Correspondence. 363
that Signer De Nino's estimate of the Society is a very different one from his own.
" Pregiatissimo Signore Hartland. Ho ricevuto finalmente i due estratte del Folk-Lore di decembre. La mia lettera fu resa bene da Lei. Grazie delle gentili expressioni a mio riguardo. Mi ricordero sempre del Folk-Lore di Londra, cosi operoso e cosi sapiente. Mi duole di non potermi associare . . . Ma, per mio conto, non mancherb di fare omaggio alio nobile istituzione, d' ogni mia successiva stampa folkloristica. ... In quanto al Rev. Pullen, egli non pub dispiacersi se ho creduto di scagionare 11 mio paese da un' accusa di barbarie, e se ho fatto di tutto per dire la verita anche da gentiluomo. Faccia le mie riverenze ai membri della Societa ; e, con sinceri augurii di salute prosperose, mi protest©
" Suo dev™°, Antonio de Nino.
"11 Maggio 1898. Sulmona."
After this I do not think it necessary to defend the Society from Mr. Britten's complaint that, beyond publishing Signor de Nino's letter, it took " no steps in the matter." Mr. Britten will no doubt hasten to withdraw his further assertion : " Nor did any official of the Society even communicate to Signor de Nino the fact that ' the substance ' of his communication had been printed;" and perhaps he will tell us how he came to publish it without that previous verification, the want of which he makes (whether rightly or wrongly) such a grievance against Mr. Clodd. As a member of the Society from its commencement, he will, I think, regret having written of it in the way he has done.
E. Sidney Hartland.
I should wish to add that when there appeared, last spring, in the Daily Chrotiicle a paragraph reflecting in this connection both upon Mr. Clodd and upon the Society, I at once wrote, as Presi- dent, to defend the Society and its responsible officers from the charge made against them. The Daily Chronicle did not insert my letter, as the editor doubtless judged that Mr. Clodd was more specially aimed at by the paragraph, and that sufficient reparation had been made by inserting an answer from him. I regretted this action of the Daily Chronicle at the time, and I regret it still more now, as I must needs believe that had Mr. Britten seen my letter he would not have made the charge he has done against the Society. Alfred Nutt.
