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he saw me smile. And I've done no sin,' said he ; and, Larry, you may lead me now, as you led me all my life.'-And up the slope he went with me, as ight as fifteen; and when we got up, my Lord Clonbrony said, I am sorry an old tenant, and a good old tenant, as I hear you were, should have been Turned out of your farm.'-' 'Don't fret, it's no great matter, my lord,' said my father. I shall be soon out of the way; but if you would be so kind to speak a word for my boy here, and that I could afford, while the life is in me, to bring my other boy back out of banishment-'

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And the drawing-rooms, the butler was telling me, is new hung; and the chairs, with velvet, as white as snow, and shaded over with natural flowers, by Miss Nugent.-Oh! how I hope what I guess will come true, and I've rason to believe it will, for I dream't in my bed last night, it did. But keep yourself to yourself-that Miss Nugent (who is no more Miss Nugent, they say, but Miss Reynolds, and has a new-found grandfather, and is a big heiress, which she did not want in my eyes, nor in my young lord's,) I've a notion, will be sometime, and may be sooner than is expected, my Lady Vis"Then,' says my Lord Clonbrony, 'I'll give countess Colambre-so haste to the wedding! And you and your sons three lives, or thirty-one years, there's another thing: they say the rich ould grandfrom this day, of your former farm. Return to it father's coming over;-and another thing, Pat, you when you please.' 'And,' added my Lord Co. would not be out of the fashion. And you see it's lambre, the flaggers, I hope, will soon be banish-growing the fashion, not to be an Absentee!" ed. O, how could I thank him-not a word could

I proffer-but I know I clasped my two hands and prayed for him inwardly. And my father was dropping down on his knees, but the master would not let him; and obsarved, that posture should only be for his God! And, sure enough, in that posture, when he was out of sight, we did pray for him that night, and will all our days.

But before we quit his presence, he call me back, and bid me write to my brother, and bring you back, if you've no objections to your own country. So come, my dear Pat, and make no delay, for joy's not joy complate till you're in itmy father sends his blessing, and Peggy her love. The family entirely is to settle for good in Ireland; and there was in the castle yard last night a bonfire made by my lord's orders of the ould yellow damask furniture, to plase my lady, my lord says.

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moved with delight and admiration in the If there be any of our readers who is not perusal of this letter, we must say, that we have but a poor opinion either of his taste or his moral sensibility; and shall think all the better of ourselves, in future, for appearing tedious in his eyes. For our own parts, we do not know whether we envy the author most, for the rare talent she has shown in this description, or for the experience by which its materials have been supplied. She not only makes us know and love the Irish nation far better than any other writer, but seems to us more qualified than most others to promote the knowledge and the love of mankind.

(November, 1814.)

Waverly, or 'Tis Sixty Years Since. In three volumes 12mo. pp. 1112. Third Edition. Edinburgh: 1814.*

It is wonderful what genius and adherence written-composed, one half of it, in a diato nature will do, in spite of all disadvan- lect unintelligible to four-fifths of the reading tages. Here is a thing obviously very hastily, population of the country-relating to a period and, in many places, somewhat unskilfully too recent to be romantic, and too far gone by

*I have been a good deal at a loss what to do with reviews; and to retain only the general criticism, these famous novels of Sir Walter. On the one and character, or estimate of each performancehand, I could not bring myself to let this collection together with such incidental observations as may go forth, without some notice of works which, for have been suggested by the tenor or success of many years together, had occupied and delighted these wonderful productions. By this course, no me more than any thing else that ever came under doubt, a sad shrinking will be effected in the primimy critical survey: While, on the other, I could tive dimensions of the articles which are here renot but feel that it would be absurd, and in some produced; and may probably give to what is resense almost dishonest, to fill these pages with long tained something of a naked and jejune appear. citations from books which, for the last twenty-five ance. If it should be so, I can only say that I do years, have been in the hands of at least fifty times not see how I could have helped it and after all it as many readers as are ever likely to look into this may not be altogether without interest to see, from publication and are still as familiar to the genera- a contemporary record, what were the first impres tion which has last come into existence, as to those sions produced by the appearance of this new lu who can yet remember the sensation produced by minary on our horizon; while the secret of the their first appearance. In point of fact I was in- authorship was yet undivulged, and before the rapid formed, but the other day, by Mr. Caddell, that he accumulation of its glories had forced on the dullest had actually sold not less than sixty thousand spectator a sense of its magnitude and power. I volumes of these extraordinary productions, in the may venture perhaps also to add, that some of the course of the preceding year! and that the demand general speculations of which these reviews sug: for them, instead of slackening-had been for some gested the occasion, may probably be found as well time sensibly on the increase. In these circum-worth preserving as most of those which have been stances I think I may safely assume that their contents are still so perfectly known as not to require any citations to introduce such of the remarks orig. inally made on them as I may now wish to repent. And I have therefore come to the determination of omitting almost all the quotations, and most of the detailed abstracts which appeared in the original

