The House of Rothschild, as will be readily understood, did not throw open its archives to the author's inspection, for it is particularly careful in guarding its more important business secrets. But this was not entirely without its advantage, for it left the Count Corti completely free from political considerations and uninfluenced by racial, national, and religious predilections or antipathies. The Count was enabled to begin an independent historical research into the part played by this House in the nineteenth century, which was known to be far more important than was commonly thought.
The general scheme of this work was built upon facts alone, in a practical way such as will help us to form our own judgment on individuals and the part they played in world events.
