PREFACE

Summary

I CONSIDER it an honour and a privilege to be invited to bear any part in furthering the publication of a work of Dr Hort's; and in the present case the privilege seems to become also a duty. I am aware that there is a feeling abroad, which is general in its character but not without particular application, that injury is done to the reputation of the great men who are gone by publishing works, and still more fragments of works, which they had themselves in no sense prepared for publication. The feeling is natural enough; and it is doubtless true that there are not many scholars who would bear to have such a test applied to them. But Dr Hort was just one of these few; and if the devotion of his friends and the public spirit of his publisher move them to incur the labour and expense of giving such fragments to the world, it is incumbent upon those who benefit by their action to do what in them lies to obtain for it a just appreciation.

It is worth pointing out that the “reputation” which is supposed to suffer is that somewhat vague tribute which the world at large bestows upon the memories of those of whom it has perhaps known little during their lifetime.