Plotinus but explained better. ( )

DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE ON THE DIVINE NAMES
AND THE MYSTICAL THEOLOGIE BY C.E. ROLT

PREFACE

THE translations of which the present volume consists are
the work of a scholar who died at the age of thirty-seven.
It has been felt that since the translator did not live to
write a preface his work should be introduced by a few
prefatory words. My excuse for accepting that office is
that I probably knew the lamented writer as well as any one
living. He was deprived of both his parents while very
young, left almost friendless, and entrusted to my care from
the age of fourteen. He had already shown promise of
unusual ability. I sent him to King's College School, where
in the opinion of its distinguished Head, the Rev. Dr.
Bourne, he could have done anything if only he had been
given the health. At Oxford he was awarded the Liddon
Studentship.

Nothing can show more clearly what was thought of him
by competent judges in Oxford than the following letter
written by the Professor of Latin, A. C. Clark
"He was one of the best scholars who passed through
my hands at Queen's College, and I know no one who
made greater progress after coming into residence. In
those early days he had wonderful powers of work. I was
seldom so delighted as when he earned the great
distinction of being 'mentioned' for the Hertford University
Scholarship in Latin. At the time everything seemed to
be within his grasp. But most unfortunately his health
failed shortly afterwards, and he was never able to do
himself justice. Still, of recent years he wrote a remarkable
book, full of fine thought, brilliantly expressed, which was
much admired by good judges. I well remember, too, his
Latin sermon preached at St. Mary's not long ago. It was...

First publ. in the series Translations of Christian literature, 1920 ( )