May I, as a layman. make a plea for better provision for the use of the Psalms by the laity? Some of us can recall with gratitude the part taken by the Psalms in the services of the Church of England. which has just issued a Revised Psalter. They were an important element in our spiritual life.
What we need is a Layman's Psalter in English arranged for morning and evening recitation over the month. It may be pointed out that there is the Knox version (Printed with the Latin) in a separate volume, but these translations seem to me the least happy portion of Mgr. Knox's splendid achievement. I am not here speaking of them as translations as I am not qualified to do so. but as reading versions. Thus his translations of the alphabetical Psalms are just a bit too ingenious.
The recently published "Layman's Missal and Prayer Book" points the way to a solution. The Psalms it contains (40 out of 150) were translated by Fr. Sebastian Bullough, 0.P., and they are most suitable for recitation. If he could only be persuaded to translate all the Psalms in the same manner, what a blessing it would be for us! There are some who are able to say the Divine Office each day but this is difficult for many of us; we could, however, say the Psalms daily but we need an edition printed in English only, and in a style specially designed for recitation. E. E. Reynolds
Steyning. Sussex.