The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)Paltock, Robert
Science
The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Volume 2 (of 2)
Paltock, Robert
Adventure stories; Fantasy fiction
We began at the creation, and descending to the flood, went on to the
Jewish captivity in Egypt and deliverance by Moses, leaving out the
genealogies and all the Jewish ceremonies and laws, except the Ten
Commandments. I translated the books of Samuel and Kings, down to the
Babylonish captivity. I then translated such parts of the Prophets as
were necessary to introduce the Messiah, and discover Him; the books of
Psalms, Job, and the Proverbs, and with the utmost impatience hasted to
the New Testament. But then considering that when I had done, as only
Lasmeel and myself could read it, in case of our deaths, the translation
must die with us, I chose out six of the junior ragans, and two of the
elder, to learn letters; and in less than twelve months I had brought
them all to read mine and Lasmeel's writings perfectly well.
I instructed these ragans at spare hours, whilst I went on with my
translation; but finding my paper grow low, having had a great supply of
coarse linen, and a sort of calicoes from the isles, in return for our
metals, I set up a manufactory from that, and some gums of the trees,
which we boiled with it to a pulp in iron pans, and beating it to
pieces, made a useful paper which would bear ink tolerably. But I could
find nothing to make ink of, though I sent over all the country to
search for every herb and fruit not commonly used; till at last I found
an herb and flower on it, which, if taken before the flower faded,
would, by boiling thoroughly, become blue; this, by still more boiling
in a copper pan till it was dry and burnt hard to the bottom, in some
measure answered my purpose, and I fixed upon it as the best I could
obtain from all my experiments.
When the ragans were masters of their pens, I set six of them to copy
what Lasmeel had finished, and the other two to teach their brethren;
and in two years' time, by a pretty constant application (for I made
them transcribe it perfectly fair and intelligible), we finished our
translation, and two fair copies.
I then ordered the ragans to read a portion of it to the people
constantly, in the mouch; they, from the novelty of the story, at first
grew so exceeding fond of it, that upon the proper expositions of it I
taught the ragans afterwards to make, they began to apply it seriously
to religious purposes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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