place of entering into argumentative disquisitions, on the truth or falsehood of the system.

The mighty amphitheatre of Pagan Rome, when mistress of the world, vibrated with the applauding shouts of a whole people, when the masked actor uttered the philanthropic sentiment, "Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto." A similar feeling of love to his fellowmen, actuated the author in sending this book into the world, and his hopes will be disappointed, if his efforts for their benefit be not met with some approbation.

No man, no, not even an "admirable Crichton," can make himself master of every science. The most learned must take much upon trust. This proposition being true with regard to the real sciences, has led multitudes to suppose that the same laxity of judgment may be applied to pseudo-sciences, and thus the "ipse dixits" of designing and presumptuous men, often pass in the world, as current as the established results of proved knowledge.

Man is a strange compound; the wisest in worldly estimation often rushing headlong into unknown dangers by devious paths, solely to avoid the beaten track, because in it some have stumbled, and all have not passed in safety. Such persons doubt science, because science is

not omnipotent, and pursue an ignis fatuus, without knowing where it may lead.

66

Strange fondness of the human heart,

Enamour'd of its harm!

Strange world that costs it so much smart,
And still has power to charm."

Well hath the satirist remarked, that in all the deceptions practised on man, each pretender (no matter how absurd his theory) proves that

"Un sot trouve toujours un plus sot qui l'admire."

A common feeling of humanity, should dictate to any one who has discovered that a pitfall, or series of traps, have been cunningly contrived in the neighbourhood of the public way, whilst the path leading to them is placarded as "safer and shorter than the high road," to tell his brethren, that loss, danger, and perhaps death, may be encountered there, notwithstanding the specious appearances, and plausible assertions which tempt them to take that way.

Circumstances, of a peculiar nature, made the author acquainted with the history of one of the most successful of the disciples of Hahnemann. Its details were given by a dying man, painfully aware how near he stood to the barrier which intervenes between time and eternity-who no

longer wished to deceive others, and whose awakened conscience told him he could no longer deceive himself.

The author has pondered for some years on the propriety of placing these Confessions before the public; and he does so now, from a feeling that the time demands them, and a conviction that they will prove useful.

The characters and incidents described, are not the mere creations of fancy, but the grouping together of realities. Obvious reasons have necessitated the employment of fictitious names; the localities, also, both in Germany and Britain, are altered, to avoid the imputation of personality as much as possible.

For faults of style the author craves indulgence, and begs to express his sincerest wish that his reader, in laying down the book, may acquiesce in the motto, and join him in saying—

Quanquam ridentem dicere verum

Quid vetat ?"

CONFESSIONS OF AN HOMEOPATHIST.

CHAPTER I.

"Virtuous and vicious every man must be
Few in the extreme, but all in the degree;
The rogue and fool by fits are fair and wise,
And e'en the best by fits what they despise."

"First falls a fleecy shower: the downy flakes
Descending, and with never ceasing lapse
Softly alighting upon all below,
Assimilate all objects."

РОРЕ.

COWPER.

Ask me not, dearest Amelie, to give any reasons for the step I am about to take! I would not chafe thy gentle loving spirit by now telling thee the cause-but it must be. We leave this place to-morrow, perhaps never to return-this dear old Schloss, with its fine chasse, and venerable trees. We must give up the pleasure of lording it over our serfs and vassals, and like the descendants of Ishmael, shift our camp to some locality where we may be free from the impertinent intrusion of those rude Islanders, whose perpetual wanderings lead them restlessly and uselessly into

B

every land. Amelie, I have lived amongst them-I have learned them well! and to what has my knowedge led? To hate them! Sapperment, I hate and abhor them with a depth of rancour they could hardly imagine! They have been my tools, and my fools: from the unwitting, aye, and from the wilfully blind, too, I have derived my large revenues, and for their folly, and their gold, I present them with my hatred! Nation of asses-congregation of dupes-insolent assumers of authority over the whole world; would that with one stamp of my foot I could sink their petty dominion in the ocean, or crush it to powder at a blow, and annihilation in a moment should be their doom!

Thus spoke the Count Von Eisenberg, partly addressing himself to his young and pretty wife,-partly in soliloquy, as with compressed lips, clenched hands, and ill-suppressed fury, he strode up and down the noble dining-room of the Schloss of Falkenbrun, of which estate he had but lately become the possessor.

From the attire of both the lady and gentleman, it was evident that they were just returned from some distinguished reunion, and the flush of excitement, which dancing and brilliant conversation had induced on the cheek of the Countess, began to give place to the paleness and languor of fatigue. Sitting before the blazing wood fire, she was making some preliminary preparations for retiring to her chamber, and had just relieved her aching head from the weight and confinement of a splendid tiara of brilliants, which vanity deemed no burden in the ball-room, when her colour