It runs thus:--
THADDEUS OF WARSAW.
THIS TENTH EDITION IS HUMBLY AND AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED TO THE
MEMORY OF THE LATE JUSTLY REVERED AND RENOWNED
General Thaddeus Kosciusko.
"The spirit of war between nation and nation, and between man and man
in those nations, for public supremacy on the one side and private
aggrandizement on the other, being still as much the character of the
times as in the days when the preceding biographical tale of Poland
was written, the author continues to feel the probable consequences
of such a crisis in forming the future principles of manly British
youth--a feeling which was the origin of the work itself.
"Its direct aim being to draw a distinguishing line between the
spirit of true patriotism and that of ambitious public discontent,--
between real glory, which arises from benefits bestowed, and the
false fame of acquired conquests, which a leader of banditti has as
much right to arrogate as would the successful invader of kingdoms,--
the character of General Kosciusko, under these views, presented
itself to the writer as the completest exemplar for such a picture.
"Enthusiasm attempted to supply the pencil of genius, and though the
portraiture be imperfectly sketched, yet its author has been
gratified by the sympathy of readers, not only of her own people, but
of those of distant nations; and that the principles of heroic virtue
which she sought to inculcate in her narrative were pronounced by its
great patriot subject, in a letter he addressed to herself, 'as
worthy of his approbation and esteem,' seems, now that he is removed
from all earthly influence, to sanction her paying that honest homage
to his memory which delicacy forbade her doing while he lived.
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