elsewhere embodied in this experimental, and some. what hazardous, publication.

Though living in familiar intercourse with Sir Walter, 1 need scarcely say that I was not in the secret of his authorship; and in truth had no assurance of the fact, till the time of its promul|gation.

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gether. Well, I never saw her look so pretty; nor
there was not a happier boy that minute on God's
earth than my son, nor a happier mother than my
self; and I thanked God that he had given them to
me; and down they both fell on their knees for my
blessing, little worth as it was; and my heart's
blessing they had, and I laid my hands upon them.
'It's the priest you must get to do this for you to-
morrow, says I.'"-Vol. vi. pp. 205-207.

followed them. My lady
and Miss Grace Nug
angel that ever yo
complexion and
the old lord's a
all, and notic
name. O,'
midst; fo
Aft

Colam'

he cr

Next morning they go up in high spirits to
the castle, where the villanous agent denies and
his promise; and is laughing at their despair, wi
when Lord Colambre is fortunately identified | ▾
by Mrs. Raffarty, who turns out to be a sister
of the said agent, and, like a god in epir
poetry, turns agony into triumph!

We can make room for no more now,
the epistle of Larry Brady, the good-nat
postboy, to his brother, giving an accor
the return of the family to Clonbror
Miss Edgeworth had never written
thing, this one letter must have ▾
at the very top of our scale, as an
character, and a mistress in t}
thetic. We give the greater
traordinary production.

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nd when the ountry Whigs es transported e effect, indeed

present moment the interest which doubtedly possess rprise that is excital our own country, and ge, manners and chara conspicuous, which we ed to consider as belongin uity, or extravagant romance y in which they are here repres satisfy every reader, we think, 4 tact and conviction, that the de has been made from actual experi ad observation;-experience and observa employed perhaps only on a few survi a; relics and specimens of what was famil apon little earlier-but generalised from insta th the sufficiently numerous and complete, to Deen bor- rant all that may have been added to the ent, indeed, trait :-And, indeed, the existing records y outshine the vestiges of the more extraordinary parts ventive, and so to the representation are still sufficiently ab the most advan-ant, to satisfy all who have the means of this is once accom- sulting them, as to the perfect accuracy of sure to be something picture. The great traits of Clannish depe and engaging, than can ence, pride, and fidelity, may still be deter mere fiction. in many districts of the Highlands, the they do not now adhere to the chieftains wh they mingle in general society; and the isting contentions of Burghers and Antibu ers, and Cameronians, though shrunk comparative insignificance, and left, inde

"My dear brother,-Yours
sing the five pound note for
to hand Monday last; and
blessing to you, he comm
enclosed back again, on
immediate necessity, no
ture, as you shall hea
over, with all speed.
travelling charges;
has pleased God to
rest in your pock
"Now, cock
news is comin
home-long
yesterday,
young lord
lady, and
maid, th
the luc

first to Lord

minu

bec'

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work before us, was evifaithful and animated picand state of society that northern part of the island, in of last century; and the au

ously fixed upon the era of the without protection to the ridicule of the 1745, not only as enriching his fane, may still be referred to, as com the interest inseparably attached verifications of all that is here stated a

aration of such occurrences, but as Gifted Gilfillan, or Ebenezer Cruicksh a fair opportunity for bringing out all The traits of Scottish national character in

sted principles and habits which lower ranks, can still less be regarded as hed the different classes of persons tiquated or traditional; nor is there any i divided the country, and formed in the whole compass of the work wi them the basis of almost all that was gives us a stronger impression of the nee

par in the national character. That un- servation and graphical talent of the aut tanate contention brought conspicuously to than the extraordinary fidelity and fel ht, and, for the last time, the fading image with which all the inferior agents in the s of feudal chivalry in the mountains, and vul- are represented. No one who has not i

