long as Delane remained at his post, Dasent now for the first time turned his attention to contemporary fiction. His first novel—The Annals of an Eventful Life[1]—issued at first anonymously in 1870, went through several editions in the course of a few months, and has since been frequently re-issued in one volume.
The capacity for fiction displayed in this highly original work, and its instantaneous success, led to his writing Three to One in 1872 and Half a Life in 1874.
To those who knew him well it is easy to see that the; latter is mainly autobiographical, and vhile; not amongst his best writings, it will always, be interesting for the vivid account in its pages of his Westminster school-days.
The Vikings of the Baltic, an ingenious attempt to dilute the Jomsvikinga Saga into a modern three-volume novel, was published in 1875.
On June 27th, 1876, on Mr. Disraeli's recommendation, Dasent received the honour of knighthood "for public services."[2] He was already a Knight of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog; another compliment which he received from the Danes being a beautiful silver drinking-horn, shaped like a Viking ship, in recognition of his services to Northern literature.
On the institution of the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, he was invited by the Govern-
