Lectures and essays

Prefatory Note

THESE papers have been reprinted for friends who sometimes ask for the back numbers of periodicals in which they appeared. The great public is sick of reprints, and with good reason.

The volume might almost have been called Contributions to Canadian Literature; for of the papers not originally published in Canada several were reproduced in Canadian journals. Political subjects have been excluded, both to keep a volume, intended for friends, free from anything of a party character, and because the writer looks forward to putting the thoughts scattered over his political essays and reviews into a more connected form.

The papers on “The Early Years of the Conqueror of Quebee,” “A Wirepuller of Kings,” “A True Captain of Industry,” and “Early Years of Abraham Lincoln,” can hardly pretend to be more more than accounts of books to which they relate; but they interested some of their readers at the time, and there are probably not many copies of the books in Canada. All the papers have been revised, so that they do not appear here exactly as they were in the periodicals from which they are reprinted.

Toronto, Feb. 16, 1881.

Since the above preface was written the printers have received, from public libraries and from other quarters in the United States, applications for the volume, which it is inconvenient to meet by sending copies singly across the lines.

To obviate that inconvenience it has been determined to issue a small edition for sale through booksellers in the usual way, and Messrs. Macmillan & Co. have arranged to supply any demand there may be for the work.

Toronto, June, 1881,

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