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bal

one

fanaticism in the plains; and startled the extensively among the lower orders of al polished parts of the land with the wild scriptions, and made himself familiar w brilliant picture of the devoted valour, in- their various tempers and dialects, can corruptible fidelity, patriarchal brotherhood, ceive the full merit of those rapid and e and savage habits of the Celtic Clans, on the acteristic sketches; but it requires on hand, and the dark, intractable, and do- general knowledge of human nature, te mineering bigotry of the Covenanters on the that they must be faithful copies from ke other. Both aspects of society had indeed originals; and to be aware of the extra been formerly prevalent in other parts of the nary facility and flexibility of hand whe country, but had there been so long super- touched, for instance, with such diserin seded by more peaceable habits, and milder ing shades, the various gradations of the manners, that their vestiges were almost ef- character, from the savage imperturba! faced, and their very memory nearly extin- of Dugald Mahony, who stalks grimly guished. The feudal principalities had been with his battle-axe on his shoulder, w destroyed in the South, for near three hundred speaking a word to any one,-to the livet years, and the dominion of the Puritans from principled activity of Callum Beg.-the a the time of the Restoration. When the glens, unreflecting hardihood and heroism of In and banded clans, of the central Highlands, Maccombich,-and the pride, gallantry therefore, were opened up to the gaze of the gance, and ambition of Fergus himselt. English, in the course of that insurrection, it the lower class of the Lowland charact seemed as if they were carried back to the again, the vulgarity of Mrs. Flockhart a

WAVERLEY.

erfectly distinct and barbarous but captivating characters. This "ritanism of Gilfil- chief is Fergus Vich Ian Vohr-a gallant and rocity of Mrs. ambitious youth, zealously attached to the olemnity of cause of the exiled family, and busy, at the of Brad- moment, in fomenting the insurrection, by carica- which his sanguine spirit never doubted that rica- their restoration was to be effected. He has ta sister still more enthusiastically devoted to the same cause-recently returned from a reence at the Court of France, and dazzling

done no sin," said he ; ' And the drawing-rooms, the bw'er was o'ing me,
now, as vou led me is new bung; and he calls, Wit te veure
e went with me, as, 29 snow, and shaded over wikira ura, fans.
my Lord Clon- Miss Nigeat-05 (hew] bye wa ligion ma
and a good come true, and I've rason to be e90 ZN
ve been dream't in my bed laegg ti
Treat yourself to yours-that Man Yagem #tasm
7 more Miss Nugent they may be Vm ho

and has a new-found pra våder, and # A
ag which the dd Y FEK A BEAU
og lord'v,, I've a news

