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viii INTRODUCTION

Venetian Correspondence, now being prepared for publication by Father Ayroles.

' How the Bass was held for King James ' is by the Editor, mainly from Blackadder's Life.

' The Crowning of Ines de Castro ' is by Mrs. Lang, from Schafer. ' Ortlion,' from Froissart, ' Gustavus Vasa,' ' Monsieur de Bayard's Duel ' (Brantome), are by the same lady ; also ' Gaston de Foix,' from Froissart, and ' The White Man,' from Mile. Aisse's Letters.

Mrs. McCunn has told the story of the Prince's Scottish Campaign, from the contemporary histories of the Eising of 1745, contemporary tracts, TJie Lyon in MournMg, Chambers, Scott, Maxwell of Kirkconnel, and other sources.

The short Sagas are translated from the Icelandic by the Rev. W. C. Green, translator of Egil Skalagrim's Saga.

Mr. S. R. Crockett, Author of The Raiders, told the tales of 'The Bull of Earlstoun' and ' Grisell Baille.'

Miss May Kendall and Mrs. Bovill are responsible for the seafarings and shipwrecks ; the Australian adventures are by Mrs. Bovill.

Miss Minnie Wright compiled 'The Conquest of Peru,' from Prescott's celebrated History.

Miss Agnes Repplier, that famed essayist of America, wrote the tale of Molly Pitcher.

'The Adventures of General Marbot' are from the translation of his Autobiography by Mr. Butler.

With this information the Editor leaves the book to children, assuring them that the stories are true, except perhaps that queer tale of ' Orthon ' ; and some of the Sagas also may have been a little altered from the real facts before the Icelanders became famihar with writing.