It should perhaps be stated that though the original manuscript ofthis work is written in a clear and beautiful handwriting, it is in very small characters, and is in some places difficult to decipher, owing to interlineations, and to the fact that many words and passages have been crossed through for omission. Had the author lived to revise his work for publication, there can be little doubt that he would have altered or modified some parts of it. Little indulgence indeed is required for it on account of the want of revision; but naturally there are here and there oversights, redundancies, and repetitions which would not have been found if the author had lived to give the final touches to his work. These defects, however, are of little consequence, and such as affect only the expression, and not the substance of the author's thought. Very few works which have not received the benefit of their author's after-thoughts would bear the test of critical examination so well as the present.

In printing this book the general principle which I have kept in view has been to endeavour to make its perusal as easy as possible for modern readers, while not departing in any essential point from the original text. I have indeed modernised the spelling throughout in all but a few cases, since I could not see that any advantage would be gained by retaining the old orthography. I have also modified very considerably Traherne's punctuation, which is very peculiar, and would, if it had been retained, have placed many obstacles in the way of apprehending his meaning. I have only done this, however, where it seemed clearly necessary, and I have perhaps allowed the original punctuation to remain in some cases where it might have been altered with advantage. Mention should also be made of the fact that Traherne, like most writers of his time, made abundant use of capital letters in his works. These I have thought it best to suppress in most cases, in accordance with the modern practice. However, I have allowed a number of them to stand partly in order to preserve some traces of this characteristic, and partly because in a few cases it seemed expedient to retain them. These things, seeing that they affect only the unessential elements of style, I have thought it within my province to regulate; but otherwise I have kept strictly to the author's text, without presuming in any way to alter or amend it.

For many of the notes which follow I have to express my indebtedness to my friend, Mr. W. T. Brooke. To Mr. Thorn Drury also, who has read the proofs, I am under many obligations.