Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Maid of Sker
However, not to enter upon any view of politics - all of which are far beyond the cleverest hand at a bait among us - I am inditing of a thing very plain and simple, when you come to understand it yet containing a little strangeness, and some wonder, here and there, and apt to move good people's grief at the wrongs we do one another. Great part of it fell under mine own eyes, for a period of a score of years, or something thereabout. My memory still is pretty good but if I contra dict myself, or seem to sweep beyond my reach, or in any way to meddle with things which I had better have let alone, as a humble man and a Christian, I pray you to lay the main fault thereof on the badness of the times, and the rest upon human nature. For I have been a roving man, and may have gathered much of evil from contact with my fellow-men, although by origin meant for good. In this I take some blame to myself; for if I had polished my virtue well, the evil could not have stuck to it. Nevertheless, I am, on the whole, pretty well satisfied with myself; hoping to be of such quality as the Lord prefers to those perfect creatures with whom He has no trouble at all, and therefore no enjoyment.
But sometimes, taking up a book, I am pestered with a troop of doubts not only about my want of skill, and language, and experience, but chie?y because I never have been a man of consummate innocence, excellence, and high wisdom, such as all these writers are, if we go by their own Opinions.
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