IT seems a foolish thing to send into the world a book requiring a preface of apologies and yet more absurd to presume that any deprecation on the part of the author could possibly win indulgence for what should be in itself worthless. For this reason, and with a very deep feeling of the kindness I have already experienced from the public, I should now abandon these little volumes to their destiny without one word of preface or re- mark, but that a certain portion of their contents seems to require a little explanation. It was the wish and request of my friends, many months ago, that I should collect various literary trifles which were scattered about in print or manuscript, and allow them to be published together. My departure for the Continent set aside this intention for the time. I had other and objects in view, which still keep fuII possession of my mind, and which have been suspended not without reluctance, in order to prepare these volumes for the press -neither had I, while...