PO'LVGLOTTS Oroiteryitturra, from Toxin, much, many, and aasterra, a tongue), books in several languages. The application of the word is restricted to the Bible, which being a collection of books written by various persons, at various times, and on various subjects, is called Biblia (books), and a Polyglott Bible is therefore called Liblia Polyglotta.
The idea of a Polyglott Bible seems to have been first conceived in the 3rd century, by Origen, who spent many years of immense labour in forming the Old Testament into such a work. This is commonly called Biblia Hexapla, the Bible in six columns. The six columns consisted of 1, the Hebrew text ; 2, the Hebrew in Greek characters ; 3, the Greek version of Aquila; 4, the Greek version of Syminachus ; 5, the Septuagint ; 0, the Greek version of Theodotion. These six columns went through the work ; but some portions were in eight columns and others in nine, and with reference to these portions it is called Octapla and Enneapla. Considered apart from the Hebrew, and the Hebrew in Greek characters, it is called Tetrapla, the Bible in four columns. Though two languages only were used in the forma tion of this work, it might not improperly be called a l'olyglott. It is to be lamented that, except in the Septuagint, only a few fragments of Odeon's performance have come down to us. These were published by Montfaucon, in two vols. folio, Paris, 1714, under the title Hasa pion= Origiuis quae supersunt.' Among the moderns, Aldus 'Manuring first planned a l'olyglott in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; but he never printed more than one sheet, a copy of which, supposed to be the only one in existence, is in the royal library at I'aris. Its date is 1501. Since that time various Polyglotte have been published, of which the principal are the following :— 1. The Complutensian Polyglott. This was printed at Complutum, the Latin name of Alcala de Henares in Spain. It was begun in 1502, and finished in 1517, but it was not published before 1522. It was patronised by Cardinal Francis X imenes [CIss Enos, in Thoo. Div.), who employed seven learned men competent for the undertaking, and who munificently defrayed the entire expenses of its publication. This noble work was dedicated by its patron to Pope Leo X. It is in six volumes, folio. In the Old Testament each page consists of three columns, the left-hand page presenting the Hebrew, the Vulgate, and the Septuagint, and the right-hand the Septuagint, the Vulgate, and the Hebrew, with Hebrew primitives in the outer margin, and a interpretation of the Septuagint. At the lower part of the page is a Chaldeo paraphrase with a Latin interpreta tion, in two columns. In the New Testament each page has two columns, consisting of the Greek text and the Latin Vulgate with marginal references. The Greek Testainent of this Polyglott is remarkable as being the first complete edition ever printed. Besides a variety of prefatory matter in the first volume, the whole of the sixth volume, with the concluding part of the fifth, consists of several distinct performances, }Waking a large apparatus of elementary biblical literature. Of the Complutensian l'olyglott GOO copies only were
printed, and one is seldom met with except occasionally in public libraries.
II. 'rho Antwerp Polyglott. This was printed by Christopher Plantin, at Antwerp, 1569-1572, in eight vols. folio. The editor was Arias Montanus, who had about sixty assistants. Thu work was pub lished under the sanction of Philip II., king of Spain, who is reputed to have defrayed its expenses, though some are of opinion that lie merely lent the money to Plantin, and demanded its repayment in }such a manner as to involve him in very great distress. The whole of the Complutensian Polyglott is comprised in this of Antwerp, besides another Chaldee paraphrase of a part of the Old Testament, a Syriac version of the New Testament, and the Latin translation of Santee Pagninus, altered by the editor, Arias Montanus. The Old Testament is in four columns, two in each page, a Latin interpretation of the Septuagint forming one of the columns, with a Chaldee paraphrase on the lower part of the left-hand page, and a Latin interpretation on that of the right. In the New Testament the versions are similarly arranged, Syriac being in place of the Hebrew, and the Latin of Pagninua answering to the Latin interpretation of the Septuagint. The types are bold and finely formed, and the paper is of a yellowish cast and of excellent quality. The sixth, seventh, and eighth volumes consist of lexicons, grammars, and other aids for understand ing the contents of the preceding volumes. Of this Polyglott 500 copies only were printed, and the greater number of these were lost in being conveyed by sea to Spain, so that it is more rare than even its predecessor of Complutnm: III. The Parisian Polyglott. This was printed at Paris, by Antony Vitre, in 10 vols. large folio. The editor was Guido Michael le Jay, who at this time was a layman, but afterwards became an ecclesiastic. He had several learned associates, and be might have had the patronage of Cardinal Richelieu, but, refusing this favour and venturing to publish the work at his own expense, he brought ruin upon himself. This splendid performance contains all that is in the two preceding Polyglotts, with the addition of an Arabic version of the Old and New Testament, a Syriac version of the former, and the Samaritan Pentateuch. These additions however are made separately, so that, though the Parisian Polyglott contains portions of the Bible in seven languages, its pages do not exhibit at one view more than the Antwerp Polyglott. These ten volumes, in imperial folio, present attractions of no ordinary kind. The paper, though perhaps not so fine as that of the Antwerp Polyglott, is beautiful ; the types are large, clear, and elegantly formed ; the engraver's art moreover is appropriately displayed in furnishing occasional embellishments ; in a word, the Parisian I'elyglott is altogether as magnificent a work as can well be conceived.