d surpassing them in cruelty--now seeking
pretended reconciliation, only to betray his foe more surely, and in
all this aided and supported by the weak, unprincipled king--as thus
pictured there is scarcely a blacker character in history.

But more incomprehensible than the existence of so bad a man in such a
dark age is the renewed confidence ever accorded him, when, after more
than once betraying the armies of his country into the hands of their
foes, and fighting openly in the hostile cause, he is again forgiven,
nay, received into favour, and sent once more to command the men he
has already deceived, until he repeats the experiment, and when it
fails is again admitted into confidence.

To some extent the Author has endeavoured to find possible solutions
of the mystery, but mystery it will remain until the day when all
secrets are known.

The death of this unhappy man is taken, in all its main details, from
a comparison of the chroniclers, as are also all the chief historical
events herein noted.

An objection has been raised to the modern English in which the Author
has made his characters speak. He can only say in reply that the
Anglo-Saxon in which they really expressed themselves would be
unintelligible to all but the few who have made the study of our
ancient tongue their pursuit--far more unintelligible to those of
ordinary education than Latin or French. Therefore it would be mere
affectation to copy the later orthography of Chaucer, or to interlard
one's sentences with obsolete words. The only course seems to be a
fair translation of the vernacular of the period of the tale into our
own everyday English. The Author anticipated this objection in the
preface to his earlier volume. He repeats his answer for those who may
not have seen the former book. A similar rule has guided him in the
orthography of proper names; he has used the customary Latinised
forms.

In his descriptions of Dorchester and Abingdon he has been aided by
the kind information received from the present vicar of the
magnificent Abbey Church, still existing in the former ancient town,
and by the extensive information contained in the Chronicle of the
Abbey of Abingdon, edited by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, M.A. He has
also to express his obligations to his friend Mr. Charles Walker,
editor of the "Liturgy of the Church of Sarum," for valuable
assistance in monastic lore.

The moral aim of the tale has been to depict the mental difficulti