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The Scholar's Guide
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All fourteen books of the letters are presented in three volumes, each with a preface of its own but sharing the introduction found in the first volume. Books 1-4 appear in volume 1, Books 5-9 in the second volume, and Books 10-14 (and appendices) in the concluding volume, which also contains a glossary, bibliography, and indices.
The Introduction provides a brief biography of Gregory and discussions of the historical background, as well as detailed exposition of a range of topics, from Gregory's missions and his relationship with Augustine of Canterbury, to the pope's major correspondents and his use of Scripture. A section on the stylistic features of the letters shows the range of Gregory's literary and rhetorical art.