Personal Sketches of His Own Times, Vol. I.
Engraved by J. Heath, from a drawing from life by Commerford.
Sir Jonah Barrington, K.C.
London. Pubd by Colburn & Bentley New Burlington Str.t 1830.
This trifle, the pastime of a winter’s evening, is presented—toa person of whom I have long held thehighest opinion among the circle of my friends and thecrowd of my contemporaries, and for whom my regardshave been disinterested and undeviating.
The work is too trivial to be of any weight, and I offerit only as a Souvenir, which may amuse one who can beconstant to friendship at all periods, and knows how toappreciate a gift, not by its value, but by the feelings ofthe heart which sends it.
The compilation by me of a medley of this descriptionmay appear rather singular. Indeed, Imyself think it so, and had got nearly half-waythrough it before I could reasonably account forthe thing;—more especially as it was by no meanscommenced for mercenary purposes. The fact is,I had long since engaged my mind and time on awork of real public interest; and so far as thatwork was circulated, my literary ambition wasmore than gratified by the approbation it received.But it has so happened, that my publishers, oneafter another, have been wanting in the qualificationof stability; and hence, my “HistoricMemoirs of Ireland” have been lying fast asleep,in their own sheets, on the shelves of three successivebooksellers or their assignees; and so ingeniouslywere they scattered about, that I foundit impossible for some years to collect them. Thiswas rather provoking, as there were circumstance