From Earl Spencer, with that marked attention which always distinguishes the interest his Lordship takes in every literary undertaking, I received the unsolicited offer of the use of the copy belonging to the library at Althorpe. As there was the first edition of the second volume, it proved a needful and valuable acquisition, and from that source several obscure passages have been corrected, and whole sentences restored, which, in the last edition, appear to have been negligently omitted in the hurry of the press. For the purpose of collation, Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Bart. obligingly assisted me with his copy, purchased at the Roxburghe sale; and has since also favoured me with the first edition, to perfect the Bibliographical Notices. Of an hundred and one novels, the whole number, the larger portion have been traced, as supposed, to their respective originals. In attempting this task, I have derived material assistance from the extensive researches made in that class of literature by Mr. Weber, who, though personally unknown, most promptly supplied the wanted information. The ingenious conjecture as to the origin of the story of Gismonde and Guiscardo, is by Mr. Singer. It is probable that many of the stories were appropriated as soon as published by the dramatic writers to the purposes of the English Stage.[64] To the instances discovered by the indefatigable Langbaine I have made some addition. [Footnote 64: Malone, in a note on the _Historical Account of the English Stage_, has the following extract from Gosson’s _Plays confuted in five Actions_, printed about the year 1580. “I may boldly say it (says Gosson) because I have seene it, that The _Palace of Pleasure_, _The Golden Asse_, _The Æthiopian Historie_, _Amadis of Fraunce_, _The Round Table_, bawdie comedies in Latin, French, Italian and Spanish, have beene _thoroughly ransackt_ to furnish the playe-houses in London.”--_Reed’s Shakespeare,_ Vol. III. p. 40.] From the application of Mr. Freeling to Mr. Crewe, I obtained an inspection of the earliest records preserved in the Ordnance Office; and the research was further facilitated by the assistance of Mr. Banovin. Sir Egerton Brydges, with his accustomed ardency to promote literary investigation, aided my endeavours to discover some trace of the translator as master of the school at Sevenoaks. To Mr. George Chalmers and Mr. Utterson, I am indebted for some bibliographical communications, and also to the Rev. T. F. Dibdin for long extracts made from the work by Herbert, preparatory to a new edition of the _Typographical Antiquities_. When the present edition was announced, it was intended to consist of only one hundred and fifty copies. In order, however, to meet the common hazard of the press, seven quires of each sheet were printed, making about one hundred and sixty-five saleable copies; seven were also taken off on vellum. JOSEPH HASLEWOOD. _Conduit Street, November 5th 1813._