01-12-37 ajm

TRIALS OF THE HEART.

44861

BY

MRS. BRAY.

While passions glow, the heart, like heated steel,
Takes each impression, and is worked at pleasure.

YOUNG.

A NEW EDITION,

REVISED AND CORRECTED, WITH NOTES BY THE AUTHOR.

LONDON:

LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, AND LONGMANS,

PATERNOSTER-ROW.

1845.

LONDON:

Printed by Manning and Mason, Ivy Lane, St. Paul's.

TO MRS. OPIE.

MY DEAR MADAM,

So many years have elapsed since I had the pleasure of being most hospitably received by yourself and your lamented father at Norwich, that I should hardly venture to remind you thus publicly of myself, did I not wish to offer you my unfeigned thanks for the delight I have received from so many of your writings.

Feeling that in treating of the heart, I could never dedicate a work of such a description to one who has more deeply searched its most hidden recesses, nor more powerfully depicted its feelings, than yourself, I venture to inscribe to you the following pages. Should you trace in them anything akin in spirit, however much inferior to your own admirable story of "The Confessions of an Odd-Tempered Man," or "The Simple Tales," I shall consider it the highest praise that could be bestowed on "Trials of the Heart."

Believe me, my dear Madam, with the most respectful esteem, very sincerely yours,

ANNA ELIZA BRAY.

The Vicarage, Tavistock,

Nov. 25th, 1845.