‘The last fruit off an old tree!‘ This, in the words of Walter Savage Landor, is what I have now the honour to set before the public in these hitherto ’Uncollected Writings of Thomas De Quincey.‘

It was my privilege to be associated intimately with the Author some thirty to forty years ago—from the beginning of 1850 until his death in 1859.1 Throughout the whole period during which he was engaged in preparing for the Press his Selections Grave and Gay, I assisted in the task.Yes, I can tell you that that Saturday morning, as I stood kicking up my heels in King William Street, I was feeling pretty despondent and pretty sick with myself.

I had been doing odd jobs about the city, without, however, much success, and at that particular moment my entire possession in the world in the way of money was a one shilling piece that I was reserving for my evening meal.

I was quite alone in the world, with no parents living and no relations near to help me and no particular friends in the city upon whom I could call. It was true I had one cousin in Australia, who was reputed to be a wealthy man. He had a sheep station about thirty miles from Pimba, but I had quarrelled with him years before, and was much too proud to let him know now that I was in a bad way.