Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. This book was planned and promised to the publisher more than three years ago. Exacting duties have compelled the writer from time to time to defer the completion of his undertaking. The delay has been profitable in that it has afiorded opportunity for the study of recent works on kindred topics, which in some respects has modified and in some enlarged the original concep tion of the subject in hand. A long ocean voyage at last has provided the quiet in which to write out these thoughts.