ΤΟ THOMAS MOORE, ESQ. IN ADMIRATION OF HIS GENIUS, THESE VOLUMES ARE HUMBLY DEDICATED, WITH DEEP RESPECT, BY THE AUTHOR. PREFACE. In again entering the field as an Historical Romance writer, the author has no excuse to offer. His last novel succeeded to an extent far beyond what he dared to anticipate; for he was well aware that it contained many faults, and some of them such as only a more mature judgment can hope to amend, having had no one to suggest an alteration or perfect a sentence; therefore such as the works are, the author only is responsible for them. Many of the faults which were kindly pointed out by some of the reviewers (and which it is the duty of a honest critic to comment upon) he has in the present work endeavoured to avoid, and attempted to give a greater individuality to his characters, by making them stand out more prominently in the pages, and bringing the incidents to bear more closely upon the working out of the story. With all his attention, he is well aware that there will yet be found plenty of errors for those who only hunt out for them, and pass over the best portions; and to such he only wishes, that they all, and each were compelled to write such a work, in the same given space of time: they would find the necessary labour of research for such a task no trifle. Once again, and for the last time, in answer to those who wish to know at what school he learned his grammar, and Latin, he begs to refer them to the Preface prefixed to his "Day in the Woods;" there they will see at what |