of the deepest interest to him; and he is often unable to grasp the meaning of what he reads for want of additional knowledge or explanation.  In short, it becomes more and more a necessity of modern life to know something of everything.  A little knowledge is not dangerous to those who recognise it to be little, and it may be sufficient to enable those who possess it to understand and enjoy intelligently what would otherwise only weigh as a burdensome reflection upon their ignorance.  Even a comparatively exhaustive treatment of the multitudinous subjects comprehended under the term universal knowledge would demand a library of large volumes, hence the extent and heavy cost of the great Encyclopaedias.  But it is doubtful whether the mass of information contained in those admirable and bulky works does not either go beyond, or, more frequently than not, fall short of the requirements of those who refer to them.  For the special student there is too little, for the general reader too much.  Detailed knowledge of any subject in this age of specialisation can be acquired only by study of the works specifically devoted to it.  What is wanted in a popular Encyclopaedia is succinct information—­the more succinct the better, so long as it gives what is required by the inquiry, leaving it to the authorities in each subject to supply the information desired by those intent on pursuing it further.  The value of an Encyclopaedia of such small scope must depend, therefore, upon the careful selection of its materials, and in this respect it is hoped the one now offered to the public will be found adequate to any reasonable demands made upon it.  If the facts given here are the facts that the great majority are in search of when they refer to its pages, it may be claimed for “The Nuttall Encyclopaedia” that, in one respect at all events it is more valuable for instant reference than the best Encyclopaedia in many volumes; for “The Nuttall” can lie on the desk for ready-to-hand reference, and yields at a glance the information wanted.

Within the necessary limits of a single volume the Editor persuades himself he has succeeded in including a wide range of subjects, and he trusts that the information he has given on these will meet in some measure at least the wants of those for whom the book has been compiled.  To the careful Newspaper Reader; to Heads of Families, with children at school, whose persistent questions have often to go without an answer; to the Schoolmaster and Tutor; to the student with a shallow purse; to the Busy Man and Man of Business, it is believed that this volume will prove a solid help.

The subjects, as hinted, are various, and these the Editor may be permitted to classify in a general way under something like the following rubrics:—­

1.  Noted people, their nationality, the time when they flourished, and what they are noted for.

2.  Epochs, important movements, and events in history, with the dates and their historical significance.