t presents, acute as they had become early in 1896, would be
solved in a peaceable way. To this belief and hope I gave expression in
the concluding chapter of the book, indicating "tact, coolness and
patience, above all, patience," as the qualities needed to attain that
result which all friends of the country must unite in desiring.

Now, however, (October 1899), Britain and her South African Colonies and
territories find themselves at war with the South African Republic and
the Orange Free State. A new chapter is opened in the history of the
country which completely alters the situation, and must necessarily
leave things very different from what it found them. Readers of this new
edition may reasonably expect to find in it some account of the events
which have within the last two years led up to this catastrophe, or at
any rate some estimate of that conduct of affairs by the three
governments concerned which has brought about a result all three ought
to have sought to avert.

There are, however, conclusive reasons against attempting to continue
down to the outbreak of the war (October 11th) the historical sketch
given in Chapters II to XII. The materials for the historian are still
scanty and imperfect, leaving him with data scarcely sufficient for
judging the intention and motives with which some things were done.
Round the acts and words of the representatives of the three governments
concerned, there rages such a storm of controversy, that whoever places
a particular construction upon those acts and words must need support
his construction by citations from documents and arguments based on
those citations. To do this would need a space much larger than I can
command. The most serious difficulty, however, is that when events are
close to us and excite strong feelings, men distrust the impartiality of
a historian even when he does his best to be impartial. I shall not,
therefore, attempt to write a history of the last two fateful years, but
content myself first, with calling the reader's attention to a few
salient facts that have occurred since 1896, and to some aspects of the
case which have been little considered in England; and secondly, with
describing as clearly and estimating as cautiously as I can, the forces
that have worked during those years with such swift and deadly effect.

Some of these facts may be dismissed with a word or two, because they
lie outside the present crisis. One is the entrance of the Col