P E E F A C E. 



THE POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA, now submitted to the public in its completed form, is 

 founded on the celebrated German Encyclopedia, known by the name of ' Conversa- 

 tions Lexicon,' which has gone through a number of editions, and of which trans- 

 lations have appeared in almost every European language. Its more immediate 

 basis, however, is the American edition of that work, translated and edited by Dr 

 Francis Lieber, and published at Philadelphia, in thirteen vols. 8vo. 



The ' Conversations Lexicon, 1 originally a publication of comparatively small size 

 and limited scope, has become, in the course of the various translations and editions 

 through which it has passed, greatly enlarged, and is now remarkable, beyond its 

 other excellencies, for the comprehensive character of the information which it 

 embraces. Besides Germany, almost every other continental state of Europe may 

 be said to have contributed to its contents as they now stand; for each translation 

 ' of the early editions whether French, Italian, Danish, Swedish, or Dutch ob- 

 tained the benefit of such revision, and such additional information regarding indi- 

 vidual countries, as natives of the respective countries could alone bestow; and hence 

 the later impressions of the work, taking advantage of these corrections and additions, 

 display an accuracy and minuteness of knowledge on many historical and political 

 points, which might be looked for in vain in any other single publication. 



In bringing out an English Encyclopedia, founded on a work possessing so much 

 to recommend it, and which has long enjoyed a European reputation, little fear was 

 entertained as to its favourable reception; and, indeed, the result, in that respect, 

 has already proved highly satisfactory. But much, it was found, remained to be 

 done, in order to render it equal to the wants, and worthy of the patronage, of a 

 British public. Great additions, in particular, required to be made on subjects con- 

 nected with the history, biography, and topography of this country; and most of the 

 articles in the arts and sciences, with all their accompanying illustrations, required 

 to be wholly supplied. In this way, at least one third of the work may be consi- 

 dered as entirely new, while the rest has undergone such correction and alteration as 

 a careful revision suggested, or the progress of events demanded. 



The POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA, as will be seen from a very slight inspection, par- 

 takes more of the character of a General Dictionary, than belongs to the larger 

 Encyclopedias with which this country is familiar. Instead of the subjects being 

 treated of under certain great heads, so as to form rather a collection of historical 

 and scientific Essays than a work alphabetically arranged for ready reference, they 

 are here placed under their own proper catchwords, so that the reader at a glance 

 may satisfy himself on any particular point of inquiry with the facility with which 

 he may ascertain the meaning of a word in a dictionary. For example: In history, 

 the more eminent sovereigns of Europe are not only noticed under the countries, to 

 which they belong, but memoirs of them are given under their own proper names : 

 And, in science, all that relates to Chemistrj, Geology, Optics, or the like, is not to 

 be found under these heads alone, but the different branches of each science are 

 separately treated of under the terms by which they are generally distinguished. 

 This peculiarity in the POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA, while it eminently enhances its 



