hero; and the reports he gives of the Revolution of
Saint Domingo are useful chiefly as representing the prejudices, as well
as the interests, of the planters. The article in the _Quarterly_ is
valuable, as being an able and liberal digest of various narratives;
some derived from Hayti itself. Rainsford's book is nearly unreadable,
from the absurdity of its style; but it is truly respectable in my eyes,
notwithstanding, from its high appreciation of L'Ouverture's character.
It contains more information concerning Toussaint than can be found, I
believe, anywhere else, except in the Biographie; and it has the
advantage of detailing what fell under the writer's own observation.
The Biographie furnishes many valuable facts; but appears, from the
inconsistency of various parts, and the confused impression which it
conveys as a whole, to be a compilation in which the workman has been
more careful to record dates and other facts correctly, than to
understand the personage whose portrait he professes to give. The
"Haytian Papers" are the most valuable of all authorities, as far as
they go.

Of my other personages, all had a real existence, except Monsieur Revel,
Euphrosyne, and their servants; some of the planters mentioned in the
second chapter; the children of Bellair; the Abbess and her
establishment; and some of the visitors at Toussaint's levee; with a few
other subordinate characters.

Of the real personages, several were probably very unlike what I have
represented them. I knew the names of some, without knowing their
characters; as in the instances of Placide and Isaac, Messieurs Pascal
and Moliere, Mars Plaisir, Madame Oge, the Marquis d'Hermona, Laxabon,
Vincent, and Paul.

Of others, I knew the character and history, without being able to
ascertain the names; as in the instances of Madame Dessalines and Madame
Bellair. Since the issue of my first edition, I have learned that the
name of Madame Dessalines was Marie; and her second name, before
marriage, Claire or Clerc. I have not thought it advisable to
substitute Marie for Therese in this edition, as nothing could be
thereby gained which would compensate for disturbing the associations of
my readers in regard to one of the chief personages of the story.

Of others, such as the wife, daughters, and third son of Toussaint,
Monsieur Papalier, and the tutors, Azua and Loisir, I knew only that
they existed, without being able to learn their names or characters