FOREWORD. XIV

to Constantinople in 627 or 628. We shall observe to the reader that his life is described with partiality and bitterness either by Thomas of Marga (64–66), or by Ischo-Dnah (513–515).

We are preparing a complete edition of his works; the first part, very important according to certain passages and the testimony of his own adversaries, is reduced to very little in the Strasbourg manuscript. The first 138 pages have disappeared! There remain only 75 1/2; the second part seems to be complete, it forms 191 1/2 pages. The second part is followed by a collection of five letters that has 72 pages; one has, moreover, a page of maxims or counsels of wisdom, the rest has disappeared. Our publication will appear in the first part of next year.

4º Having found in manuscript 69, according to the Sachau catalogue 72 of the Royal Library of Berlin, the testament of St. Ephrem, which has a different redaction from that published in the works of the Holy Doctor (¹) and by Overbeck (²), we edit it here. We have used another manuscript that we had brought from Mosul to fill a gap; the beginning and a leaf near the end are missing in the Berlin manuscript. In another publication, we will provide the redaction of the Mosul manuscript. It is a very important piece in many respects, but mainly in that it shows the efficacy of the

(¹) S. Ephraemi Syri opera, græce et lat. II. p. 395.
(²) S. Ephraemi Syri aliorumque opera selecta. p. 137.