PREFACE. ALTHOUGH few books have been published in which readers have been enabled to take, as it were, a bird's-eye view of the world's famous cities-and this may perhaps be regarded as the distinctive feature of the present work-it would of course be superfluous to lay claim to much originality in these pages. If, however, there be little novelty in the subject, it is hoped there will be found variety in the aspects and media through which it has been observed-old facts put in new lights, and new lights seen from old standpoints. It has been the desire of the writer to tell the history of each great city in as concise a form as possible, and to connect the leading events of history with existing monuments in art and architecture and other memorials. To this end he has endeavoured to take his readers on "excursions of thought," and help them to explore the chief Cities of the World as they were and as they are. While recording, in most instances, the results of personal experiences, he has not hesitated to avail himself of the valuable assistance of writers of all times and all countries, and has laid under contribution whatever information he could collect which should be likely to make the city under review stand out with sharp distinctness before the mind's eye of the reader. The chapters on those cities of the United States and Canada which have been selected for description are from the pen of Mr. M. F. SWEETSER, of Boston, Mass. |