The basis of this translation is the edition of Professor Melville’s book as it was published in 2012 by C. H. Beck. I have translated the text and notes of that edition into English, but Professor Melville has also expanded or otherwise considerably revised certain passages to better suit an Anglophone audience. The notes and bibliography have been considerably revised as well to accommodate an Anglophone readership and to reflect the latest scholarship. In many instances, English titles and translations have replaced or been added to titles appearing in the original work. Formatting has also been altered to reflect the conventions of Cistercian Publications and Liturgical Press.
I am grateful to the Department of History and the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Alabama for their support of my work on this translation, as well as to Hans Christoffersen, Marsha Dutton, and the editorial staff at Cistercian Publications and Liturgical Press for their kindness, efficiency, and hard work in helping bring this project to conclusion. As ever, I am grateful to my wife for her faithful support and encouragement of my work. But above all I am grateful to Professor Melville himself, who entrusted me with the task of this translation. He has encouraged me, challenged me insistently, and worked with me at every step, line by line. His is a very refined and carefully crafted style, and I am grateful that he was not only thorough enough to save me from my worst mistakes in translating it but also patient enough to help me get it just right. Nevertheless, any shortcomings or errors that remain in the translation itself are of course my responsibility alone.
James D. Mixson
The University of Alabama