"Come l' araba Fenice
	Che ci sia ognun lo dice;
	Dove sia, nessun lo sa."
			Metastasio

However compact may be the mode of printing adopted, the act of compressing into one volume the three in which the " Fairy Legends" originally appeared, involved to a certain extent the necessity of selection, perhaps the most difficult of all tasks judiciously to perform; but the following statement will show the system proceeded on.

Forty tales descriptive of Irish superstitions now appear instead of fifty. All superfluous annotations have been struck out, and a brief summary at the end of each section substituted, explanatory of the classification adopted, and in which a few additional notes have been introduced, as well as upon the text. It is therefore hoped that this curtailment will be regarded as an essential improvement; some useless repetition in the tales being thereby avoided, and much irrelevant matter in the notes dispensed with, although nothing which illustrates in the slightest degree the popular Fairy Creed of Ireland has been sacrificed. At the same time, the omission of a portion of the ten immaterial tales will sufficiently answer doubts idly raised as to the question of authorship.

            To The

DOWAGER LADY CHATTERTON,

      CASTLE MAHON.



Thee, Lady, would I lead through Fairy-land
(Whence cold and doubting reasoners are exiled),
A land of dreams, with air-built castles piled;
the moonlight SHEFROS there, In merry band
With artful CLURICAUNE, should ready stand
To welcome thee - Imagination's child!
Till on thy ear would burst so sadly wild
The BANSHEE'S shriek, who points with wither'd hand,
in the dim twilight should the PHOOKA come,
Whose dusky form fades in the sunny light,
That opens clear calm LAKES upon thy sight,
Where blessed spirits dwell in endless bloom.
know thee, lady-thou wilt not deride
such Fairy Scenes.-Then onward with thy Guide.

			T. CROFTON CROKER