Henrici Stephani Epistola, qua ad multas multorum amicorum respondet, de suae typographiae statu, nominatimque de suo Thesauro linguae graecae. In posteriore autem ejus parte, quam misera sit hoc tempore veterum scriptorum conditio, in quorundam typographorum prela incidentium, exponit. Index librorum qui ex officina ejusdem Henrici Stephani hactenus prodierunt

EPISTLE TO CERTAIN FRIENDS

Now I am also trying to renew the edition of the Bible with the same annotations that he printed, but revised, with the Hebrew text added to the Latin interpretation (which will also be revised). And perhaps also that version which is commonly called the seventy interpreters the Septuagint. These, most dear men, are almost the things to which I have destined the next labors of my printing house. Remember that I have listed them to you on the condition that whatever contribution you can confer toward their edition, you will not deny me, for I will certainly not be ungrateful, but will publicly hold gratitude in words and will also liberally reciprocate in deed. Furthermore, on the condition that you pray that God, the Best and Greatest, grants me strength equal to bearing such burdens. And if you hear that I have become somewhat sluggish, do not act like ergodioctae taskmasters/overseers, so that in the meantime you do not seem to be calling me out like creditors about money regarding those things which I promise I will bring of my own accord to the literary republic.

NOW TRULY, to say something about my Thesaurus of the Greek language, that order which I held in listing the arguments of your letters demands it. For although I hope that the final hand will be applied to it by me shortly (as I have said), since I fear that before I arrive at the colophon, it may be necessary to answer individually many people asking many things about it in various letters, as I have before—and that the time I spend writing those will delay the progress of the former—and further, since I know there are many others who desire to know the same things, even if they do not ask, I have judged it to be worth the effort to finish that duty once and not, as in the proverb, to whitewash two walls with one brush, but to give a common answer to all.