To  give  what  consistency  I  might  to  a
mass  of  incongiiuous  adventure,  to  such  a
variety 'of  strange  situations  befalling  one
individual,  I  was  obliged  to  imagine  a  char-
acter, which  probably  my  experiences —
and  they  were  not  very  mature  at  the  time
— assured  me  as  being  perfectly  possible  :
one  of  a  strong  will  and  a  certain  energy,
rarely  persistent  in  purpose  and  perpetual-
ly the  sport  of  accident,  Avith  a  hearty  en-
joyment of  the  pleasure  of  the  hour,  and  a
very  reckless  indifference  as  to  the  price  to
be  paid  for  it.  If  I  looked  out  on  my
acquaintances,  I  believed  1  saw  many  of
the  traits  I  was  bent  on  depicting,  and
for  others  I  am   half  afraid  I  had  only  to


take  a  peep  into  myself.     If  l\

then,  to  believe  that   in  these  Confess]

I  have  ever  recorded  any  incidents  of  my
own  life,  there  is  no  mistake  in  supposing
that — without  being  in  the  leasl  aw.
it — in  sketching  Harry  Lorrequer,  1  was  in
a  great  measure  depicting  myself,  and  be-
coming, allegorically,  an  antobiographist.
