LOST DIARIES BY MAURICE BARING LONDON DUCKWORTH & GO. 3 HENRIETTA STREET, COVENT GARDEN. W.C. 1913 These "Lost Diaries" originally appeared in the _Eye Witness_, the _New Witness_, and the _Morning Post_; they are here reprinted by the kind permission of the Editors of those newspapers. M.B. To E.M. CONTENTS I. FROM THE DIARY OF SMITH MINOR II. FROM THE DIARY OF ISEULT OF BRITTANY III. FROM THE DIARY OF KING COPHETUA IV. FROM THE DIARY OF FROISSART, WAR CORRESPONDENT V. FROM THE DIARY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON VI. FROM THE DIARY OF MARCUS AURELIUS VII. FROM THE DIARY OF MRS JAMES LEE'S HUSBAND VIII. FROM THE DIARY OF SHERLOCK HOLMES IX. FROM THE DIARY OF THE EMPEROR TITUS X. FROM THE DIARY OF HARRIET SHELLEY XI. FROM THE _JOURNAL INTIME_ OF THE EMPEROR TIBERIUS XII. FROM THE DIARY OF ŒDIPUS REX XIII. FROM THE DIARY OF WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR XIV. FROM THE DIARY OF MARY, MRS JOHN MILTON (_NÉE_ POWELL) XV. FROM THE DIARY OF MARK ANTONY XVI. FROM THE DIARY OF IVAN THE TERRIBLE XVII. FROM THE PRIVATE LOG OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS XVIII. FROM THE DIARY OF THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK XIX. FROM THE DIARY OF AN ENGLISH GOVERNESS RESIDING IN PARIS DURING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION XX. FROM THE DIARY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK, DURING HIS STAY AT ENGLAND, WHITHER HE WAS SENT TO STUDY AT THE UNIVERSITY AT OXFORD, UNDER THE SPECIAL CARE OF POLONIUS I. FROM THE DIARY OF SMITH MINOR ST JAMES'S SCHOOL, _September_, 1884. _Sunday_.--Yesterday afternoon was a half-holiday we were playing prisoners base exept four boys who were gardening with Mrs Wickham. Peel hit Bell by mistake with all his force with the pic-axe on Bell's wrist. _Sunday_.--Last night their was a total eclipse of the moon. We all stayed up to see it, it looked very funny. There was a shadow right over the moon. We began football yesterday. At tea the Head asked if any one had eaten chesnuts in the garden. Simes major said yes at once. Then the Head said he was sure others had too. Then Wilson stood up and after a time 7 chaps stood up. Then the Head said it would be the worse for those who didn't stand up as he knew who the culprets were. I hadn't eaten any but Anderson had given me a piece off his knife so I stood up two. The Head said we should all have two hours extra work. He was very waxy he said we were unreliabel.