Page:The invasion of the Crimea vol. 1.djvu/463

 APPENDIX. 421 From causes to which I need not advert, the commentaries were delivered, not only with great animation and zeal, but with a persistency not often applied to the criticism of one mere book. Diligence of the most varied kinds was brought to bear ; for since the book involved politics as well as his- tory, it fairly enough became the subject — not merely of reviews, but also — of what they call 'articles ;' and seeing that it touched things abroad, correspondents employed by the conductors of newspapers in foreign capitals were en- couraged or suffered to remit their daily toil of gathering ' news,' and take part for a time with their colleagues at home in finding something to say about this book. Finally, it was made to appear, that if an officer would submit to the condition of writing to a newspaper, and would begin his letter with a criticism upon the book of a kind approved by the managers, he might append to his comments a nar- rative of his own achievements, with the certainty that his own account of his own deeds would be read in one day by thousands and thousands of people. It may be imagined that the immense body, both of authoritative and anonymous criticism, thus brought to bear upon one book, could hardly fail to show that mis- takes had crept in here and there ; but if any reader shall take the pains to separate from the bulk of the notes every sentence which puts right an error, he will be able to judge and say whether the corrections are many and important, or whether they are scanty and slight. Be that as it may, I must state that, with the exceptions which I shall presently enumerate, I owe all these correc- tions to the public men and officers who have done me the honour to communicate with me either personally or by letter. For reasons of larger scope than those which only apply to the questioned worth of a book, the public, I imagine, lias an interest in knowing what impression has been made