AUTHOR'S PREFACE

ptthatifIhadseenoccasion,Ihadresolvedtoreprintafewofthesedetailsoflegalproceedings,fromcertainoldnewspapers. OneotherquotationfromthesamePrefacemayservetointroduceafactthatmyreadersmaythinkcurious. “Toturntoamorepleasantsubject,itmayberighttosay,thattherearetwocharactersinthisbookwhicharedrawnfromlife.Itisremarkablethatwhatwecalltheworld,whichissoverycredulousinwhatprofessestobetrue,ismostincredulousinwhatprofessestobeimaginaryandthat,while,everydayinreallife,itwillallowinonemannoblemishes,andinanothernovirtues,itwillseldomadmitaverystrongly-markedcharacter,eithergoodorbad,inafictitiousnarrative,tobewithinthelimitsofprobability.Butthosewhotakeaninterestinthistale,willbegladtolearnthattheBrothersCheeryblelivethattheirliberalcharity,theirsinglenessofheart,theirnoblenature,andtheirunboundedbenevolence,arenocreationsoftheAuthor’sbrainbutarepromptingeveryday(andoftenestbystealth)somemunificentandgenerousdeedinthattownofwhichtheyaretheprideandhonour.” IfIweretoattempttosumupthethousandsofletters,fromallsortsofpeopleinallsortsoflatitudesandclimates,whichthisunluckyparagraphbroughtdownuponme,IshouldgetintoanarithmeticaldifficultyfromwhichIcouldnoteasilyextricatemyself.Sufficeittosay,thatIbelievetheapplicationsforloans,gifts,andofficesofprofitthatIhavebeenrequestedtoforwardtotheoriginalsoftheBrothersCheeryble(withwhomIneverinterchangedanycommunicationinmylife)wouldhaveexhaustedthecombinedpatronageofalltheLordChancellorssincetheaccessionoftheHouseofBrunswick,andwouldhavebrokentheRestoftheBankofEngland. TheBrothersarenowdead. Thereisonlyoneotherpoint,onwhichIwoulddesiretoofferaremark.IfNicholasbenotalwaysfoundtobeblamelessoragreeable,heisnotalwaysintendedtoappearso.HeisayoungmanofanimpetuoustemperandoflittleornoexperienceandIsawnoreasonwhysuchaheroshouldbeliftedoutofnature.