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; Certain Dictionary Lists, not immediately connected with And in general, for the reader's sake, let me again say T. C. London, 16th October 1849. The Lists will be given at the end of the Third Volume in the present Fdition: LETTER IV. To R. Barnard, Esq.: Huntingdon, 23 Jan. LETTER VI. To the Mayor of Colchester: Cambridge, " Captain Dodsworth: Money and more Men. VII. To Sir J. Burgoyne: Huntingdon, 10 April Lincoln lost: To rendezvous instantly. XVII. To O. St. John, Esq. : Eastern Associa- Much Want of Money: the Ironsides. XX. To Major-General Crawford: Cambridge, Admonition in behalf of Packer. LETTER XXIV. To Sir T. Fairfax: Salisbury, 9 April 1645 Proceedings in the West: Goring, Greenvil, Rupert. |