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mantic imagination of Waverley not less de exaltation of her sentiments, than his es by her elegance and beauty. While he ingers in this perilous retreat, he is suddenly deprived of his commissior., in consequence of some misunderstandings and misrepresentations which it is unnecessary to detail; and in the first heat of his indignation, is almost tempted to throw himself into the array of al mansion- the Children of Ivor, and join the insurgents, his faucy with whose designs are no longer seriously disguis uires amiable dis-ed from him. He takes, however, the more of a contemplative, prudent resolution of returning, in the first ed character. All the place, to his family; but is stopped, on the of the abdicated family borders of the Highlands, by the magistracy, d any serious hopes of their whom rumours of coming events had made lore the year 1745, the guardians more than usually suspicious, and forwarded averley were induced, in that cele- as a prisoner to Stirling. On the march he is year, to allow him to enter into the rescued by a band of unknown Highlanders, as the nation was then engaged in for- who ultimately convey him in safety to Edinwar-and a passion for military glory had burgh, and deposit him in the hands of his ays been characteristic of his line. He ob- friend Fergus Mac-Ivor, who was mounting is a commission, accordingly, in a regiment guard with his Highlanders at the ancient palhorse, then stationed in Scotland, and ace of Holyrood, where the Royal Adventurer ceeds forthwith to head-quarters. Cosmo was then actually holding his court. A comnyne Bradwardine, Esq., of Tully-Veolan bination of temptations far too powerful for Perthshire, had been an ancient friend of such a temper, now beset Waverley; and, house of Waverley, and had been enabled, inflamed at once by the ill-usage he thought their good offices, to get over a very awk- he had received from the government-the rencontre with the King's Attorney- recollection of his hereditary predilectionsderal soon after the year 1715. The young his friendship and admiration of Fergus-his was accordingly furnished with creden- love for his sister-and the graceful condes to this faithful ally; and took an early scension and personal solicitations of the unortunity of paying his respects at the an- fortunate Prince, he rashly vows to unite his at mansion of Tully-Veolan. The house fortunes with theirs, and enters as a volunteer its inhabitants, and their way of life, are in the ranks of the Children of Ivor. mirably described. The Baron himself During his attendance at the court of Holybeen bred a lawyer; and was, by choice, rood, his passion for the magnanimous Flora iligent reader of the Latin classics. His is gradually abated by her continued indifferMession, however, was that of arms; and ence, and too entire devotion to the public ving served several campaigns on the Con- cause; and his affections gradually decline ent, he had superadded, to the pedantry upon Miss Bradwardine, who has leisure for jargon of his forensic and academical less important concernments. He accomdies, the technical slang of a German mar-panies the Adventurer's army, and signalises et-and a sprinkling of the coxcombry of a himself in the battle of Preston,-where he jach mousquetaire. He was, moreover, has the good fortune to save the life of an digiously proud of his ancestry; and, with English officer, who turns out to be an intihis peculiarities, which, to say the truth, mate friend of his family, and remonstrates rather more than can be decently accu- with him with considerable effect on the rash dated in one character, was a most honour-step he has taken. It is now impossible, e, valiant, and friendly person. He had however, he thinks, to recede with honour; fair daughter, and no more-who was itle, feminine, and affectionate. Waverley, ugh struck at first with the strange mansof this northern baron, is at length dosticated in the family; and is led, by curity, to pay a visit to the cave of a famous ghland robber or freebooter, from which he Conducted to the castle of a neighbouring ieftain, and sees the Highland life in all its

and he pursues the disastrous career of the invaders into England - during which_he quarrels with, and is again reconciled to Fergus-till he is finally separated from his corps in the confusion and darkness of the nightskirmish at Clifton-and, after lurking for some time in concealment, finds his way to London, where he is protected by the grate ful friend whose life he had saved at Preston,

to be familiar-and published, moreover, in a quarter of the island where materials and talents for novel-writing have been supposed to be equally wanting: And yet, by the mere force and truth and vivacity of its colouring, already casting the whole tribe of ordinary novels into the shade, and taking its place rather with the most popular of our modern poems, than with the rubbish of provincial romances. The secret of this success, we take it, is merely that the author is a man of Genius; and that he has, notwithstanding, had virtue enough to be true to Nature throughout; and to content himself, even in the marvellous parts of his story, with copying from actual existences, rather than from the phantasms of his own imagination. The charm which this communicates to all works that deal in the representation of human actions and character, is more readily felt than understood; and operates with unfailing efficacy even upon those who have no acquaintance with the originals from which the picture has been borrowed. It requires no ordinary talent, indeed, to choose such realities as may outshine the bright imaginations of the inventive, and so to combine them as to produce the most advantageous effect; but when this is once accomplished, the result is sure to be something more firm, impressive, and engaging, than can ever be produced by mere fiction.

