The Project Gutenberg EBook of Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I (of II), by
Charles James Lever

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Title: Tom Burke Of "Ours", Volume I (of II)

Author: Charles James Lever

Illustrator: Phiz.

Release Date: April 6, 2010 [EBook #31901]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TOM BURKE OF "OURS", VOLUME ***

Produced by David Widger

TOM BURKE OF "OURS."

By Charles James Lever

With Illustrations By Phiz. and Browne

IN TWO VOLUMES

VOL. I

Transcriber's Note: Two print editions have been used for this Project
Gutenberg Edition of "Tom Burke of 'Ours'": The Little Brown edition
(Boston) of 1913 with illustrations by Phiz; and the Chapman and Hall
editon (London) of 1853 with illustrations by Browne. Illegible and
missing pages were found in both print editions.

DW

TO

MISS EDGEWORTH.

Madam,--This weak attempt to depict the military life of France, during
the brief but glorious period of the Empire, I beg to dedicate to you.
Had the scene of this, like that of my former books, been laid chiefly
in Ireland, I should have felt too sensibly my own inferiority to
venture on the presumption of such a step. As it is, I never was more
conscious of the demerits of my volume than when inscribing it to you;
but I cannot resist the temptation of being, even thus, associated with
a name,--the first in my country's literature.

Another motive I will not conceal,--the ardent desire I have to assure
you, that, amid the thousands you have made better, and wiser, and
happier, by your writings, you cannot count one who feels more proudly
the common tie of country with you, nor more sincerely admires your
goodness and your genius, than

Your devoted and obedient servant,

CHARLES J. LEVER.

Temple-O Nov. 25, 1848.

PREFATORY EPISTLE FROM MR. BURKE.

My dear O'Flaherty,--It seems that I am to be the "next devoured." Well,
be it so; my story, such as it is, you shall have. Only one condition
would I bargain for,--that you seriously disabuse your readers of the
notion that the life before them was one either of much pleasure or
profit. I might moralize a little here about n