IN

THE CASTLE, THE COURTS, AND THE

COUNTRY.

IN THREE VOLUMES.

Good Company's a Chess-board-There are Kings,

Queens, Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Pawns,-The World's a Game;
Save that the Puppets pull at their own strings,

Methinks gay Punch hath something of the same.

VOL. I.

Don Juan.

LONDON:

HOW AND PARSONS, 132, FLEET-STREET.

1840.

PREFACE.

As to the writer of fiction is universally accorded the right of ransacking the venerable repositories of the past, and of selecting from their range whatever particular portion of it he pleases whereupon to erect the edifice of his imaginary history, together with a license founded on custom and established by prescription, of transferring from one age to another those characters he may choose - having invested them with sufficient concealment for his purpose-to bring again upon the scene, and marshal as his own creations, without any regard to the chronological order of their appearance, or any regular observance as to the exact period of their existence, frequently ex

hibiting, as actually present, those long since mouldering in the chambers of the dust; so equally may be permitted to him the greater irregularity of forestalling the future, and having preconceived occurrences to come-peopling then the story with representations and personages of the present day, thrown a little forward into the womb of time, and beheld, under the fancied circumstances of a few years in advance.

Such has been the liberty arrogated to himself by the Author; whose great aim has been (foregoing any exaggerated impersonation of the human passions for the purpose of exciting the morbid sensibilities of the mere admirers of love and murder) to represent some of the transactions of real life, eschewing of course every portion of the ground already trodden and re-trodden by so many able painters of the world, with even the humblest of whom he has not the temerity to challenge rivalry. Originality of subject has been his great endeavour; and if in striving for this he has touched more upon politics than could be desired, he has at least tried to steer clear of partiality. Nationality as an Irishman, has also

been his object; and if in the course of his narra

tive

any remarks may appear to bear too severely upon any particular class, body, or profession, the Author begs most respectfully to disclaim any feeling of an acrimonious nature to any person or persons whatsoever.

November, 1840.