Ebook The Degrees of the Spiritual Life

As to the quotations from the writings of the Saints, it should be noted that pains have been taken to refer to the best English translations available, where such versions are to be had, and not simply to translate the authors' French version. Thus, for St. John of the Cross, the translation of Mr. David Lewis (Baker, 1891) has been used. For St. Teresa's Life I have also used Mr. Lewis's version (Baker, 1904); while the quotations from the Interior Castle have been taken from the excellent new translation by the Benedictines of Stanbrook, who have used the Saint's own autograph (Interior Castle; Baker, 1906). For St. Teresa's other works I have been forced to content myself with Canon Dalton's unsatisfactory version. It is to be hoped that the Stanbrook nuns will soon be able to give us a new translation, and thus complete the work so admirably begun.

Here and there short passages from these Saints have been left in the form given them by the author of this work, a form which is sometimes rather a paraphrase than a strict translation. This has been done for the sake of the context.

As to the French writers who are quoted by the author, such as St. Francis of Sales, Père Surin, and others, I have made my own translations, and have not gone to any other version. But with regard to the Italian and Spanish authors, I have, as already stated, tried to refer to the best English translations published.