Page:Historical and biographical sketches.djvu/200

196 Needs,” in whose hands the letter was placed, find time to send an answer. Its tenor was entirely unfavorable. They thought the translation “wholly and entirely impracticable, as well because it would be difficult to find a translator as because of the immense expense which would be incurred, and which they could very easily avoid.” As “this book could certainly be found in the community, and there were some of the brethren who understood the Dutch language,” it was suggested “to get them to translate into the German some of the chief histories wherein mention is made of the confessions of the martyrs, and which would serve for the purpose, and have them copied by the young people.” By so doing they would secure “the double advantage that through the copying they would give more thought to it, and receive a stronger impression.” The North American brethren, at least, got the benefit of the information contained in this well-meant counsel sent two and a half years late. In the mean time they had themselves zealously taken hold of the work, and before the reception of the letter from Holland accomplished their purpose. That same year, 1748, the complete translation of the Martyr's Mirror of Tieleman Jans Van Braght saw the light at Ephrata. It was afterwards printed, with the pictures from the original added, at Pirmasens in the Bavarian Palatinate, in 1780, and this second edition is still frequently found among our fellow members in Germany, Switzerland, and the mountains of the Vosges.

Though the completion of this very costly undertaking gives a favorable idea of the energy and financial strength