From 46439007cf417cbd9ac8049bb4122c890097a0fa Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: "Charles.Forsyth" Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 20:52:35 +0000 Subject: 20060303-partial --- lib/ebooks/devils/preface.html | 48 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 48 insertions(+) create mode 100644 lib/ebooks/devils/preface.html (limited to 'lib/ebooks/devils/preface.html') diff --git a/lib/ebooks/devils/preface.html b/lib/ebooks/devils/preface.html new file mode 100644 index 00000000..19c585ca --- /dev/null +++ b/lib/ebooks/devils/preface.html @@ -0,0 +1,48 @@ + + + + + + +The Devil’s Dictionary: Preface + + + +

Preface

+ +

The Devil’s Dictionary +was begun in a weekly paper in 1881, and was continued in a desultory way at +long intervals until 1906. In that year a large part of it was published in +covers with the title The Cynic’s Word Book, +a name which the author had not the power to reject or happiness to approve. To +quote the publishers of the present work:

+ +

“This more reverent title had previously been forced upon him by the religious scruples of +the last newspaper in which a part of the work had appeared, with the natural +consequence that when it came out in covers the country already had been +flooded by its imitators with a score of ‘cynic’ books—The Cynic’s This, The Cynic’s That, +and The Cynic’s t’Other. Most of these books +were merely stupid, though some of them added the distinction of silliness. +Among them, they brought the word ‘cynic’ into disfavor so deep that any book +bearing it was discredited in advance of publication.”

+ +

Meantime, too, some of the enterprising humorists of the country had helped themselves to such +parts of the work as served their needs, and many of its definitions, +anecdotes, phrases and so forth, had become more or less current in popular +speech. This explanation is made, not with any pride of priority in trifles, +but in simple denial of possible charges of plagiarism, which is no trifle. In +merely resuming his own the author hopes to be held guiltless by those to whom +the work is addressed—enlightened souls who prefer dry wines to sweet, sense to +sentiment, wit to humor and clean English to slang.

+ +

A conspicuous, and it is hope not unpleasant, feature of the book is its abundant illustrative +quotations from eminent poets, chief of whom is that learned and ingenius +cleric, Father Gassalasca Jape, S.J., whose lines bear his initials. To Father +Jape’s kindly encouragement and assistance the author of the prose text is +greatly indebted.

+ +

A. B.

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