only be estimated by those who have attempted such a work; and in the present case Dr. Reeves, not content with his own carefully written manuscript of the Indices, undertook the additional labour of re-writing the Index of Authors, and revising the whole with great care as the proof sheets were passing through the press. In justice to Dr. Reeves, I ought to mention also that the length of time occupied in his task was greater than it would otherwise have been, in consequence of a recent alteration in the statutes of the Library of Trinity College. When Dr. Elrington was engaged in the preparation for the press of Ussher's Works, it was allowable to lend the manuscripts; he was permitted to borrow and take to his home such MSS. as he had occasion for. But owing to the recent alteration alluded to, which absolutely prohibits the lending of MSS., this privilege was necessarily denied to Dr. Reeves. Resident in the country, he was compelled to labour at the transcription of the MSS. from time to time at intervals, devoting some hours to the work whenever he had occasion to visit Dublin, and frequently coming up to Dublin for the express purpose. It is easy to see what additional difficulties this circumstance must have created, and how xii ADVERTISEMENT. much it must have retarded the completion of his task. The title-pages of the volumes, published at various intervals, all bear the date of the present year, in which the work has at length been completed. But it may be well to record here the exact dates at which the several volumes were at first issued :VOL. I., January 5, 1848. VOL. II., November 7, 1829. VOL. V., October 16, 1830. VOL. VI., October 30, 1831. VOL. VII., June 14, 1832. VOL. VIII., April 3, 1832. VOL. IX., June 14, 1832. VOL. XI., August 1, 1832. VOL. XII., December 12, 1833. VOL. XIII., June 29, 1844. VOL. XIV., May 17, 1862. VOL. XV., May 18, 1834. VOL. XVI., November 6, 1846. VOL. XVII., April 25, 1864. It will be seen from this list that the fourteenth volume was ready two years ago; but the pub lication of it was withheld until it could appear together with this index-volume, which could not of course be finished until the Works were complete. I may be allowed here to express some regret that the plan of issuing the volumes at different intervals was adopted. It greatly displeased Dr. Elrington, who submitted with reluctance to the arrangement. It is attended with this inconvenience, that it must necessarily cause many broken sets, and there will no doubt ultimately be left unsold a large number of odd volumes. All who are in possession of the incomplete work can now, however, have their sets made perfect on application to Messrs. Hodges, Smith, and Co., Publishers to the University, Dublin. The total cost of this great work to the University, that is to say, of the printing and paper, exclusive of the payments made to transcribers, advertising, and other incidental expenses, amounts to the large sum of £3800. JAMES H. TODD, D.D., Senior Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin. Easter Eve, 1864. |