PREFACE. vii 



unpublished records of the art of drawing. But we have fallen upon evil 

 times, and after expending much courage and perseverance, we had to stop 

 before we had completed our programme, and terminate a work upon which 

 we had spent so many years of labour. Thus " The Middle Ages and the 

 Renaissance " had only five volumes instead of six. 



I have written an absolutely new work, availing myself, however, of the 

 original work, which remains as it was before. The four volumes of which 

 the new work now consists are, at the same time, less extensive and more 

 complete than the five volumes of the first one. Very few of the wood 

 engravings which illustrate these four volumes appeared in the first work. 



With regard to the text, in compiling which I have made free use of the 

 works of my former collaborateurs (so few of whom, alas ! are alive to receive 

 my thanks), I have not scrupled to avail myself of the excellent works which 

 have appeared since the publication of the first " Middle Ages, " and which 

 have enabled me to recast altogether certain parts of this book. Thus, to 

 speak only of the present volume, I have revised the chapters on Philosophy 

 and Universities, after the valuable treatises on philosophy and history by 

 M. Ch. Jourdain ; the chapter on Romances, after the latest researches of 

 M. Paulin Paris and the works of MM. Gaston Paris and Leon Gautier ; and 

 the chapter on Popular Songs, after the report of M. Ampere to the Committee 

 of the Learned Societies. If I have succeeded in bringing into my work some 

 of the fresh information which I have derived in abundance from my con- 

 temporaries, the credit lies with them. But it must not be forgotten that 

 each of my chapters forms a sort of monograph, and that this monograph has 

 often been made the subject of one, or even of several special treatises. 



I could only make a succinct, and often incomplete, summary in compiling 

 this book, which comprises so many different subjects ; but I have at all events 

 conformed as nearly as possible to the instructions of the late M. Firmin- 

 Didot, who urged me to " leave to others the display of profound and minute 

 erudition ; content yourself with being an ingenious, intelligent, and, if 

 possible, an agreeable interpreter ; try to make yourself read and under- 

 stood by everybody. The greatest successes are achieved less by savants than 

 by vulgarisers." 



PAUL LACROIX 



(Bibliophile Jacob). 



