declaration, "Textum ergo habes nunc ab omnibus receptum." I venture to introduce the Greek Testament of Westcott and Hort with the modest assertion, Hic habes textum omnium editionum antiquissimum et purissimum. It is based exclusively on documentary evidence, and on the most careful comparison of all the ancient sources of the text as they have been collected and made available by the indefatigable diligence of former editors, especially of Lachmann, Tischendorf, and Tregelles. It embodies the results of the combined labours of more than a quarter of a century. It will, of course, not supersede the large editions which contain the whole critical apparatus; but it will take its rank at once among the best standard editions of the Greek Testament.*
I became personally acquainted with the editors and their work twelve years ago (at Harrow, in 1869), and saw them afterwards repeatedly at Cambridge, London, and Peterborough. I formed such a favourable opinion of the value of their labours that I engaged from them and their publisher (Mr. Macmillan) duplicate plates for an Amer--
- ↑ * The Saturday Review of London for May 21, 1881, in a notice of the Revised Version of the New Testament, incidentally mentions this Greek edition with the remark, "The Clarendon Press volume [Archdeacon Palmer's Greek Test,] is beautifully printed. Though this, again, is eclipsed by the exquisite edition of Dr. Westcott's and Dr. Hort's Greek text, issued by the Pitt Press on the same 17th of May, a day to be much remembered by Biblical critics. This last work, formed exclusively on documentary evidence, without reference to any printed text, has been long expected by scholars. It is probably the most important contribution to Biblical learning in our generation. The Revisers, it is understood, had the advantage of consulting it during the progress of their work."
