Dear Friends,—Time has hallowed the custom of a word atparting, and I am unwilling to relinquish the privilege. Inthe tale I have just concluded, my endeavor was to portray,with as little aid from fiction as might be, some lights andshadows of the most wonderful and eventful period of modernhistory,—the empire of Napoleon. The character I selectedfor my hero was not all imaginary, neither were many of thescenes, which bear less apparent proofs of reality. Thesubject was one long meditated on before undertaken; but asthe work proceeded, I felt at some places, the difficulty ofcreating interest for persons, and incidents removed both bytime and country from my reader; and at others, my owninadequacy to an effort, which mere zeal could neveraccomplish. These causes induced me to deviate from the planI originally set down for my guidance; and combined withfailing health, have rendered what might have been a matterof interest and amusement to the writer, a task of labor andanxiety.It is the first time I have had to ask my reader'sindulgence on such grounds; nor should I now allude to it,save as affording the only apology I can render for the manydefects in a story, which, in defiance of me, took itscoloring from my own mind at the period, rather from thereflex of the events I related.The moral of my tale is simple,—the fatal influence crudeand uncertain notions of liberty will exercise over acareer, which, under happier direction of its energies, hadwon honor and distinction, and the impolicy of the effort,to substitute an adopted for a natural allegiance.My estimate of Napoleon may seem to some to partake ofexaggeration; but I have carefully distinguished between theHero and the Emperor, and have not suffered my unqualifiedadmiration of the one to carry me on to any blind devotionof the other.Having begun this catalogue of excuses and explanations, Iknow not where to stop. So, once more asking forgiveness forall the errors of these volumes, I beg to subscribe myself,in great respect and esteem,Your humble and obedient servant,Harry Lorrequer.Templeogue House,August 26th, 1844.
THE END.