Another objection has been made to my narrative, and I cannot pass it by without a word of remark;--"these Confessions are wanting in scenes of touching and pathetic interest" (FOOTNOTE: We have the author's permission to state, that all the pathetic and moving incidents of his career he has reserved for a second series of "Confessions," to be entitled "Lorrequer Married?"--Publisher's Note.)--true, quite true; but I console myself on this head, for I remember hearing of an author whose paraphrase of the book of Job was refused by a publisher, if he could not throw a little more humour into it; and if I have not been more miserable and more unhappy, I am very sorry for it on your account, but you must excuse my regretting it on my own. Another story and I have done;--the Newgate Calendar makes mention of a notorious housebreaker, who closed his career of outrage and violence by the murder of a whole family, whose house he robbed; on the scaffold he entreated permission to speak a few words to the crowd beneath, and thus addressed them:--"My friends, it is quite true I murdered this family; in cold blood I did it--one by one they fell beneath my hand, while I rifled their coffers, and took forth their effects; but one thing is imputed to me, which I cannot die without denying--it is asserted that I stole an extinguisher; the contemptible character of this petty theft is a stain upon my reputation, that I cannot suffer to disgrace my memory." So would I now address you for all the graver offences of my book; I stand forth guilty--miserably, palpably guilty--they are mine every one of them; and I dare not, I cannot deny them; but if you think that the blunders in French and the hash of spelling so widely spread through these pages, are attributable to me; on the faith of a gentleman I pledge myself you are wrong, and that I had nothing to do with them. If my thanks for the kindness and indulgence with which these hastily written and rashly conceived sketches have been received by the press and the public, are of any avail, let me add, in conclusion, that a more grateful author does not exist than HARRY LORREQUER CONTENTS: Volume 1. CHAPTER I Arrival in Cork--Civic Festivities--Private Theatricals CHAPTER II Detachment Duty--The Burton Arms--Callonby CHAPTER III Life at Callonby--Love-making--Miss O'Dowd's Adventure CHAPTER IV Botanical Studies--The Natural System preferable to the Linnaean CHAPTER V Puzzled--Explanation--Makes bad worse--The Duel CHAPTER VI The Priest's Supper--Father Malachi and the Coadjutor--Major Jones and the Abbe CHAPTER VII The Lady's Letter--Peter and his Acquaintances--Too late CHAPTER VIII Congratulations--Sick Leave--How to pass the Board CHAPTER IX The Road--Travelling Acquaintances--A Packet Adventure CHAPTER X Upset--Mind and Body Volume 2. CHAPTER XI Cheltenham--Matrimonial Adventure--Showing how to make love for a friend CHAPTER XII Dublin--Tom O'Flaherty--A Reminiscence of the Peninsula