and that now all impatient to see them they had come thus early, and begged me, if I possibly could, to open a case and to gratify their desire to possess a Bible. The spike and hammer were immediately at work, a case was opened, and Bibles and Testaments were examined with interest and delight, and each of the two carried off a Bible and Testament, and also two small volumes. Some persons who were about the door seeing this, came also to supply themselves, and the result was 21 dollars. It was thus that our sale commenced so early as above mentioned.
Next morning, and at an early hour, the Collector returned and brought with him another priest, who is the Rector of this place. Some more copies were bought on this occasion and each seemed pleased with the purchase made. I was asked by the two individuals who first called, whether I had any other books besides Bibles and Testaments, as it seemed unaccountable to them that so many cases could be filled with these alone. I of course told them that I had nothing but Bibles and Testaments, but they seem scarcely to give me the credit which I thought I deserved. Early in the forenoon of our first day's sale, the priest who had called the preceding evening called again, and asked me privately whether I have no other books, besides Bibles, adding that he had not insisted on his inquiry the night before as the Collector was with him, and that I might have books I did not wish the Custom House officers to know anything about, but that now we were by ourselves I might freely tell him of all I had, as he would not divulge the matter to the Collector. I repeated what I had said before, that I had no other books, and farther that I was never afraid of Custom House officers, as it was a matter of conscience with me never to carry anything contraband. He was at length half persuaded that had I had no other books besides those I had mentioned to him. About an hour after he was gone, the Collector returned, and, as the priest did just done, asked me in private what other books I had, as I must without doubt he said have others besides Bibles. He said farther that he did not like to push his inquiry before when the priest was with him, as I might have books which I did not wish the priest to know anything of; but that I might freely tell him, as he would say nothing to the priest upon the subject. I was somewhat amused with these two private inquiries, and assured our friend that I had, really and truly nothing but Bibles and Testaments. But these inquiries were dictated by that spirit of anxiety for knowledge which has so happily begun in this country, and which if rightly directed will be followed by the best of results.
As we went on with our sale on this first day of it, the gentleman up in years called at our sale room and bought a Bible. After he had made his purchase he sat down and one of our boxes, (the only seat we had,) for a considerable time, speaking to the people who came to buy, of the excellence of the Scriptures, and a great advantage we enjoyed in having them offered to them in their native tongue, and at a price next to nothing. The readiness with which he spoke, and the soundness of his opinions and advice, together with the respect paid to his judgment by all around, made me at length suppose that he was some person of note in the place. I had heard that there was an individual, a native of this place, who by self instruction had raised himself far above his fellow citizens, particularly in the knowledge and practice of architecture, engraving and painting. By something he casually said upon the subject, I began to think that this gentleman who was so strongly recommending the use of the Scriptures, might be Tresguerras, the self educated artist referred to. Upon inquiry I found I was correct, and was glad to find that in addition to his scientific knowledge, he had his mind so open to the duty and advantages of reading the Holy Scriptures. I afterwards visited this gentleman at his house, and had no little pleasure in observing many excellencies in his character. I should have mentioned before that whilst he sat with us at our sale, I gave him a copy of the Brief View of the Society's plan and operations. This he read aloud, and suspended the attention of all about him, stopping from time to time to explain to this little audience, the benevolence and the glory of the object and operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
I have already told you of two priests who purchased the Scriptures, and at an early period of our sale. It was pleasing to hear these two individuals speak with much approbation of the reading of the Scriptures by all classes, and to hear them express their satisfaction that the word of God had been sent to their native place, in their native tongue, and sold at a moderate price. Other priests also came during the course of our sale, and went away with this pearl of great price. Several friars also were among our purchasers, and two or three of them came again and again bringing one friend and another see and to buy some of our goods. A friar to the Order of Mercy who had been with us more than once, called again bringing with him a friar of another order, and upon taking up a Bible and showing it to his friend, said, "Do you see what fine print it has, what excellent paper, and so cheap, and observe it is in the Spanish language too; why this is the very thing for us to read, as you know we cannot read Latin." Besides the preceding, we had buyers of a new class in this place. A message was received from the Nunnery requesting me to send specimens of the Bibles and Testaments for examination. I sent one of each kind, and soon after, the messenger returned with the price of the volumes sent. This is I think the first time I have been honoured by dealers of this class in a direct way, and I hope it will not be the last.
