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PREFACE.

We cannot conclude this short notice without expressing oursincere thanks to T. Duffus Hardy, Esq., Deputy Keeper of theRecords, and to the Count de Laborde, Keeper of the ImperialArchives, for the valuable assistance they have afforded theAuthor in granting free access to the public documents both ofEngland and France; also to various librarians of Europe, fortheir kind and patient researches in our cause; and lastly, amongmany others from whom we have received much useful in-formation, to the Miss Lockes, from whose untiring exertionsboth in Italy and G-ermany, we derive much that is interestingin our volume.

' And again, before taking leave of our readers, we beg to statethat, in case this work should, at some distant period, reach asecond edition, any contributions derived from well-authenticatedsources—wills, inventories, family documents, or ancient publica-tions, overlooked or as yet unsearched—will, if addressed to thePublishers, be gratefully welcomed by

The obliged Author,

FANNY BURY PALLISEIt.

Upper firnnk Street, Ortoher 1804.