FOREWORD TO VOLUME TWO

Most of the material in the present Volume appeared in print in collected form for the first time in 1933, when it was published by Rider & Co. in London, under the title of The Complete Works of H.P. Blavastky. As was the case with original Volume I of the Series, a considerable portion of the stock of Volume II perished in the London “blitz” during the second World War. As a result of this, these earlier Volumes have been unobtainable for many years.

Discovery of hitherto unknown writings from H.P.B.’s pen required that the material be somewhat differently distributed, as far as the four original Volumes are concerned. The present Volume is made up of H.P.B.’s writings during the years of 1879 and 1880. It contains therefore some of the material of the original Volume I, and about two-thirds of the original Volume II.

The text contained now in Volume II has been checked with the original sources of publication, and most of the quoted matter compared with the originals and corrected whenever necessary. Some new material has been incorporated from the Archives at Adyar. A number of explanatory notes and comments have been added by the Compiler to clarify points of Theosophical history. Biographical and Bibliographical information has been collected in the Appendix, as is the case with all the Volumes of this Series, and a copious Index has been prepared.

The Compiler wishes to express his gratitude to all those who have helped in the preparation of this Volume, especially the following friends and associates.

Irene R. Ponsonby who checked all the editorial material and painstakingly read the page proof, and whose thorough knowledge of literary style and methods was of inestimable help; Zoltán de Álgya-

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Pap, of the Adyar Archives, whose willing assistance and readiness to help have been of such great value in the last few years; Dara R. Eklund who was responsible for the checking of a great many quoted passages in out of the way publications; Frances Ziegenmeyer who helped with the transcription of microfilm; and Margaret Chamberlain Rathbun whose careful proofreading of the galleys was a welcome contribution towards the accurate production of this Volume.
Boris de Zirkoff
Compiler.
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
January 26, 1967