Dear Friends,—Time has hallowed the custom of a word at
parting, and I am unwilling to relinquish the privilege. In
the tale I have just concluded, my endeavor was to portray,
with as little aid from fiction as might be, some lights and
shadows of the most wonderful and eventful period of modern
history,—the empire of Napoleon. The character I selected
for my hero was not all imaginary, neither were many of the
scenes, which bear less apparent proofs of reality. The
subject was one long meditated on before undertaken; but as
the work proceeded, I felt at some places, the difficulty of
creating interest for persons, and incidents removed both by
time and country from my reader; and at others, my own
inadequacy to an effort, which mere zeal could never
accomplish. These causes induced me to deviate from the plan
I originally set down for my guidance; and combined with
failing health, have rendered what might have been a matter
of interest and amusement to the writer, a task of labor and
anxiety.

It is the first time I have had to ask my reader's
indulgence on such grounds; nor should I now allude to it,
save as affording the only apology I can render for the many
defects in a story, which, in defiance of me, took its
coloring from my own mind at the period, rather from the
reflex of the events I related.

The moral of my tale is simple,—the fatal influence crude
and uncertain notions of liberty will exercise over a
career, which, under happier direction of its energies, had
won 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 of
exaggeration; but I have carefully distinguished between the
Hero and the Emperor, and have not suffered my unqualified
admiration of the one to carry me on to any blind devotion
of the other.

Having begun this catalogue of excuses and explanations, I
know not where to stop. So, once more asking forgiveness for
all 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.