When the publisher entrusted me with the task of editing this volume,
one sheet was already printed and a considerable portion of the book
was in type. Under his agreement with the owners of the copyright, he
was bound to reproduce the text and notes, etc., originally prepared by
Mr. David Lewis without any change, so that my duty was confined to
reading the proofs and verifying the quotations. This translation of
the Life of St. Teresa is so excellent, that it could hardly be
improved. While faithfully adhering to her wording, the translator has
been successful in rendering the lofty teaching in simple and clear
language, an achievement all the more remarkable as in addition to the
difficulty arising from the transcendental nature of the subject
matter, the involved style, and the total absence of punctuation tend
to perplex the reader. Now and then there might be some difference of
opinion as to how St. Teresa's phrases should be construed, but it is
not too much to say that on the whole Mr. Lewis has been more
