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TO THE THIRD EDITION.

THE small leakage of new Cromwell matter that has oozed' in upon me from the whole world, since the date of that Second Edition, has been disposed of according to the principles there laid down. Some small half-dozen of Authentic new Letters, pleasantly enough testifying (once they were cleared into legibility) how every new fact fits into perfect preëstablished correspondence with all old facts, but not otherwise either pleasant or important, have come to me; one or two of these, claiming more favour, or offering more facility, have been inserted into the Text; the rest, as was my bargain in regard to all of them, have been sent to the Appendix. In Text or Appendix there they stand, duly in their places; they, and what other smallest of authentic glimmerings of additional light (few in number, infinitesimally small in moment) came to me from any quarter: all new acquisitions have been punctually inserted; generally indicated as new, where they occur; too insignificant for enumerating here, or indeed almost for indicating at all.

On the whole, I have to say that the new Contributions to this Third Edition are altogether slight and insignificant, properly of no real moment whatever. Nay, on looking back, it may be said that the new Contributions to any Edition have been slight; that, for learning intelligibly what the Life of Cromwell was, the First Edition is still perhaps as recommendable a Book as either of its followers. Exposed, since that, to the influx of new Cromwell matter from all the world, one finds it worth observing how little of the smallest real importance has come in; what of effort has had to expend itself, not in improving the Book as a practical Representation of Cromwell's Existence in this world, but in hindering it from being injured as such, from being swollen out of shape by superfluous de

tails, defaced with dilettante antiquarianisms, nugatory tagrags;
and, in short, turned away from its real uses, instead of fur-
thered towards them. An ungrateful kind of effort, and grow-
ing ever more so, the longer it lasts;-but one to which the
Biographer of Cromwell by this method has to submit, as to a
clear law of nature, with what cheerfulness he can.

Certain Dictionary Lists, not immediately connected with
Oliver, but useful for students of this Historical Period, a List
of the Long Parliament, and Lists of the Association Committees;
farther, a certain Contribution called The Squire Papers, which
is for the present, and must for a long time remain, of doubtful
authenticity to the world: these I have subjoined to the Second1
Volume, which offered space for such a purpose; but have
been careful, in Text, Appendix, Index, to make no reference
to them, to maintain a perfect separation between all parts of
the Book and them, and to signify that these are not even an
Appendix, or thing hooked-on, but rather a mere Adjacency,
or thing in some kind of contact,-kind of contact which can
at any moment be completely dissolved, by the very Bookbinder
if he so please.

And in general, for the reader's sake, let me again say
plainly that all these Appendixes and Adjuncts are insignifi-
cant; that the Life of Cromwell lies in the Text; and that a
serious reader, if he take advice of mine, will not readily stir
from that on any call of the Appendixes &c., which can only
be a call towards things unessential, intrinsically superfluous,
if extrinsically necessary here, and worthy only of a later and
more cursory attention, if of any whatever, from him.

T. C.

London, 16th October 1849.

The Lists will be given at the end of the Third Volume in the present Fdition:
the Squire Papers are adjoined to the Second Volume.

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