Ch. i. § 14, last lines, see p. 35 n. 66 Ch. i. § 16, line 4, the word common is inserted before "posthouse" in accordance with Ruskin's own copy of the book. Ch. i. § 23 n., the reference to Mrs. Jameson has hitherto been erroneously given as "p. 721," and in § 28 n., as "p. 722." Ch. ii. § 3, line 41, "Nor" is Ruskin's correction in his copy for "Since, not." § 5, line 17, "are," which has hitherto appeared in all eds. (ungrammatically), was struck out by him. § 7, lines 7 and 8, he italicised "belief" instead of "credible" (as in all eds. hitherto). § 10, last line but one, he substituted "north" for "one side." § 20, line 15, the punctuation hitherto has obscured the sense ("the Rosin mountain, 'Hartz' shadowy still to the north . .”). Hartz is the Rosin mountain. § 24, line 24, Wartburg" is a correction for "Wartzburg." § 32, lines 15, 16, the place of the quotation marks has here been altered, to correspond with actual quotations from Favine. $ 25, line 10, for an important correction here, see p. 65 n. § 42, last line, Ruskin in his copy italicises rises." § 43, line 18, he struck out an "and" after our own day," which, curiously, has stood in all eds. hitherto. § 44, lines 5-7, the punctuation is here revised in accordance with Ruskin's 66 copy. 66 Ch. iii. § 17 n., "W. G. Palgrave" is a correction for "Sir F. Palgrave.” Ch. iv. § 28, in place of the editorial note, there was in editions after 1885, the note "See now the plan at the end of this chapter." § 41, 6 A, "grandest" was misprinted "grandes" in the small edition; 8 A, "fahn" has hitherto been misprinted "fahr." Appendix I. For an error in some previous editions, see above, p. 11. The list has now been corrected and supplemented, and references to the pages of the present volume are added. Appendix II. Some confusion has been caused by the use of the same black-letter numerals both for Ruskin's index numbers of the statues (as shown on his Plan), and for the numbers (which do not correspond) of his series of photographs. In this edition the black-letter is reserved for the former numerals. References to the Plates on which the photographs are reproduced are added. For a misprint of "13" for "18," see above, p. 9.] PREFACE 1. THE long abandoned purpose, of which the following pages begin some attempt at fulfilment, has been resumed at the request of a young English governess,' that I would write some pieces of history which her pupils could gather some good out of; the fruit of historical documents placed by modern educational systems at her disposal, being to them labour only, and sorrow.2 What else may be said for the book, if it ever become one, it must say for itself: preface, more than this, I do not care to write: and the less, because some passages of British history, at this hour under record,3 call for instant, though brief, comment. I am told that the Queen's Guards have gone to Ireland; playing "God save the Queen." And being, (as I have declared myself in the course of some letters to which public attention has been lately more than enough directed,) to the best of my knowledge, the staunchest Conservative in England, I am disposed gravely to question the propriety of the mission of the Queen's Guards on the employment commanded them. My own Conservative notion of the function of the Guards is that they should 1 [Miss Jessie Leete, who had first written to Ruskin in this same year (1880), and was afterwards a guest at Brantwood.] [Psalms xc. 10.] 3 [Ruskin wrote this Preface, as his diary shows, in December 1880. The "land war organised by the Irish Land League was then raging; Captain Boycott was being besieged (November); agrarian outrages were frequent; and the Times of December 23 reported "the departure of several battalions of the Household Troops for service in Ireland."] [The letters written in June, September, and October 1880 with reference to the Lord Rectorship of Glasgow University; reprinted in Arrows of the Chace, 1880, vol. ii. pp. 282–284, and in Vol. XXXIV. of this edition.] guard the Queen's throne and life, when threatened either by domestic or foreign enemy: but not that they should become a substitute for her inefficient police force, in the execution of her domiciliary laws. 2. And still less so, if the domiciliary laws which they are sent to execute, playing "God save the Queen," be perchance precisely contrary to that God the Saviour's law; and therefore, such as, in the long run, no quantity either of Queens, or Queen's men, could execute. Which is a question I have for these ten years been endeavouring to get the British public to consider-vainly enough hitherto ; and will not at present add to my own many words on the matter. But a book has just been published by a British officer, who, if he had not been otherwise and more actively employed, could not only have written all my books about landscape and picture, but is very singularly also of one mind with me, (God knows of how few Englishmen I can now say so,) on matters regarding the Queen's safety, and the Nation's honour. Of whose book (Far Out: Rovings Retold), since various passages will be given in my subsequent terminal notes, I will content myself with quoting for the end of my Preface, the memorable words which Colonel Butler himself quotes, as spoken to the British Parliament by its last Conservative leader, a British officer who had also served with honour and success. 3. The Duke of Wellington said: "It is already well 1 [See, e.g., Mornings in Florence, § 135 (13), Vol. XXIII. p. 426, and Fors Clavigera, Letters 7 and 10 (Vol. XXVII. pp. 131, 180).] 2 [A collection of papers of travel, published in 1880 by Lieutenant-Colonel (now General Sir) W. F. Butler, author of The Great Lone Land, The Wild North Land, etc. For The supposed quotation from the Duke of Wellington is at pp. 304-305 (in a paper entitled "A Plea for the Peasant"). The prohibition against the enlistment of Roman Catholic soldiers was removed in 1800, and "in the fourteen years of war following, not less than 100,000 Irish peasants offered for the army." other quotations from Sir William Butler's book, see below, p. 49; and A Knight's Faith, ch. xii. (Vol. XXXI. p. 480 n.). "In a letter written to his friend, Ruskin said: Heaven knows you could have written all my books, if you hadn't been at harder work,' adding, I am profoundly thankful for the blessing of power that is now united in your wife and you. What may you not do for England, the two of you!"" (Daily Chronicle, October 24, 1901). Sir William Butler had in 1877 married Miss Elizabeth Thompson, the artist, for whom see Vol. XIV. pp. 306, 308.] |