AUTHOR OF "THE HEIR OF REDCLYFFE," "CHILD'S HISTORY OF NEW YORK JOHN W. LOVELL COMPANY DAL You Λ OPTUN 31 DEC '37 PREFACE TO NEW EDITION. ANOTHER chapter has been added, carrying on the history to the year 1881, giving the extinction of the direct line (as it may be called) of the Bonapartes, which may be reckoned as a sort of era; although the young readers of this volume may probably live to see France pass through many more vicissitudes. CHARLOTTE M. YONGE Feb. 5th, 1881. PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION. THESE Stories on the History of France are meant for children perhaps a year older than those on the History of England. They try to put such facts as need most to be remembered in a comprehensible form, and to attach some real characteristic to each reign; though, in later political history, it is difficult to translate the leading ideas into anything that can enter an intellect of seven or eight years old. The gentleman who, some time ago, recommended teaching history backwards from our own time, could never have practically tried how much harder it is to make la Charte or the Reform Bill interesting to the childish mind, than how King Robert fed the beggars, or William Rufus was killed by an arrow. Early history is generally personal, and thus can be far more easily recollected than that which concerns the multitude, who are indeed everything to the philanthropist, but are nothing to the child. Even the popular fairy tale has its princes and princesses, and the wonder tale of history can only be carried on in the infant imagination by the like dramatis personce. CHARLOTTE M. YONGE Nov. 17th, 1874 |