HAYDN'S DICTIONARY OF DATES. SUPPLEMENT TO THE THIRTEENTH EDITION, INCLUDING THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD TO THE END OF 1870. BY BENJAMIN VINCENT, ASSISTANT SECRETARY AND KEEPER OF THE LIBRARY OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION OF PREFACE TO THE THIRTEENTH EDITION. MR. JOSEPH HAYDN published the first edition of this work in 1841, when it was well received, as supplying a public want. In 1855 I was requested by Mr. Edward Moxon to superintend the printing of the seventh edition, which led eventually to my undertaking its thorough renovation. This has been effected by long continued labour in revision and in selection from an abundance of valuable materials; and now very little, if any, of the original work remains, although the present edition contains fully one-third more matter than the sixth, published in 1853, at the same price. The new features include Chronological Tables at the beginning of the volume, a Dated Index, and innumerable literary and scientific, topographical and geographical facts inserted in the body of the work. To make room for these additions the size of the page has been enlarged, many articles have been condensed or printed in smaller type, and much useless matter has been expunged. Encouraged by success, I hope still to maintain the reputation which this work has attained, by sedulously endeavouring to make it, not a mere Dictionary of Dates, but a dated Cyclopædia, a digested summary of every department of human history, brought down to the eve of publication. I have endeavoured to act under the influence of the old maxims: "Homo sum; humani nihil a me alienum puto," and "Nulla dies sine lined;" and I gratefully acknowledge the kindness of those friends who have pointed out some of the errors, which are almost unavoidable in a work of such scope and magnitude. The Supplement at the end comprises the general history of the world from June 1868 to Dec. 30, 1870. BENJAMIN VINCENT. ROYAL INSTITUTION, Jan., 1871. |