Baumgarten-Crusius, with different degrees of certainty or
uncertainty, pronounce themselves in favour of a genuine nucleus [69:2].

The next note (^4), which I need not quote in full, is almost as
unfortunate. References to twenty authorities are there given, as
belonging to the 'large mass of critics' who recognise that the Ignatian
Epistles 'can only be considered later and spurious compositions.' Of
these Bleek (already cited in a previous note) expresses no definite
opinion. Gfroerer declares that the substratum (_Grundlage_) of the seven
Epistles is genuine, though 'it appears as if later hands had introduced
interpolations into both recensions' (he is speaking of the Long
Recension and the Vossian). Harless avows that he must 'decidedly reject
with the most considerable critics of older and more recent times' the
opinion maintained by certain persons that the Epistles are 'altogether
spurious,' and proceeds to treat a passage as genuine because it stands
in the Vossian letters as well as in the Long Recension [70:1].
Schliemann also says that 'the external testimonies oblige him to
recognise a genuine substratum,' though he is not satisfied with either
existing recension. All these critics, it should be observed, wrote
before the discovery of the Curetonian letters. Of the others, Hase
commits himself to no opinion; and Lechler, while stating that the seven
Epistles left on his mind an impression unfavourable to their
genuineness, and inclining to Baur's view that the Curetonian letters
are excerpts from the others, nevertheless adds, that he cannot boast of
having arrived at a decided conviction of the spuriousness of the
Ignatian letters. One or two of the remaining references in this note I
have been unable to verify; but, judging from the names, I should expect
that the rest would be found good for the purpose for which they are
quoted by our author.

I am sorry to have delayed my readers with an investigation which--if I
may venture to adopt a phrase, for which I am not myself
responsible--'scarcely rises above the correction of an exercise.'
[70:2] But these notes form a very appreciable and imposing part of the
work, and their effect on its reception has been far from
inconsiderable, as the language of the reviewers will show. It was
therefore important to take a sample and test its value. I trust that I
may be spared the necessity of a future investigation of the same kind.
If it has wearied my readers,