"Me peregrino errante, e fra gli scogli TASSO. PREFACE. THE Italians call the Preface, "la salsa del libro," the sauce of the book. In the last edition of that most entertaining work, "The Curiosities of Literature," Mr. D'Israeli has an ingenious essay on Prefaces. "A Preface," he observes, "being the porch, or the entrance to a book, it ought to be beautiful: a good one," he adds, "is as essential to put the reader into good humour, as a good prologue is to a play, to soothe the auditors into candour, and even into partiality: if well seasoned, it creates an appetite in the reader to devour the book itself." Now, though I am but a very moderate literary cook, I am, of course, anxious, so to "season" my introductory matter, as to create in the reader an appetite to devour my performance. I was, indeed, only the other morning, considering with myself the way in which "this consummation devoutly to be wished" could be best effected, when in stepped a friend, to whom I had entrusted the sheets of my work for his candid opinion, and between whom, and the reader's humble servant, the following short dialogue took place. Authoress. Good morning, Sir: I see you have brought back the pages of my humble performance. I tremble to hear your honest judgment upon them. Friend. You have no occasion to tremble, Madam. I have read both your volumes with the greatest care, and am, I assure you, much pleased with their contents. I pronounce your first volume to contain the very best account of Venezia la Ricca, that has hitherto appeared. What title, may I ask, do you purpose giving to your work? |