rely.

It will be remembered that the collection is a collection of tales
only, and that it was absolutely necessary, according to the plan of
the book, that these tales should be numerous. Any thing like a
lengthened novel was therefore excluded, as it would have exceeded the
prescribed limits, or rendered impossible that variety which the
translators considered an essential of their work. That short tales,
from their very nature, cannot often promote any very high purpose, and
that amusement for a leisure hour is their principal purpose, the
translators are perfectly aware, admitting that their collection,
generally speaking, does not convey that amount of instruction in life
and thought, which might be obtained from more elaborate works, such
as, for example, the _Wilhelm Meister_ of Goethe. At the same time they
trust that Kleist's _Michael Koldhaas_, Zschokke's _Alamontade_,
Schiller's _Criminal from Lost Honour_[1] and even Hauff's fanciful
_Cold Heart_, will be acceptable to those who look for something beyond
mere amusement, and that some readers will be found to appreciate the
psychological truth and profundity of Hoffmann's tales beneath their
fantastic exterior.

In their versions of the tales the translators have endeavoured, to the
utmost of their power, to be correct, preferring even hardness of
language to liberties with the original text. The initials in the
table of contents will show who was the translator of each particular
tale; but it must not be supposed that they worked so separately that
the printer and the binder have alone connected the results of their
labours. Every tale when finished by the translator was carefully
revised by his colleague. In those instances alone have the
translators deviated from the original, where they found passages and
phrases that they conceived would not accord with English notions of
propriety. That in such instances they have softened or omitted, needs
no apology.[2]

It has been suggested to the translators that a notice of the authors
and the works themselves might, with advantage, be prefixed to the
collection. With this suggestion they have complied, trusting that the
limited space allowed will be a sufficient excuse for the very sketchy
nature of the biographies, if indeed the following notices are worthy
of that name.

* * * * *

Goethe and Schiller have attained that universal celebrity, that it
would be mere imperti