Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from Alton Locke, Vol. 1 of 2: Tailor and Poet; An Autobiography
To no one of all those to whom his memory is very dear can this seem a super uous task, for no writer was ever more misunderstood or better abused at the time, and after the lapse of almost a quarter of a century the misunder standing would seem still to hold its ground. For through all the many notices of him which appeared after his death in January I 875, there ran the same apologetic tone as to this part of his life's work. While generally, and as a rule cordially, recognising his merits as an author, and a man, the writers seemed to agree in passing lightly over this ground. When it was touched it was in a tone of apology, sometimes tinged with sarcasm, as in the curt notice in the Times He was understood to be the Parson Lot of those Politics for the People which made no little noise in their time, and as Parson Lot he declared in burning language that to his mind the fault in the People's Charter was that it did not go nearly far enough.' And so the writer turns away, as do most of his brethren, leaving probably some such impression as this on the minds of most of their readers Young men of power and genius are apt to start with Wild notions. He was no exception. Parson Lot's sayings and doings may well be pardoned for what Charles Kingsley said and did in after years; so let us drop a decent curtain over them, and pass on.' Now, as very nearly a generation has passed since that signature used to appear at the foot of some of the most noble and vigorous writing of our time, readers of to-day are not unlikely to accept this View, and so to find further confirmation and encouragement in the example of Parson Lot for the mischievous and cowardly distrust of anything like enthusiasm amongst young men, already sadly too prevalent in England. If it were only as a protest against this rumour point de 2216 spirit, against which it was one of Charles Kingsley's chief tasks to fight with all his strength, it is well that the facts should be set right.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works."