I MUST PREFACE these pages by a few words of 

 explanation. The decay of my eye-sight has within 

 the last year incapacitated me from reading or 

 writing. Cut off by this affliction from my usual 

 mental employments, I have found relief and 

 occupation to my thoughts in dictating these 

 essays to a short-hand writer. This mode of writing 

 will excuse any inaccuracies or mistakes which 

 I may have committed. 



WAEFIELD PARK, BRACKNELL : 

 December 1, 1871. 



