vi PREFACE. 
sitated a much briefer treatment of the subject in the 
journals referred to than is here attempted, and to 
these essays, now presented to the reader in a con- 
solidated form, considerable additions have been 
made. 
That the subject admits of still further amplifica- 
tion the author is well aware; but “ars longa vita 
brevis est,” and the materials at present collected 
have already assumed such dimensions, that it has 
been deemed preferable to offer them to the reader 
in their present form, rather than postpone publica- 
tion indefinitely, in the hope of some day realizing an 
ideal state of perfection. 
Should the present volume pave the way for 
future research on the part of others, the Author 
will be amongst the first to welcome the result of 
their labours. He has already to acknowledge his 
indebtedness to Dr. J. A. Smith and Messrs. Edward 
Alston, J. A. Harvie Brown, and J. P. Hoare, whose 
taste in the same line of research has prompted 
them to favour him with several interesting commu- 
nications, which have been embodied in the following 
pages ; while to Dr. Smith he is especially obliged 
for the use of four woodcuts which were prepared 
to illustrate papers of his own in the ‘ Proceed- 
ings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.” 
