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AUTHOR OF "TWO OLD MEN'S TALES," "MOUNT SOREL,"

"EMILIA WYNDHAM," &c., &c.

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Oh Ballard, Ballard !-What hast thou done?—A sort of brave youths otherwise
endowed with good gifts, by thy inducement hast thou brought to this utter destruc-
tion and confusion."-The Lord Chancellor Hatton's Address-State Tryals.

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HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,

PEARL STREET, FRANKLIN SQUARE.

1863.

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INTRODUCTION.

WHEN we were all about ic move from Holnicote to Mount Sorel, you may imagine what abundance of old rubbish was disturbed; what long-hoarded relics of bygone times were dragged from their mouldering recesses; what piles of worm-eaten books and packets of time-stained papers brought to light-as new to Mr. de Vere as to any of us.

I was his principal companion during this time, for we grew every day more and more attached to each other: as he, from temper, and I, from circumstance, lived a good deal apart from the rest of mankind; and were both, perhaps, interested rather in the ideal, than the actual.

So we tossed over these old papers with almost equal interest. To him they were precious as the monuments of his family; to me, as records of that great human family to whom we equally belonged.

One day, after we had been thus engaged-I sorting some old books, while he was examining the contents of a huge black trunk-after nearly an hour's silence, during which he had been perusing several papers with an appearance of much interest, he turned to me and said:

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There, Edmund, is something for you. These seem curious fragments connected with a very incomprehensible portion of our history-one that has often been the subject of my reflections. These papers do not properly form part of my family archives, and I do not understand, exactly, how they came here; though I believe there have been intermarriages between the De Veres and some of the families in question. The indifference of principals, and the carelessness of servants, jumble things together, and throw them into hands where they have properly no right to be. I make you a present of the contents of this trunk, Edmund, for I know you have a liking for such things. When you have nothing better to do, it may interest you to examine these papers; and to exercise your propensity for scribbling, by giving a certain form and consistency to this fatras of letters, notes, diaries, and law proceedings.

I accepted the commission with pleasure as a proof of confidence and affection on the part of Mr. de Vere, at that time most precious to my heart; but it was long before I opened the trunk.

When at length, however, I came to examine the papers, I found they had reference to a period, and to circumstances, singularly dark and mysterious: I conceived that some very important lessons might be derived from this section of the history of bur race; and I endeavored to put the materials together so as to engage interest, and perhaps excite reflections that might possibly be useful: though no one can be more aware than I myself am, of the imperfect manner in which I have executed my difficult task.

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