I have remarked in this place a more than usual number of persons in the low ranks of life coming to buy the Scriptures. The satisfaction with which they purchase them, and the evident joy they had in their newly acquired property, together with some of their remarks, were not a little gratifying. There were several purchasers whose whole amount of clothing seemed not to exceed in value the sum they paid for a Bible. One individual, a little above the class of purchasers now mentioned, after buying his Bible and speaking with satisfaction of his purchase, said, "Many poor people, I am sure, will have left themselves very scanty of bread that they might have money to buy a Bible." On viewing such an observation as this and knowing it to be just, one feels a desire to put the Scriptures into the hands of the poor without a price in return. Yet still the plan of selling is to be preferred, as on the one hand, you cannot tell who is able and who is unable to purchase, and on the other hand there is no doubt of the greater estimation in which the Bible will be held from the sacrifice it cost to procure it. There is besides, another very powerful reason to prevent giving in the country many copies of the Scriptures for nothing or at a very reduced price, as so doing would excite suspicion that what was thus as it were foisted into the hands of the poor was heretical and intended to lead astray from what is here considered the only true path. In such particular cases as those mentioned in my last letter, and in others of a similar description a copy or two I give gratis, but this practice I never extend far. In consideration of what was expressed by the person above mentioned, I have given five New Testaments to Tresguerras to be lent or given to such persons as he knows to be poor, and to be desirous of reading the Scriptures. I am sure they will be well appropriated by this gentleman, and we may perhaps on a future day learn something of the good they do to those who receive them.
The period of our sale here is four days, and this on which I write is the fourth. On the first day our sale was very good, on the second day we sold less, and on the third day less still, and today we have sold only one Bible and one New Testament. It would seem therefore this place is nearly supplied with Scriptures so far as a desire and an ability to procure them exists. The present however will no doubt create an additional thirst for the word of life, and at a future period more copies of the Scriptures will be sold, I am persuaded, than on the present occasion. Thus, I trust, it will be, not only in this city but also throughout this country at large in regard to the circulation of the Scriptures. Every periodical supply will create at each succeeding period an increased desire to procure the Sacred Volume. This is a pleasing thought, and one likes to indulge it. Let us pray that our hopes and our wishes herein may not be disappointed, but fulfilled, and exceeded.
I laid before you in my last, what difficulties and hinderances were met with from the want of the Apocrypha. I wish to show you, with all the impartiality I can, the light and the dark of this question as I move along through this country, as it is right you should know the true circumstances in which we are here placed. I am happy to say, that in this city we have been very little troubled by the question, nor am I aware that the circulation of the Scriptures has been hindered here on this account. – There have been sold here 69 Bibles, 55 New Testaments, 30 copies of the Psalms etc., and 17copies of Luke & Acts, making in all 171 copies of the whole and of parts of the Scriptures. The sum which has been received for these amounts to 289 dollars 2 rials.
