, editor of the volume, has some useful remarks about the Library of the Fathers in his Preface (pp. v-vi): "The three leaders of the now historic Anglo-Catholic movement of Oxford, Drs. Pusey, Newman and Keble, began, in 1837, the publication of A Library of Fathers of the Holy Catholic Church, anterior to the Division of the East and West. Translated by Members of the English Church, Oxford (John Henry Parker) and London (J.G.F. & J. Rivington). It is dedicated to William Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England. The editors were aided by a number of able classical and ecclesiastical scholars. Dr. Pusey, the chief editor and proprietor, and Dr Keble died in the communion of the church of their fathers to which they were loyally attached; Dr. Newman alone remains, though no more an Anglican, but a Cardinal of the Church of Rome. His connection with the enterprise ceased with his secession (1845). "The Oxford Library was undertaken not so much for an historical, as for an apologetic and dogmatic purpose. It was to furnish authentic proof for the supposed or real agreement of the Anglo-Catholic school with the faith and practice of the ancient church before the Greek schism. The selection was made accordingly. The series embraces 48 vols. It is very valuable as far as itgoes, but incomplete and unequal. Volume followed volume as it happened to get ready. An undue proportion is given to exegetical works; six volumes are taken up with Augustin's Commentary on the Psalms, six with Gregory's Commentary on Job, sixteen with Commentaries of Chrysostom; while many of the most important doctrinal, ethical and historical works of the Fathers, as Eusebius, Basil, the two Gregorys, Theodoret, Maximus Confessor, John of Damascus, Hilary, Jerome, Leo the Great, were never reached." The translation of St Augustine's Expositions on the Psalms, contained in volume 8 of the first series of NPNF, is an abridgement of that published in the Library of the Fathers. Its editor, A. Cleveland Coxe, notes that " . . . the general editor [Schaff] informed me that the whole work must be comprised in a single volume of the series. This allowed but one hundred pages to each one of the six volumes of the Oxford translation." Coxe reprinted the preface to the first of the six volumes, by C.M[arriott] in 1847, and E.B.P[usey]'s advertisement to the last, in 1857, Marriott having been promoted to glory in the meantime. As to the identity of the translators: Marriott writes, "For the present translation, as far as the first thirty Psalms, the editors are indebted to a friend who conceals his name; for the remainder of the volume, with part of the next which is to appear, to the Rev. J.E. Tweed, M.A., chaplain of Christ Church, Oxford." Marriott writes of the third volume, "The whole of it, as well as a few Psalms at the end of the former and the beginning of the following volume, is translated by T. Scratton Esq., M.A. of Christ Church, Oxford." The fifth volume appeared in April 1853, with the name of the Rev. H.M. Wilkins, M.A., of Merton College, as translator. Pusey writes, in the sixth and last volume, "This volume, long delayed, has been completed by the Rev H. Walford, Vice-Principal of St Edmund's Hall." And the identity of the translators can often be discovered by looking in the preface to the relevant volume, or even of the next volume, or the final volume of a set. Neither the editors nor the translators were anxious for personal glory; indeed personal modesty is an endearing feature of the series, and of the entire Tractarian movement. That is why they were content that the title pages should contain a reference only to "Members of the English Church." It is quite easy to pick up second-hand volumes of the Library of the Fathers. I have a couple, and could have bought pretty much a complete set from Ken Spelman's bookshop recently for about £100. However, they tend to be rather dog-eared, and of course for most of the works more recent translations and scholarship are available. I don't know whether any publisher has considered issuing a reprint of the Library of the Fathers: Gregg? Hendrickson, who have done such a beautiful job of the Ante-Nicene Fathers and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers? Or could we interest the Ceramic Doctor in doing a reprint in York Medieval Press? The Supple Doctor. ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%