PEEPACE,
 

Mrs. Martha J. Lamb's "History of the City of
New York," the other histories of the city by Miss
Booth, and Messrs. Lossing, Todd, and Valentine;
the Brodhead and O'Callaghan papers; Hammond's
" Political History of New York ;" Dougherty's " Con¬
stitutions of New York;" Cooper's "Satanstoe" and
"Miles Wallingford;" Tuckerman's "Diary of Philip
Hone;" Parton's "Topics of the Time;" Adams's
"Chapter of Erie;" Shea's and De Courcey's "His¬
tory of the Catholic Church in the United States;"
and Lounsbury's admirable "Life of Cooper," — the
best piece of American literary biography ever yet
done, — are among the authorities consulted in pre¬
paring this volume. I wish to express my particular
thanks to Mr. Brander Matthews, who indeed is re¬
sponsible for my undertaking to write the book at all.

The limited space allowed forbade the use of the
vast mass of manuscript which was obtainable. The
temptation was very great to attempt a more exhaust¬
ive study of the events of the last forty years, — that