The English translation of the ancient Latin copy of the Letter was made by a german. It is evidenced on every page of his translation that he was not sufficiently acquainted with the English language to make a good English translation.

But in many places he has made use of English expressions which are crude and quite out of keeping with our present understanding of cultured literary form.

For this reason I have deemed it advisable to revise his rendition of the text in such manner as somewhat to remove the rough corners of his work, and present to the reader the exact substance of the Ancient Letter in a little better English form.

In no sense have I changed its meaning, and in many places have refrained from substituting my own method of expression where his rendition is more or less crude and lacking in elegance of diction. My revision of his translation, therefore, is not as complete as it might have been made had his method of expression been discarded entirely.

My purpose has been to place the exact substance of the Ancient Letter before the reader in such language as to make it entirely intelligible, and at the same time preserve as much of the translator's own form of expression as possible. I believe I have succeeded.

No changes whatsoever have been made in the "Closing Remarks of the German Translator," nor in "Part II." My revision, therefore, is confined entirely to the "Letter" of the Esseer in which he tells his brethren in Alexandria the true story of the Crucifixtion, and gives them the facts and incidents connected therewith, as he witnessed them.

The following additional facts concerning the German translation may be of interest to the reader in this connection:

It was published in this country in 1873. For reasons which the intelligent reader will doubtless understand as he proceeds, the book was withdrawn from publication at once upon its appearance. The plates were destroyed, and it was supposed that all the published copies of the book were likewise disposed of.

Fortunately, however, one copy found its way into the possession of a prominent Mason in the state of Massachusetts. There it remained securely until accidentally discovered by his daughter some time during the early summer of the present year (1907).

This lady, knowing my interest in things Masonic, kindly sent me the copy for examination. I at once recoginezed its remarkable nature and supreme value and importance.

Immediately was started an inquiry through a number of the most prominent book houses and publishing concerns, to ascertain if other copies of the little book could be found. At the same time inquiry was made to ascertain if the official copies of the book were still on file in the Congressional Library.

To my surprise, not another copy of the book can be found, after some four months of diligent search.

The most remarkable phase of the matter seems to be, that the official copies which were deposited with the Librarian of Congress, in compliance with the Law of Copyrights, have also disappeared. At any rate, in reply to inquiry, the report comes back that no such book is to be found in the Congressional Library.

If this be true, it would then appear that the copy from which the following revision was made is, without doubt, the only copy in existence.

To be sure, the Latin MS., from which the translation into English was made, is still in existence, and is in the hands of the Masonic Fraternity in Germany, where, no doubt, it will remain securely guarded from Anti-Masonic vandalism.

The vital nature of the document cannot fail to impress itself upon the intelligent reader and student of religious history. And it is sincerely to be hoped that it will not suffer another eclipse.

TK, Author of "The Great Work." Chicago, November, 1907.