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left at Aden were dispersed, and very little of his labours came

into my hands.

Thus I was left alone to my work, which progressed fitfully amid

a host of obstructions. At length, in the spring of 1879, the

tedious process of copying began and the book commenced to take

finished form. But, during the winter of 1881-82, I saw in the

literary journals a notice of a new version by Mr. John Payne,

well known to scholars for his prowess in English verse,

especially for his translation of "The Poems of Master Francis

Villon, of Paris." Being then engaged on an expedition to the

Gold Coast (for gold), which seemed likely to cover some months,

I wrote to the "Athenaeum" (Nov. 13, 1881) and to Mr. Payne, who

was wholly unconscious that we were engaged on the same work, and

freely offered him precedence and possession of the field till no

longer wanted. He accepted my offer as frankly, and his priority

entailed another delay lasting till the spring of 1885. These

details will partly account for the lateness of my appearing, but

there is yet another cause.