The first day of our sale here was on a Saturday, and the next day being Sunday our sale was of course suspended. As this day however is here the day of the weekly market, I was often annoyed with persons calling to get Bibles, and has some difficulty at times to persuade them to defer their purchase till Monday. At one time three Indians called, having heard that I had books for sale. By the term Indian, you will understand the unmixed descendents of the ancient Mexicans, all of whom speak to this date some of the native dialects, though many of them also understand Spanish. When they came in they asked if I had a certain book in request in the country, but whose name I forget. I said I had not, and that the only books I had were Bibles and Testaments. They then wished to see them. I told them that this was Sunday which was a holy day, and not for buying and selling, and that if they would come tomorrow I would be glad to show them the books, and to sell them as many as they wished. But, said they, we live in the country, and we have to go out of town tonight to our home which is 18 miles distant from this. This was a strong reason for listening to that request, and authorized a departure from the general rule, that these individuals might be supplied with the Sacred Scriptures. I then gave to one of them who seem to be the principal actor a New Testament to look at. He opened it, and it so happened that the wrong end of the book was towards him. This however did not seem to give him any concern, as he still kept it in this position without turning the right end towards him. This of course excited a suspicion as to whether he could read or not, and upon his being asked if he could, he said, no. Why then do you want a book when you cannot read it, was the natural return to the answer he gave. His reply to this question was gratifying, I want said he a book for my children to read. Are your children at school, said I, learning to read. He said they were. Do you pay anything for that education, I said. Yes, said he, I paid two rials and a half (15d.) a week for each of the two children I have at school. I was very much pleased to see so much interest taken by him in the education of his children, and I recommended to him the Bible or the New Testament as the best book he could get for his children to read. This book, said I, picking up a New Testament, tells us about God who made the world, and who made us and all things. It tells us that we have sinned against the Lord our maker; it tells us about our Lord Jesus Christ who came down from heaven, and who died for us that our sins might be pardoned, and it tells us what Jesus has commanded us to do. And if we believe in him as our Saviour, and do what he tells us to do, we shall be happy in this world, and when we die we shall go to heaven, and be with God, and with Jesus Christ, and with all the holy angels.
They listened with great attention and when I stopped, one of them said, "Be so good as read us a little piece of the book if you please." I opened the New Testament and turned to the fifth chapter of Matthew, and said, here are the very words of Jesus Christ himself. They listened and I read the first 16 verses explaining as I went along. The answers they gave to the questions I put to them, and observations they made from time to time, showed they understood what was said to them. I then turned to the third chapter of the Gospel by John and read from the 14th to the 21st verse inclusive, explaining to them about the serpent in the wilderness, and the salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ represented thereby. I then read it to them the beautiful passage contained from the 9th verse of the 7th chapter of the Revelation to the end. They seemed highly gratified by all they heard, and when I had done they talked with each other a little in their own language, and then two of them took each a New Testament, whilst the third seemed to say he could not afford to buy one. They again talked to each other in their own language, and then one of them said, pointing to a Bible, and that book, what is it about? Why that book, said I, tells us a great many things. It tells us about the people and the serpent in the wilderness that I was speaking to you about, and it tells how the world and all things were made. Shall I read to you a little of this book I said. Yes, do, said they, all of them. I turned to the first chapter of Genesis and read, explaining to them as I went along, not a little delighted with the great attention they paid and the remarks they made. When I had read some five or six versus, one of the three who before had seemed to say he could not afford to buy a New Testament, comes two steps nearer me, and without saying a word he thrust three dollars into my hand, by way of saying, "That book you are reading is mine." I took the dollars with the same silence about their object, and went on reading and explaining. They continued their close attention until I had finished the chapter and on concluding I put the Bible into the hands of the one who had already given me the price of it and he appeared truly delighted with the volume he had received. The whole of this interview was gratifying, and our pleasure seemed alike on both sides. I concluded by strongly commending them for having sent their children to school, and by telling them of the pleasure and the profit they would have in their children reading to them the Holy Scriptures which they had now in their hands.
I have often said to you, my dear Sir, and to others in my native land that there is a great work going on in this country, – and may the Lord Almighty carry it forward! The instance I have given you of a desire for knowledge in this the lowest class of the inhabitants of this country, the native population, is a specimen of what is going on. Do give these people the New Testament in their own tongue, and you will hear of the delight they take in it. And when they meet you in heaven, led thereby the light you give them, with what transport will the sower & the reaper fall down together before the throne to ascribe all the glory unto him who liveth for ever and ever. May the Lord enable me to sow with you, and may I at last join you, in the holy mansions, and in your heavenly song.
I remain My Dear Sir
and all my Dear Friends
Very Sincerely Yours
James Thomson.
If you wish to be correct in the pronunciation of the name of this city pronounce it thus. Gua-na-huá-to, the a in each case sounding as in Father.
P.S. Mr. Millar 45 Museum Street will call for£20, please give it to him and place it to my account. JT.