TO THE READER1. The text used in the present volume is that of the first edition (L'Apostolato dell'Edizione, Alba, Daughters of Saint Paul, 15 January 1944). Although this edition is undoubtedly the most complete it is not, however, free of errors. Since we were unable to compare it with the primeval manuscript (lost), our aim has been to do our best with the primary text, with these provisos:
a) At times, faced with evident errors of meaning (due to a misreading of the manuscript, or to misprints, or missing lines), recourse was had to corresponding expressions elsewhere; or to harmonize the text with the second edition (1950), although it too is defective and not always reliable, since it is incomplete.
b) To overcome the frequent irregularity in spelling and syntax (overuse or lack of punctuation, capital letters, etc.), we have adapted it, where possible, to current usage.
c) In adopting a typographical style (bold, italic etc., used in an irregular and at times improper way), our aim has been to make it uniform, putting subtitles in bold while using italic for Latin expressions or important quotations, already highlighted in the original.
2. The notes that were in the first edition have been reproduced faithfully and, where necessary, integrated with new elements. Additional material (such as the translation of the Latin expressions), or completely new notes, are marked with an asterisk (*).
3. The numbering of the chapters in Roman numerals, in conformity with the original, has been followed even where it should be corrected, as in the case of the repeated Chapter XXVI. The second becomes Chapter XXVI/bis instead of XXVII. This is to avoid having to renumber all the following chapters.
4. The marginal numbers, in bold (supplemented by the symbol "|", which indicates the start of the page), refer to the pages of the first original edition. This page numbering has been used in the Indices of the book and, as such, it must be used for all quotations of the text, in any edition, including translations.
5. An Appendix has been added at the end of the text the content of which comes from a special issue of the Unione Cooperatori Buona Stampa bulletin (n. 5, 15 July 1921), dedicated entirely to the justification of the publishing apostolate. We can adjudge it a lucid anticipation of the whole topic developed in this book, or a "Postscript" to it.
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