Editor's notes: Because typographical layout was a creative medium for Purcell and he was working with the possibilities available through a typewriter, this manuscript has a particular format that is reflected here to the extent possible in an entirely different medium. Purcell used capital lettering for section emphasis and various publication titles because font was not a choice available to him. Most capitalization has been retained; only publication titles are italicized. Underlining is also show where it occurs in the original. In places minor spelling differences have been brought into conformance with present usage in order to avoid confusion.

Some few pages of the draft have hand written corrections by Purcell; these are commented with an editor's note and certain passages contain bracketed material indicating text later struck by Purcell. Page breaks are indicated; the original typescript is double-spaced. A few of the later chapters have inserted materials, including a couple of letters to David Gebhard and some general note pages. These have been left in sequence to preserve the original intent. The copy available to me did not have a Purcell and Elmslie - Part II. Such a section may not have been created, as Part I ends with a list of works by the firm considered by Purcell to be the most important. The dates shown on the individual chapters are those given on the version of the manuscript from which these pages were typed, and reflect an ongoing revision process over nearly two years.