PREFACE

TO THE

FIRST EDITION OF THE THIRD VOLUME,

BY THE EDITORS.

THREE editions of the two antecedent volumes of this work being now nearly exhausted, we may venture, perhaps, to flatter ourselves, that a third volume will not be unacceptable to the clergy, or to the public in general; but, in sending it forth, we think it proper to announce, that it is not our present intention to publish, after so short an interval, any more of the similar materials in our hands. Many reasons have led us to this determination; but the chief is, our wish, as some parts of the remaining stories are recent, that time may roll over the characters and transactions, and scatter away the memory of them from the minds of the existing contemporary generation, so as to leave no possibility of an application to individuals.

Of the three stories, which this third volume contains, the second was written concurrently with the action of the piece. We know the fact by the personal concern which we ourselves had in the events that are recorded; but in all the cases in which it happened, we know it by the internal evidence of the manuscripts. When a piece was composed after the whole action was terminated, the Author described his characters, in each particular passage, as they appeared to him upon the general view, without any subsequent alteration; but when he wrote concurrently, he described them as they appeared to him at the moment, in different lights on different occasions; and he was compelled, in consequence, in order to avoid seeming contradictions and inconsistencies, when his opinions of the several characters had undergone a change, to insert numerous corrections and qualifications of the previous history. All such alterations in the original manuscripts (no copy having ever been taken) attest the fact of the concurrent writing.

Several persons having expressed a curiosity to know what guarantee they have for the truth and accuracy of the stories which were composed long after the events, as the first and third in this volume,

and many others undoubtedly were, we can explain this matter to them precisely. When the Author wrote concurrently, he began to write as soon as the transactions appeared to assume sufficient importance; when he wrote subsequently, he selected those transactions only, of which he remembered all the facts as well as peculiar expressions and sentiments, both of his own, and of the persons with whom he conversed. These expressions and sentiments, he called his landmarks; by reflecting upon them, he replaced himself in the same position in which he had been when they were uttered; by degrees he was wrought up into the same feelings, and fell into the same train of thought and argument; and then he had nothing to do but to fill up the intervals, which he probably accomplished without much deviation from the original scene, or, at least, without violating the rules which he mentions in his own preface.

In the recollection of remarkable facts and expressions, he was often materially assisted by our excellent mother; for it was his constant practice to relate everything of that kind to her on the very day of its occurrence, and her memory was tenacious. The mention of this recalls the circumstances of the

first story which he wrote, and which he entitled 'Parental Anger.' Upon his return from visiting poor old Mr. Broom, he described to her almost immediately the scene in which he had been engaged. It interested her exceedingly; it was short besides; so she pressed him to commit it to paper at once. He had a great antipathy to the manual labour of writing, and on that ground had refused the same request on other occasions; but now, the labour being so small, he was ashamed to refuse any longer. Accordingly, he wrote the story on the covers of letters, not having the most distant idea of ever writing another. It was afterwards copied out upon a fair sheet by one of us, and it is the only story which has had so much trouble bestowed upon it. From that time he wrote always upon the same sheets that have gone to the printer, once for all; and therefore, perhaps, we may justly claim for him the indulgence of a candid criticism.

The reader will now be able to form some judgment of his own, how far he may depend upon these stories. Some persons, as we understand, have declared them to be entirely fictitious; and even eminent clergymen, speaking of them in the most courteous terms, are reported to have said, that they