GOLD AND GLORY OR, WILD WAYS OF OTHER DAYS

Only an apology for having written this historical tale. My private opinion is, that all writers of historical tales should return me thanks if I apologize for them with myself, all in a body, the truer the tale the ampler being the spirit of the apology. While I have been writing this tale, sometimes in its most important or serious portions, I have been startled by detecting my own mouth widening with an absurd smile, or by hearing a ridiculous chuckle issuing from my own lips, and have suddenly discovered that I was quite unconsciously repeating to myself the famous old Scotch anecdote of the old woman and the Scotch preacher—"Thats good, and thats Robertson; and thats good, and thats Chalmers; ... and thats bad, and thats himsel." Turning the old woman into the more learned among my possible readers, and the Scotch preacher into myself, I read the anecdote—"Thats good, and thats Prescott; thats good, and thats Robertson; thats good, and thats guide-book; thats good, and thats Arthur Helps; and thats bad, and thats hersel." I can only wind up my apology by pleading, that at least my badness has not gone the length of distorting a single fact, nor of giving to this wonderful page of history any touch of false colouring.