The Story of the House of Cassell
delivered by the beginning of 1887. Dr. Geikie was a rapid worker, and his MS. was ready by the time appointed, and the book was published in that year in two volumes, and was issued serially, with original illustrations, two years later. In both forms it did very well, remaining in publication until 1910.
Probably the most considerable enterprise of the House in religious books was the Commentaries upon the Old and New Testaments, edited by Dr. Ellicott, Bishop of Gloucester, the learned Chairman of the Company of Revisers of the New Testament. Of this undertaking also Canon Shore has something to say. The Bishop, who was deep in his revision labours, confined his editing to reading the proofs, though this he did with punctilious care. "Professor Plumptre (afterwards Dean of Wells)," says the Canon, "was one of our ablest contributors ... but was given to introduce little pieces of criticism which rendered it necessary to be careful with his proofs. For example, when commentating on the passage 'Tell it to the Church,' he wrote as explanatory to it: 'i.e. Take the opinion of the general body of Christians on the subject—or as we should say nowadays. Write to the Times.' In sending the proof to the Bishop for his supervision I called his attention to this, and he wrote the following note: 'Perfectly true, but a little premature, and might be misunderstood.' I always aimed," Canon Shore adds, "at getting for such work 'coming' men, not men who had already 'come'; and thus succeeded in obtaining their best from my authors."
The Commentary on the New Testament appeared in 1878–9, in three volumes, that on the Old Testament in 1882–84, in five volumes, and a combined edition was published in 1897. An abridgment of the New Testament Commentary, in fourteen volumes, for use in schools, was issued in 1878–83.
In the 'eighties and 'nineties a good deal of attention was attracted by books written in defence of the literal accuracy, scientific and historical, of the Old Testament,
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