OF TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, AND THE INNER TEMPLE; BARRISTER-AT-LAW; Ne nous imaginons pas que le vrai soit victorieux dès qu'il se mos tre; il l'est à la fin, mais il lui faut du temps pour soumettre les esprits. FONTENELLE; VIE DE CORNEILLE. SECOND EDITION. VOLUME L LONDON: LONGMANS, GREEN, READER, AND LYER, 1872. THE AUTHOR RESERVES THE RIGHT OF TRANSLATION. ΤΟ MICHEL CHEVALIER, MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTE OF FRANCE, PROFESSOR OF POLITICAL ECONOMY IN THE COLLEGE DE FRANCE, MY DEAR CHEVALIER, It is with the most heartfelt pleasure that I inscribe this work with your name. I shall never forget the generous warmth with which you expressed your approval of its principles, when years ago, I, a perfect stranger, submitted it to you, as one of the greatest living masters of the Science. I shall ever feel honored by the constant public support you have given me, and especially by your Report on my Works to the Institute of France. There is another reason why I love to link your name with this book. In one of his last letters, your illustrious friend, FREDERIC BASTIAT,-the brightest genius who ever adorned our Science says that he only longed to be assured, before he died, that his book should call forth another. My work was written before I had even heard of his name; but when I read his works for the first time, to give an account of them in my Dictionary, I was surprised and delighted to find that he had anticipated me on almost every point; and that I was unconsciously re-constructing the Science on his principles. No one can feel more sensibly than I do how inferior I am to your lamented friend in literary skill: but our IDEAS are the |