ewhat stringent criticism; Fray Antonio Agapida had
been found to belong to a Spanish branch of the family of Diedrich
Knickerbocker; and doubts were thus cast over the credibility of the
whole veracious chronicle. Mr. Irving extricates himself from the
dilemma with his usual graceful ingenuity. In a characteristic note to
this edition, he explains the circumstances in which the history had its
origin, and shows conclusively that whatever dimness may be thrown over
the identity of the worthy Fray Antonio, the work itself was constructed
from authentic documents, and is faithful in all its essential points to
historical fact. While occupied at Madrid in writing the life of
Columbus, Mr. Irving was strongly impressed with the rich materials
presented by the war of Granada, for a composition which should blend
the interest of romance with the fidelity of history. Alive as he always
is to picturesque effect, he was struck with the contrast presented by
the combatants of Oriental and European creeds, costumes, and manners;
with the hairbrained enterprises, chivalric adventures, and wild forays
through mountain regions; and with the moss-trooping assaults on
cliff-built castles and cragged fortresses, which succeeded each other
with dazzling brilliancy and variety. Fortunately in the well-stored
libraries of Madrid, he had access to copious and authentic chronicles,
often in manuscript, written at the time by eye-witnesses, and in some
instances, by persons who had been actually engaged in the scenes
described. At a subsequent period, after completing the Life of
Columbus, he made an extensive tour in Andalusia, visiting the ruins of
the Moorish towns, fortresses, and castles, and the wild mountain
passes, which had been the principal theatre of the war, and passing
some time in the stately old palace of the Alhambra, the once favorite
abode of the Moorish monarchs. With this preparation, he finished the
manuscript of which he had already drawn up the general outline,
adopting the fiction of a Spanish monk as the chronicler of the history.
By this innocent stratagem, Mr. Irving intended to personify in Fray
Antonio the monkish zealots who made themselves busy in the campaigns,
marring the chivalry of the camp by the bigotry of the cloister, and
exulting in every act of intolerance toward the Moors.

This ingenious explanation will give a fresh interest to the present
edition. The costume of the garrulous Agapida is still retai