Page:Tales Round a Winter Hearth.djvu/14

4 Hence, the actions, and converse of the personages, can only have reference to the limited circle of objects in those times of mingled piety, superstition, heroism, and barbarity. Extremes were then great. The moral chaos of paganism was just broken up; light, divided from darkness; Christianity, in the form of the Archangel Michael, it might be said, was their chaining the dragon. Therefore, of woman’s heart, pure, from being kept unspotted from the world; of man’s spirit, ennobled, because to serve and protect were the proofs of a gentleman; such are the exemplars of those days, and here the sketch is attempted, in the Record of Berenice.

Perhaps, the writer could not take a more opportune moment to express her admiration of a recent guide into similar noble paths, better adapted to the usages of our modern times; and which invaluable little work, is called “The Broadstone of Honour, addressed to the Gentlemen of England.” No gentleman of England, or any other country, can read that book without feeling in his breast

Esher, Surry, Feb. 1826.