PEE FACE. 



THE Addresses, Lectures, and Essays gathered to- 

 gether in this volume have appeared at intervals dur- 

 ing the past seven years, and I can give no better 

 reason for republishing them in their present form, 

 than the fact that three earlier collections of a similar 

 nature have been received with favour, and, indeed, 

 have not yet ceased to be in request. 



I beg leave to offer my best thanks to the Editors 

 and Publishers of the various publications in which 

 these pieces have appeared, for their kindly accorded 

 permission to reprint them. 



LONDON. October 1881. 