The object of the work before us, was evidently to present a faithful and animated picture of the manners and state of society that prevailed in this northern part of the island, in the earlier part of last century; and the author has judiciously fixed upon the era of the Rebellion in 1745, not only as enriching his pages with the interest inseparably attached to the narration of such occurrences, but as affording a fair opportunity for bringing out all the contrasted principles and habits which distinguished the different classes of persons who then divided the country, and formed among them the basis of almost all that was peculiar in the national character. That unfortunate contention brought conspicuously to light, and, for the last time, the fading image of feudal chivalry in the mountains, and vulgar fanaticism in the plains; and startled the more polished parts of the land with the wild but brilliant picture of the devoted valour, incorruptible fidelity, patriarchal brotherhood, and savage habits of the Celtic Clans, on the one hand, and the dark, intractable, and domineering bigotry of the Covenanters on the other. Both aspects of society had indeed been formerly prevalent in other parts of the country, but had there been so long superseded by more peaceable habits, and milder manners, that their vestiges were almost effaced, and their very memory nearly extinguished. The feudal principalities had been destroyed in the South, for near three hundred years, and the dominion of the Puritans from the time of the Restoration. When the glens, and banded clans, of the central Highlands, therefore, were opened up to the gaze of the English, in the course of that insurrection, it seemed as if they were carried back to the

days of the Heptarchy;-and when they saw the array of the West country Whigs, they might imagine themselves transported to the age of Cromwell. The effect, indeed, is a most as startling at the present moment; a one great source of the interest which t volumes before us undoubtedly possess, is be sought in the surprise that is excited discovering, that in our own country, and most in our own age, manners and charactes existed, and were conspicuous, which we hat been accustomed to consider as belonging remote antiquity, or extravagant romance.

The way in which they are here represent ed must satisfy every reader, we think, by an inward tact and conviction, that the delinea tion has been made from actual experience and observation;-experience and observation employed perhaps only on a few surviving relics and specimens of what was familiar à little earlier-but generalised from instances sufficiently numerous and complete, to warrant all that may have been added to the por trait :-And, indeed, the existing records and vestiges of the more extraordinary parts of the representation are still sufficiently abund ant, to satisfy all who have the means of consulting them, as to the perfect accuracy of the picture. The great traits of Clannish dependence, pride, and fidelity, may still be detected in many districts of the Highlands, though they do not now adhere to the chieftains when they mingle in general society; and the existing contentions of Burghers and Antiburghers, and Cameronians, though shrunk into comparative insignificance, and left, indeed, without protection to the ridicule of the profane, may still be referred to, as complete verifications of all that is here stated about Gifted Gilfillan, or Ebenezer Cruickshank. The traits of Scottish national character in the lower ranks, can still less be regarded as antiquated or traditional; nor is there any thing in the whole compass of the work which gives us a stronger impression of the nice observation and graphical talent of the author, than the extraordinary fidelity and felicity with which all the inferior agents in the story are represented. No one who has not lived extensively among the lower orders of all descriptions, and made himself familiar with their various tempers and dialects, can per ceive the full merit of those rapid and char acteristic sketches; but it requires only a general knowledge of human nature, to feel that they must be faithful copies from known originals; and to be aware of the extraordi nary facility and flexibility of hand which has touched, for instance, with such discriminating shades, the various gradations of the Celtic character, from the savage imperturbabilny of Dugald Mahony, who stalks grimly about with his battle-axe on his shoulder, without speaking a word to any one,-to the lively unprincipled activity of Callum Beg.-the coarse unreflecting hardihood and heroism of Evan Maccombich,-and the pride, gallantry, ele gance, and ambition of Fergus himself. In the lower class of the Lowland characters, again, the vulgarity of Mrs. Flockhart and of

prudent resolution of returning, in the first place, to his family; but is stopped, on the borders of the Highlands, by the magistracy, whom rumours of coming events had made more than usually suspicious, and forwarded as a prisoner to Stirling. On the march he is rescued by a band of unknown Highlanders, who ultimately convey him in safety to Edinburgh, and deposit him in the hands of his friend Fergus Mac-Ivor, who was mounting guard with his Highlanders at the ancient palace of Holyrood, where the Royal Adventurer was then actually holding his court. A combination of temptations far too powerful for such a temper, now beset Waverley; and, inflamed at once by the ill-usage he thought he had received from the government-the recollection of his hereditary predilectionshis friendship and admiration of Fergus-his love for his sister-and the graceful condescension and personal solicitations of the unfortunate Prince, he rashly vows to unite his fortunes with theirs, and enters as a volunteer in the ranks of the Children of Ivor.

