Every one who has anything to do with public life, and is liable to have what he says or does reported in the public papers, must have but little confidence in the "truths of history." He will be apt to think that great man who recommended his son to read novels rather than history, because "we know they are not true, while we do not know how much truth there is in' history," was nearly right. It is amazing to the Editor of this magazine to find himself often quoted as authority for all sorts of absurdities. But this seems the lot of all. Only recently we noted in an English paper a speech by Sir Theodore Martin at Denbigh, warning those who would see England a Republic that they were making a grand mistake: "I had once an interview," said he, "with General Grant, who said to me, 'Nothing amazed me more in England than that there should be people tampering with the institutions of England. We would give our ears to have such institutions in America.' And this remark was made to me by one who had been President of America".

The absurdity of making General Grant wish we would "give our ears" to have a monarchy here, is too absurd for any refutation; and when we find a man with so little understanding as to speak of a President of the United States as "the President of America," we can readily understand how such a mind should have wholly misapprehended what General Grant said. But for all this there is no doubt but " Sir Theodore Martin's" reminiscences of General Grant will get into some history as veritable truth. So we smaller folks ought not to complain when our views get distorted.