DEDICATORY EPISTLE. IX 



than Livy will answer for the very words 

 put into the mouths of his, but of the facts 

 I am as certain as if I had seen them. The 

 account from which I took them was written 

 on the spot, and they were verified by my- 

 self during a subsequent visit which I made 

 to the scene of action. 



In this, as in the rest of my story, I 

 have purposely confused my characters ; 

 and thus, while I vouch for the absolute 

 truth of the acts, I will say nothing of the 

 actors, except that, on no occasion what- 

 ever, the deeds recorded were performed by 

 the persons to whom they are attributed. 



Mr. Michael Rowan I chose for my 

 leader, upon the principle of Charles Fox, 

 who, when picked up drunk, gave his name 

 to the inquiring watchman as Samuel Wil- 

 berforce ; namely, that he was the very last 

 person in the whole world who would be 

 imagined capable of such an act. There 

 was a leader, no doubt, and that leader was 



