At 11:54 14/09/99 EDT, you wrote:
>Dear Oriens, I can always count on you to be a wealth of information.
>Thanks.  Who do you suggest I list as translator?  In my volume of the
>Moralia, the cited translators are Members of the English Church.  Whoa, that
>just doesn't seem right.  Thanks for any suggestions.  Marijim
>
>The Library of the Fathers was conceived by the Tractarians as a way of
introducing the Fathers to members of the Church of England.  An earlier
venture, the Bibliotheca Patrum, offered texts in the original languages,
but it was thought that translations would reach a wider audience.  One of
the leading tractarians - I think it was Hurrell Froude, though I could be
wrong - queried the necessity of a series of translations in the immortal
words, "Surely every gentleman can read Greek".

I quote from J.T. Coleridge's "A Memoir of the Rev John Keble" (Oxford &
London:  James Parker and Co. 1870), pp. 262 ff.:

'[Pusey, Keble and Newman] proposed to edit translations of the whole or
selected works of certain of the Fathers who had flourished previously to
the division of Christendom into East and West, and also in certain cases of
the original texts.  They constituted themselves editors, and made
themselves responsible for the selection of the works, and the faithfulness
of the translations, and it must be added, for the general management of the
whole publication;  but they relied for the execution of the parts on the
help of a considerable number of gentlemen, whose names appeared either in
the prospectus, or in the course of the issue, many of them men of mark, and
well known in both Universities.  They themselves declined all pecuniary
profit . . .

But they could not forsee, or provide against the calamity of losing the
services of one of the most active and able of their own number [i.e.
Newman, who converted to Rome];  or the troubles and differences which were
before long to divide the University, - and the Library still remains
incomplete, - a disappointment to those interested in possessing it;  yet it
is still for use very valuable to any one who wishes to read, or consult,
some of the most important of the Fathers, especially I mention Chrysostom
and Augustine, in the course of his study of the Scriptures.  It was
scarcely to be expected that the translations in general, though they might
faithfully render the opinions and arguments of Augustine and Chrysostom,
should give us to the life the short, close, epigrammatic manner of the
former, or the luxuriant eloquence of the latter.  Keble was conscious of
this;  in a letter to me he says:-

"Have you looked into any of our volumes of the Fathers?  I am just
finishing the Revisal of S. Chrysostom on the 1st Corinthians, which is
hardish work.  I fear we are too literal, but it is the best extreme."

To which opinion I think all would subscribe.
	
The loss of one of their own number [Newman], to which I have alluded, was
suppled by them as well as they were able by the accession of Charles
Marriott, also a Fellow of Oriel
 . . . He died in the prime of life, still a Fellow.

Keble was greatly interested in this undertaking, as might be supposed, but,
judging only from the initials affixed to the Prefaces, (some of which I may
observe in passing have a considerable independent value,) he does not
appear to have taken a very active part in it, compared with Mr Newman, so
long as he remained one of the body;  or Dr Pusey, who laboured throughout
with his accustomed industry.  His most important contribution, however, has
not yet appeared, a translation of S. Irenaeus;  which, I am told, is now
being carried through the press by Mr Liddon.'

Respondeo:  You might have a look at the Preface to the volume in question,
and see if it bears the initials J.H.N[ewman] or E.B.P[usey] or J.K[eble],
or perhaps C.M[arriott].  These would be the likely editors, the translators
being for the most part anonymous.

Oriens.



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