en the Gothic _Theode-reiks_, the very
name of Theodoric. As to Theodoric himself, Kingsley surely knew his
real status, for he says: 'Why did he not set himself up as Caesar of
Rome? Why did he always consider himself as son-in-arms, and
quasi-vassal of the Caesar of Constantinople?'

Lastly, in speaking of the extinction of the Western Empire with Romulus
Augustulus, Kingsley again simply followed the lead of Gibbon and other
historians; nor can it be said that the expression is not perfectly
legitimate, however clearly modern research may have shown that the Roman
Empire, though dead, lived.

So much in defence, or at all events, in explanation, of expressions and
statements which have been pointed out as most glaring mistakes in
Kingsley's lectures. I think it must be clear that in all these cases
alterations would have been impossible. There were other passages, where
I should gladly have altered or struck out whole lines, particularly in
the ethnological passages, and in the attempted etymologies of German
proper names. Neither the one nor the other, I believe, are Kingsley's
own, though I have tried in vain to find out whence he could possibly
have taken them.

These, however, are minor matters which are mentioned chiefly in order to
guard against the impression that, because I left them unchanged, I
approved of them. The permanent interest attaching to these lectures
does not spring from the facts which they give. For these, students will
refer to Gibbon. They will be valued chiefly for the thoughts which they
contain, for the imagination and eloquence which they display, and last,
not least, for the sake of the man, a man, it is true, of a warm heart
rather than of a cold judgment, but a man whom, for that very reason,
many admired, many loved, and many will miss, almost every day of their
life.

M. M.

LECTURE I--THE FOREST CHILDREN.

I wish in this first lecture to give you some general conception of the
causes which urged our Teutonic race to attack and destroy Rome. I shall
take for this one lecture no special text-book: but suppose you all to be
acquainted with the Germania of Tacitus, and with the 9th Chapter of
Gibbon. And I shall begin, if you will allow me, by a parable, a myth, a
saga, such as the men of whom I am going to tell you loved; and if it
seem to any of you childish, bear in mind that what is childish need not
therefore be shallow. I know that it is not history. Th