7 NOVEMBER 1925, Page 16

THE LETTERS OF ABELARD AND HELOISE

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Sin, I was surprised to see that, in your issue of the 24th ult., your reviewer, Mr. H. C. Harwood, says that Mr. Mon- crieff's translation of these letters is " the first yet made in English." Mr. George Moore also appears to refer to Mr. Moncrieff as Abelard's " first English translator."

I have before me Messrs. Dent's edition of the Letters first published in the Temple Classics in 1901. The translation there given is an anonymous one " reprinted from Watts edition of 1722." Miss Honnor Morten, the editor of this edition, speaks of " numerous translations " into English after the first publication of them here in Latin.—I am, Sir, &c., H. B.