le world of its own.

After describing social life in these three portions, I had to delineate
certain exceptional lives, which comprehend the interests of many
people, or of everybody, and are in a degree outside the general law.
Hence we have Scenes of Political Life. This vast picture of society
being finished and complete, was it not needful to display it in its
most violent phase, beside itself, as it were, either in self-defence or
for the sake of conquest? Hence the Scenes of Military Life, as yet the
most incomplete portion of my work, but for which room will be allowed
in this edition, that it may form part of it when done. Finally, the
Scenes of Country Life are, in a way, the evening of this long day, if
I may so call the social drama. In that part are to be found the purest
natures, and the application of the great principles of order, politics,
and morality.

Such is the foundation, full of actors, full of comedies and tragedies,
on which are raised the Philosophical Studies--the second part of my
work, in which the social instrument of all these effects is displayed,
and the ravages of the mind are painted, feeling after feeling; the
first of the series, _The Magic Skin_, to some extent forms a link
between the Philosophical Studies and Studies of Manners, by a work
of almost Oriental fancy, in which life itself is shown in a mortal
struggle with the very element of all passion.

Besides these, there will be a series of Analytical Studies, of which
I will say nothing, for one only is published as yet--The Physiology of
Marriage.

In the course of time I purpose writing two more works of this class.
First the Pathology of Social Life, then an Anatomy of Educational
Bodies, and a Monograph on Virtue.

In looking forward to what remains to be done, my readers will perhaps
echo what my publishers say, "Please God to spare you!" I only ask to be
less tormented by men and things than I have hitherto been since I began
this terrific labor. I have had this in my favor, and I thank God for
it, that the talents of the time, the finest characters and the truest
friends, as noble in their private lives as the former are in public
life, have wrung my hand and said, Courage!

And why should I not confess that this friendship, and the testimony
here and there of persons unknown to me, have upheld me in my career,
both against myself and against unjust attacks; against the calumny
which has often persecuted me, aga