WHEN publishing the Second Edition of Lord MACAULAY'S Life and Letters, I may be permitted to say that no pains were spared in order that the First Edition should be as complete as possible.

But, in the course of the last nine months, I have come into possession of a certain quantity of supplementary matter, which the appearance of the book has elicited from various quarters.

Stray letters have been hunted up.

Half-forgotten anecdotes have been recalled.

Floating reminiscences have been reduced to shape;--in one case, as will be seen from the extracts from Sir William Stirling Maxwell's letter, by no unskilful hand.