r which
has been poured on the Lee-penny furnishes a congenial cure.

Such is the tradition concerning the talisman, which the author has
taken the liberty to vary in applying it to his own purposes.

Considerable liberties have also been taken with the truth of history,
both with respect to Conrade of Montserrat's life, as well as his death.
That Conrade, however, was reckoned the enemy of Richard is agreed both
in history and romance. The general opinion of the terms upon which they
stood may be guessed from the proposal of the Saracens that the Marquis
of Montserrat should be invested with certain parts of Syria, which they
were to yield to the Christians. Richard, according to the romance which
bears his name, "could no longer repress his fury. The Marquis he said,
was a traitor, who had robbed the Knights Hospitallers of sixty thousand
pounds, the present of his father Henry; that he was a renegade, whose
treachery had occasioned the loss of Acre; and he concluded by a solemn
oath, that he would cause him to be drawn to pieces by wild horses, if
he should ever venture to pollute the Christian camp by his presence.
Philip attempted to intercede in favour of the Marquis, and throwing
down his glove, offered to become a pledge for his fidelity to the
Christians; but his offer was rejected, and he was obliged to give way
to Richard's impetuosity."--HISTORY OF CHIVALRY.

Conrade of Montserrat makes a considerable figure in those wars, and was
at length put to death by one of the followers of the Scheik, or Old Man
of the Mountain; nor did Richard remain free of the suspicion of having
instigated his death.

It may be said, in general, that most of the incidents introduced in
the following tale are fictitious, and that reality, where it exists, is
only retained in the characters of the piece.

ABBOTSFORD, 1st July, 1832

APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTION.

While warring in the Holy Land, Richard was seized with an ague.

The best leeches of the camp were unable to effect the cure of the
King's disease; but the prayers of the army were more successful. He
became convalescent, and the first symptom of his recovery was a violent
longing for pork. But pork was not likely to be plentiful in a country
whose inhabitants had an abhorrence for swine's flesh; and

"Though his men should be hanged,
They ne might, in that countrey,
For gold, ne silver, ne no money,
No pork find, take, ne get,
That K