On the whole, I have to confess to having allowed myself perhaps
a wider latitude, and to having taken greater liberties than was
the case with the essays constituting the previous collection.
This, however, applies, where applicable, to the parts rather
than to the whole.
The only entirely apocryphal narrative here included is the
first--"The Absolution." This is one of those stories which, if
resting upon no sufficient authority to compel its acceptance,
will, nevertheless, resist all attempts at final refutation,
having its roots at least in the soil of fact. It is given in the
rather discredited Portuguese chronicles of Acenheiro, and finds
place, more or less as related here, in Duarte Galvao's
"Chronicle of Affonso Henriques," whence it was taken by the
Portuguese historical writer, Alexandre Herculano, to be included
in his "Lendas e Narrativas." If it is to be relegated to the
Limbo of the ben trovato, at least I esteem it to afford us a
precious glimpse of the naive spirit of the age in which it is
set, and find in that my justification for including it.
The next to require apology is "His Insolence of Buckingham," but
only in so far as the incident of the diamond studs is concerned.
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