publish a full
account of it in prose, especially as nothing of the kind has yet been
attempted in English, beyond a few casual magazine articles.

The Esthonian folk-tales are likewise of much interest, and in many
cases of an extremely original character; and these also have never
appeared in an English dress. I have, therefore, selected a
sufficiently representative series, and have added a few ballads and
short poems. This last section of the work, however, amounts to little
more than an appendix to the _Kalevipoeg_, though it is placed at the
end of the book. Esthonian ballad literature is of enormous extent, and
only partially investigated and published at present, even in the
original; and it would therefore be premature to try to treat of it in
detail here, nor had I time or space to attempt it. I had, however,
intended to have included a number of poems from Neus' _Ehstnische
Volkslieder_ in the present volumes, but found that it was unnecessary,
as Latham has already given an English version of most of the best in
his "Nationalities of Europe."

The Introduction and Notes will, it is hoped, be sufficiently full to
afford all necessary information for the intelligent comprehension of
the book, without overloading it; and it has been decided to add a
sketch-map of this little known country, including some of the places
specially referred to. But Esthonian folk-literature, even without the
ballads, is a most extensive study, and I do not pretend to do more than
offer a few specimens culled from some of the most easily accessible
sources. My professional work does not allow me time to attempt more at
present; and it is from the same cause that my work on the _Kalevala_
has been delayed so long.

In outlying parts of Europe like Finland and Esthonia, which were not
Christianised till long after the southern and western countries,
primitive literature has survived to a much greater extent than
elsewhere; and the publication of the _Kalevala_ and the _Kalevipoeg_
during the present century furnishes a striking example before our very
eyes of the manner in which the Iliad and the Odyssey grew up among the
Greeks, before these poems were edited in the form in which they have
come down to us, by order of Pisistratus.

The principal books used in the preparation of this work are mentioned
in the short Bibliography. The names of others quoted or referred to
will be found in the Index, which has also been drawn up in s