11 MAY 1878, Page 17

"HISTORY OF THE THIRTY YEARS' PEACE."

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.']

SIR,—The introduction to Miss Martineau's "History of the Thirty Years' Peace" was written by herself—not, as your reviewer states, by Charles Knight—and was published in 1851, after the completion of the "History" itself, which embraces the period from 1816 to 1846. The object was to make the work a complete history of the present century, up to the time when the authoress began to write.

The first book of the original history, embracing the years 1815-19, but no other portion, is by Charles Knight, who, after advancing thus far gave the work to Miss Martineau to complete.