Some of these studies in reputation have seen the light of print before, though in rather different form. Of these the essays an COLONEL SCOTT and COLONEL BLOOD, published separately, are now out of print, and the continuing demand for them has seemed to make it desirable to include revisions of them here, rather than reprinting them independently.

The author takes this opportunity to thank those under whose auspices the material already published has appeared for their permission to use it here; and to express his gratitude for the kindly interest of his correspondents, many of them otherwise unknown to him, who have furnished him with information and suggestions for these essays.