Lieutenant Jinker is perfectly distinct and barbarous but captivating characters. This original-as well as the puritanism of Gilfil- chief is Fergus Vich Ian Vohr-a gallant and lan and Cruickshank-the atrocity of Mrs. ambitious youth, zealously attached to the Mucklewrath-and the slow solemnity of cause of the exiled family, and busy, at the Alexander Saunderson. The Baron of Brad- moment, in fomenting the insurrection, by wardine, and Baillie Macwheeble, are carica- which his sanguine spirit never doubted that tures no doubt, after the fashion of the carica- their restoration was to be effected. He has tures in the novels of Smollet,-or pictures, at a sister still more enthusiastically devoted to the best, of individuals who must always have the same cause-recently returned from a rebeen unique and extraordinary: but almost sidence at the Court of France, and dazzling all the other personages in the history are fair the romantic imagination of Waverley not less representatives of classes that are still exist by the exaltation of her sentiments, than his ing, or may be remembered at least to have eyes by her elegance and beauty. While he existed, by many whose recollections do not lingers in this perilous retreat, he is suddenly Pextend quite so far back as to the year 1745. deprived of his commissior., in consequence Waverley is the representative of an old and of some misunderstandings and misrepresen opulent Jacobite family in the centre of Eng- tations which it is unnecessary to detail; and land-educated at home in an irregular man- in the first heat of his indignation, is almost ner, and living, till the age of majority, mostly tempted to throw himself into the array of in the retirement of his paternal mansion- the Children of Ivor, and join the insurgents, where he reads poetry, feeds his faucy with whose designs are no longer seriously disguis romantic musings, and acquires amiable dis-ed from him. He takes, however, the more positions, and something of a contemplative, passive, and undecided character. All the English adherents of the abdicated family having renounced any serious hopes of their cause long before the year 1745, the guardians of young Waverley were induced, in that celebrated year, to allow him to enter into the army, as the nation was then engaged in foreign war-and a passion for military glory had always been characteristic of his line. He obtains a commission, accordingly, in a regiment of horse, then stationed in Scotland, and proceeds forthwith to head-quarters. Cosmo Comyne Brad wardine, Esq., of Tully-Veolan in Perthshire, had been an ancient friend of the house of Waverley, and had been enabled, by their good offices, to get over a very awkward rencontre with the King's AttorneyGeneral soon after the year 1715. The young heir was accordingly furnished with credentials to this faithful ally; and took an early opportunity of paying his respects at the ancient mansion of Tully-Veolan. The house and its inhabitants, and their way of life, are admirably described. The Baron himself During his attendance at the court of Holyhad been bred a lawyer; and was, by choice, rood, his passion for the magnanimous Flora a diligent reader of the Latin classics. His is gradually abated by her continued indifferprofession, however, was that of arms; and ence, and too entire devotion to the public having served several campaigns on the Con- cause; and his affections gradually decline tinent, he had superadded, to the pedantry upon Miss Bradwardine, who has leisure for and jargon of his forensic and academical less important concernments. He accomstudies, the technical slang of a German mar-panies the Adventurer's army, and signalises tinet-and a sprinkling of the coxcombry of a himself in the battle of Preston,-where he French mousquetaire. He was, moreover, has the good fortune to save the life of an prodigiously proud of his ancestry; and, with English officer, who turns out to be an intiall his peculiarities, which, to say the truth, mate friend of his family, and remonstrates are rather more than can be decently accu- with him with considerable effect on the rash mulated in one character, was a most honour-step he has taken. It is now impossible, able, valiant, and friendly person. He had one fair daughter, and no more-who was gentle, feminine, and affectionate. Waverley, though struck at first with the strange manners of this northern baron, is at length domesticated in the family; and is led, by curiosity, to pay a visit to the cave of a famous Highland robber or freebooter, from which he 18 conducted to the castle of a neighbouring chieftain, and sees the Highland life in all its

however, he thinks, to recede with honour; and he pursues the disastrous career of the invaders into England-during which he quarrels with, and is again reconciled to Fergus-till he is finally separated from his corps in the confusion and darkness of the nightskirmish at Clifton-and, after lurking for some time in concealment, finds his way to London, where he is protected by the grate ful friend whose life he had saved at Preston,

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