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thus restored to him, when matured by more intercourse with the world, he could venture to hope for increase of honour and generations of happier days to the ancient house of Walladmor. FOOTNOTES TO "CHAPTER XXI.": [Footnote 1: It is not well to move a sleeping lion. Yet, if either hereabouts or elsewhere in the novel, any disagreeable reader should find out something or other not quite in the spirit of our manners--or rather inartificial in the conduct of the story,--let him understand that it is due to the German author. But might it not have been altered and adapted to our notions? Let him be assured that all possible experiments in that way have been used in the treatment of Walladmor. It is always satisfactory to know that the patient has had every advantage which humanity guided by skill could suggest. No attention has been omitted even in this chapter which the nature of the case allowed. But there _are_ incidents which cannot be altered; as they would draw after them other alterations; and compel the artist, who had simply undertaken to "clean the works" of the watch, absolutely to put in a new "mainspring."--_English Translator_.] [Footnote 2: A sentiment which has been expressed by Mr. Foster in his ingenious essays; and most affectingly expressed by a great poet of this age in the "Excursion."] POSTSCRIPT. '_E quovis ligno non fit Mercurius._' This Roman proverb, Courteous Reader! is adequately rendered by a homely one of our own--"_You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear._" Certainly it is difficult to do so; and none can speak to _that_ more feelingly than myself; but not impossible, as I would hope that _my_ Walladmor will show when compared with the original. In saying this I disclaim all vanity; for, waiving other and more positive services to the German Walladmor, I here found my claim to the production of a "silk purse" simply on the negative merits of omission and compression. This is a point which on another account demands a word or two of explanation; as the reader will else find it difficult to understand upon what principle of translation _three_ 'thick set' German volumes can have shrunk into _two_ English ones of somewhat meagre proportions. The German hoaxer was aware that no book could have a chance of passing for Sir Walter Scott's[1] which was not in three volumes octavo. A Scotch novel from Mr. Constable's press, and _not_ in th
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