LOPE DE VEGA. 425 



Several of these mind's-eye views when placed before a 

 jury, enable them to form another mind picture that does 

 not coincide with any witness' view, but is what we regard 

 as the truth. Again, we know something of the ways of 

 the American Indians, the Australian black-trackers, and 

 of hunting dogs. They all err repeatedly, but if there is 

 any trail at all, the quarry is generally accounted for. In 

 the case of Lope de Vega ; discrepancies, side tracks, flat 

 contradictions and apparently inexplicable facts will all 

 merge themselves into another page of Australian history. 



It is self-evident that shadowy and more or less erroneous 

 clues had to be published before any generous assistance 

 at all could be obtained. And, as light is thrown on un- 

 tenable suppositions, the truth is rendered brighter by 

 seeing the inaccuracy from which it grew. 



