The Life and Times of St. Anselm, Vol. 1 of 2: Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Britains (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Life and Times of St. Anselm, Vol. 1 of 2: Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of the Britains

The work I now put forth to the world has attained its present size and pretensions I scarcely know how, and in my own despite.

My first idea was that of a very small book indeed, consisting of extracts from Eadmer's 'Vita S. Anselmi,' and such few insertions from his 'Historia Novorum' as might seem necessary for giving a character of continuity to the work; but I soon abandoned it.

My next was that of a translation of the best passages in Eadmer, held together by a brief explanatory narrative; but that was in its turn relinquished.

My third scheme was, still keeping to Eadmer, to reproduce without stint what he has said about St. Anselm in his two works. But that would have been to do what the Dean of St. Paul's had done before me with a grace, a skill, and an appreciation of our hero's character which it would be presumptuous in me to praise, and might have conveyed the impression that I had written under no other inspiration than that of theological rivalry.

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