E-text prepared by Tim Lindell, Martin Pettit,
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
()
from page images generously made available by
Internet Archive
(https://archive.org)
| Note: | Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/thisthatother00bell |
THIS AND THAT AND THE OTHER
THIS AND THAT AND
THE OTHER
BY
H. BELLOC
Author of "On Anything," "On Everything," "On
Something," etc.
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
1912
Copyright, 1912, by
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
Published, November, 1912
To
EVAN CHARTERIS
PREFACE TO THE READER
Since I am assured that this book requires a Preface I must attempt towrite one, but I cannot conceive upon what lines it should run unlessthey be an apology for writing of so many things, and in very manydifferent moods, and in so many different ways.
A Preface is intended to introduce to the Reader the air in which thebook that follows must be taken, but what air attaches in common tohistorical reconstructions, to abstract vagaries, to stories, to jests,to the impression of a storm, and to annoyance with a dead scientist?
The sort of introduction which a book like this needs is like thatwhich a man might find to say who should have to deliver at a housea ton of coals, some second-hand books, a warrant, several weatherforecasts and a great quantity of dust. I do not know how such a manwould make himself pleasant to the homestead,[Pg viii] or prepare for thereception of so mixed a load.
But now I come to think of it the parallel is not quite just. For theman with that heap of rubbish in his cart would be bound to deliverthe same, and proportionately to annoy the recipient. But you are notbound to buy, to borrow, or even to pick up this book. And even if youdo you are not bound to read it. If you do read it I advise you to readthe Essay beginning on page forty-five; the history beginning on pageone hundred and forty-three; the denunciation of the very wickedestsort of men, which I have begun on page one hundred and three; thesort of thing which Shakespeare suffered, which you will find on pageone hundred and eighty-six. When you have waded through all that youcan console yourself by reading the last essay, which is intended toconsole you. I hope it will. Farewell....