PREFACE. 



burthen Mr. Murray's shelves with stale pre- 

 cepts that no one will attend to." 



" Pretty discouraging that, most certainly," 

 I responded. "And then we have ' Salmonia,' 

 which is, or ought to be, a settler too ; and 

 also a scientific work by Mr. Colquhoun, who 

 touches deftly on the subject. But I tell you 

 this, Sir Oracle, that although I see a hundred 

 good reasons why I should abandon my design, 

 yet I am resolved to persist : it is my destiny 

 — that is a classical reason. You know that, 

 to the great edification of our youth, the pious 

 ^Eneas gives no better reason for the hundred 

 rascally and much admired things he was in 

 •the habit of executing in his expedition to 

 Latium. 



" I only hope the public will be so good as 

 not to be discerning ; because if they are, I 

 shall have you, my most tender and amiable 

 friend, eternally dinging in my ears, ' There, 

 did not I tell you so ? But you would not 

 be ruled by me, so you must take the con- 

 sequences.' " 



At the end of this colloquy, and when left 

 alone, I began to reflect a little ; and although 

 at first I could not help thinking my gentleman 

 somewhat hasty, yet I came to the conclusion 



