Literary Forgeries (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

Excerpt from Literary Forgeries

Perhaps the historical novelist may go too far, despite his privileges. In writing T/ie Monk of Fife, years ago, I professed to have discovered the continuation, in French, of a genuine manuscript account of Jeanne d'arc, begun in Latin by her friend, a Scot, and mysteriously broken off in the middle of a sentence. I even went so far as to forge extracts, in Old French, from the chapel register of St. Catherine of Fierbois, confirmatory of my narrative. Perhaps this was wrong. It was a blunder, if not a crime, for a learned mediaevalist could not make out whether he had a modern novel or a fifteenth century docu ment in his hands, while the novel-reading public exclaimed, Oh, this is a horrid real history!

Let this be a warning to historical novelists. As to poets, if the public will not read their poems, is it likely that they will be read when expressed in Wardour Street English, Wardour Street spelling, and attributed to a monk of the fourteenth century? Chatterton was guilty of a blunder as well as a crime, with his old Rowley the monk.

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.

Excerpt from Literary Forgeries

The following chapters are an excursion into those shadier paths of literature where the forger or imitator has for his own ends played on the innocent credulity of mankind. Forbidden paths they may be to the straighter sect of the lovers of literature; but, having found some delectation in them myself, I have relied on the similar mental constitution of most men for the hope and belief that they may have attractions also for others.

The endeavour has been to present a comprehensive or bird's-eye view of literary forgery, and to convey some idea of the large place it occupies in the intellectual history of our race, and of the considerable influence it has had on the destinies and fortunes of the world. To this end both selection and condensation have been necessary.

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.