by Eugène Sue
TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE
The invasion of Gaul by Clovis introduced feudalism in France, which isequivalent to saying in Europe, France being the teeming womb of thegreat historic events of that epoch. It goes without saying that so vasta social system as that of feudalism could not be perfected in a day, oreven during one reign. Indeed, generations passed, and it was not untilthe Age of Charlemagne that feudalism can be said to have taken somemeasure of shape and form. Between the Ages of Clovis and Charlemagne aperiod of turbulence ensued altogether peculiar to the combinedcircumstances that feudalism was forced to struggle with two foes--oneinternal, the disintegrating forces that ever accompany a new movement;the other external, the stubborn and inspiring resistance, on the partof the native masses, to the conqueror from the wilds of Germania.Historians, with customary levity, have neglected to reproduce thisinteresting epoch in the annals of that social structure that is motherto the social structure now prevalent. The task was undertaken andsuccessfully accomplished by Eugene Sue in this boisterous historicnovel entitled _The Poniard's Hilt; or, Karadeucq and Ronan_, the sixthof his majestic series of historic novels, _The Mysteries of the People;or, History of a Proletarian Family Across the Ages_. The leadingcharacters are all historic. It required the genius, the learning, thepoetry, the tact, withal the daring of a Sue to weave these charactersinto a fascinating tale and draw a picture as vivid as the quartos, fromwhich the facts are gathered, are musty with old age.
DANIEL DE LEON.
January, 1908.
PART I
THE KORRIGANS
