PREFACE. ANY of the following chapters, the sub M stance of which was collected during a prolonged sojourn in the United States, were originally written with a view to being delivered as lectures before a country audience. With scarcely any alterations these lecture-notes have been printed in their present form, so that we have to ask our readers to forgive the defects in style which are but too apparent, and to pardon the intrusion of matter which at first sight ought not to find a place among such notes as these. We would take this opportunity of thanking many friends in England for their suggestions |