P. 202. The Elixir of Life.—Published July, 1881, in the third number of a magazine entitled Our Times, which blasted the elixir’s character by expiring immediately afterwards.
P. 226. The Purple Head.—Appeared originally in Fraser’s Magazine for August, 1877.
P. 228. The purple of the emperor and the matrons appeared ashy grey in comparison. “Cineris specie decolorari videbantur caeterae divini comparatione fulgoris” (Vopiscus, in Vita Aureliani, cap. xxix.).
P. 230. All these sovereigns.—“Diligentissime et Aurelianus et Probus et proxime Diocletianus missis diligentissimis confectoribus requisiverunt tale genus purpurae, nec tamen invenire potuerunt” (Vopiscus, loc. cit.).
P. 241. Pan’s Wand.—Published originally in a Christmas number of The Illustrated London News.
P. 249. A Page from the Book of Folly.—Appeared in Temple Bar for 1871.
P. 282. The Philosopher and the Butterflies.—One of the contributions by various writers to “The New Amphion,” a little book prepared for sale at the Fancy Fair got up by the students of the University of Edinburgh in 1886.
P. 294. The Three Palaces.—Published originally on a similar occasion to the last story, in “A Volunteer Haversack,” an extensive repertory of miscellaneous contributions in prose and verse, printed and sold at Edinburgh for a benevolent purpose in 1902.
P. 300. New Readings in Biography.—Originally published in The Scots Observer in 1889.
P. 315. The Poison Maid.—The author wrote this tale in entire forgetfulness of Hawthorne’s “Rapaccinip’s Daughter,” which nevertheless he had certainly read.