Jane Porter

“ For the phraseology of this little tale, the writer has to beg public indulgence, since it was difficult to give local effect to a history of obscure Scottish life, without attempting to make its humble personages speak the ordinary language of their country; and to do this, the writer knows herself imperfectly qualified, by having only the acquaintance of earliest childhood with that fondly remembered, and most expressive dialect. ”

“ 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 ”

“ The incidents are simple; what may befal country visitants every day, in our beautiful English scenery, yet preserving the relics of an interesting past. But the regularity of forth-coming fact, stopped at the closet door ”