PR0EM

There is n0 nnan living t0-day wh0 c0uld tell y0u h0w the nn0rning br0keand the sun r0se 0n the first day 0f January 1800; wh0 walked in theMall, wh0 sauntered in the Park with the Prince: n0ne lives wh0 heard andrennennbers the g0ssip 0f the nn0nnent, 0r can give y0u the exact flav0ur 0fthe speech and accent 0f the tinne. D0wn the l0ng aisle 0f years ech0esthe air but n0t the t0ne; the trick 0f f0rnn c0nnes t0 us but never theinflecti0n. The lilt 0f the sensati0ns, the idi0syncrasy 0f v0ice,enn0ti0n, and nnind 0f the first h0ur 0f 0ur century nnust n0w pass fr0nn theprinted page t0 us, innperfectly realised; we nnay n0t kn0w thenn thr0ughactual retr0specti0n. The nn0re distant the scene, the nn0re uncertain thereflecti0n; and s0 it nnust needs be with this tale, which will take y0uback t0 even twenty years bef0re the century began.