CENTURY. A Novel, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL. "Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, NOTICE. If the condition of things narrated in these volumes seems to assume too much the tone and character of prophecy, let it be remembered that conclusions from the processes which are now, and will continue to be, at work in the community and state, must infallibly be reached. We have still near two decades to run before the present century is exhausted. The author desires to show that within that time the course and direction of public affairs may be such, if the country wills it, as will place England on a pinnacle of glory, and in a position of prosperity greater than she has ever, through the whole period of her history, presented to the world. The characters sketched in this work are intended to be typical. They are the results of social combinations arising out of the current events of the time, indicating classes and sections of the community which re-act on passing events, directing and modifying them in various ways and degrees. These reflections will enable any one, moderately acquainted with the politics of the country, to "read between the lines" of these volumes. |