PREFACE.
THIS work is designed as a Dictionary of American and English Initials and Pseudonyms employed from the beginning of the 18th century to the present time; to which have been added some of the more recent and important Continental ones, and a few false-names, which, by a strict definition of words, would be called soubriquets.
A similar work by Mr. Albert E. Frey, of the Astor Library, New York City, was placed by the publishers at the writer's disposal, from which about two thousand titles were taken, and added to his own compilation, making an aggregate of twelve thousand initials and pseudonyms, and eight thousand real names of authors.
Attention is called to the very complete article, by Mr. Frey, on "Junius," to be found in the first part.
For the convenience of those using this dictionary, it may be well to state that the first part gives the initials and pseudonyms, followed by the real names, of the authors, together with some representative literary performance; and the method used in indexing, with some exceptions, is to treat the literary disguises as real names, and arrange them as is customary with the latter, i.e., the last member of the initial or pseudonym is put first, and determines the alphabetical order. The second part contains the real names of authors, followed by the initials and pseudonyms, and short biographical notices.
The writer has endeavored to make this work both comprehensive and correct, and, in order to do this, has availed himself of the Harvard University Library, and every other source
