PREFACE

Prefaces written to explain the objects and meaning of a book, or to make any appeal, ad miseracordiam or other, in its favor, are, in my opinion, nuisances. Any book worth reading will explain its own objects and meaning, and the more it is criticized and turned inside out, the better for it and its author. Of all books, too, it seems to me that novels require prefaces least—at any rate, on their first appearance. Notwithstanding which belief, I must ask readers for three minutes' patience before they make trial of this book.

The natural pleasure which I felt at the unlooked for popularity of the first part of the present story, was much lessened by the pertinacity with which many persons, acquaintance as well as strangers, would insist (both in public and in private) on identifying the hero and the author. On the appearance of the first few numbers of the present continuation in Macmillan's Magazine, the same thing occurred, and, in fact, reached such a pitch, as to lead me to make some changes to the story. Sensitiveness on such a point may seem folly, but if the readers had felt the sort of loathing and disgust which one feels at the notion of painting a favorable likeness of oneself in a work of fiction, they would not wonder at it. So, now that this book is finished and Tom Brown, so far as I am concerned, is done with for ever, I must take this, my first and last chance of saying, that he is not I, either as boy or man—in fact, not to beat about the bush, is a much braver, and nobler, and purer fellow than I ever was.

When I first resolved to write the book, I tried to realize to myself what the commonest type of English boy of the upper middle class was, so far as my experience went; and to that type I have throughout adhered, trying simply to give a good specimen of the genus. I certainly have placed him in the country, and scenes which I know best myself, for the simple reason, that I knew them better than any others, and therefore was less likely to blunder in writing about them.

As to the name, which has been, perhaps, the chief “cause of offense,” in this matter, the simple facts are, that I chose the name “Brown,” because it stood first in the trio of “Brown, Jones, and Robinson,” which had become a sort of synonym for the middle classes of Great Britain. It happens that my own name and that of Brown have no single letter in common. As to the Christian name of “Tom,” having chosen Brown, I could hardly help taking it as the prefix. The two names have gone together in England for two hundred years, and the joint name has not enjoyed much of a reputation for respectability. This suited me exactly. I wanted the commonest name I could get, and did not want any name which had the least heroic, or aristocratic, or even respectable savor about it. Therefore I had a natural leaning to the combination which I found ready to my hand. Moreover, I believed “Tom” to be a more specially English name than John, the only other as to which I felt the least doubt. Whether it be that Thomas a Beckett was for so long the favorite English saint, or from whatever other cause, it certainly seems to be the fact, that the name “Thomas,” is much commoner in England than in any other country. The words, “tom-fool,”

“tom-boy,” etc., though, perhaps not complimentary to the “Tom's” of England, certainly show how large a family they must have been. These reasons decided me to keep the Christian name which had been always associated with “Brown”; and I own that the fact that it happened to be my own, never occurred to me as an objection, till the mischief was done, past recall.

I have only, then, to say, that neither is the hero a portrait of myself, nor is there any other portrait in either of the books, except in the case of Dr. Arnold, where the true name is given. My deep feeling of gratitude to him, and reverence for his memory, emboldened me to risk the attempt at a portrait in his case, so far as the character was necessary for the work. With these remarks, I leave this volume in the hands of readers.

T. Hughes

Lincoln's Inn,

October, 1861

CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER INTRODUCTORY

CHAPTER I—ST. AMBROSE'S COLLEGE

CHAPTER II—A ROW ON THE RIVER

CHAPTER III—A BREAKFAST AT DRYSDALE'S

CHAPTER IV—THE ST. AMBROSE BOAT CLUB: ITS MINISTERY AND THEIR BUDGET.

CHAPTER V—HARDY, THE SERVITOR

CHAPTER VI—HOW DRYSDALE AND BLAKE WENT FISHING

CHAPTER VII—AN EXPLOSION

CHAPTER VIII—HARDY'S HISTORY

CHAPTER IX—“A BROWN BAIT.”

CHAPTER X—SUMMER TERM

CHAPTER XI—MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY

CHAPTER XII—THE CAPTAIN'S NOTIONS

CHAPTER XIII—THE FIRST BUMP

CHAPTER XIV—A CHANGE IN THE CREW, AND WHAT CAME OF IT

CHAPTER XV—A STORM BREWS AND BREAKS

CHAPTER XVI—THE STORM RAGES

CHAPTER XVII—NEW GROUND

CHAPTER XVIII—ENGLEBOURNE VILLAGE

CHAPTER XIX—A PROMISE OF FAIRER WEATHER

CHAPTER XX—THE RECONCILIATION

CHAPTER XXI—CAPTAIN HARDY ENTERTAINED BY ST. AMBROSE.

CHAPTER XXII—DEPARTURES EXPECTED AND UNEXPECTED

CHAPTER XXIII—THE ENGLEBOURN CONSTABLE

CHAPTER XXIV—THE SCHOOLS.

CHAPTER XXV—COMMEMORATION

CHAPTER XXVI—THE LONG WALK IN CHRISTCHURCH MEADOWS

CHAPTER XXVII—LECTURING A LIONESS

CHAPTER XXVIII—THE END OF THE FRESHMAN'S YEAR

CHAPTER XXIX—THE LONG VACATION LETTER-BAG.

CHAPTER XXX—AMUSEMENTS AT BARTON MANOR

CHAPTER XXXI—BEHIND THE SCENES

CHAPTER XXXII—A CRISIS

CHAPTER XXXIII—BROWN PATRONUS

CHAPTER XXXIV—[Greek text] MEHDEN AGAN

CHAPTER XXXV—SECOND YEAR

CHAPTER XXXVI—THE RIVER SIDE

CHAPTER XXXVII—THE NIGHT WATCH

CHAPTER XXXVIII—MARY IN MAYFAIR

CHAPTER XXXIX—WHAT CAME OF THE NIGHT WATCH

CHAPTER XL—HUE AND CRY

CHAPTER XLI—THE LIEUTENANT'S SENTIMENTS AND PROBLEMS

CHAPTER XLII—THIRD YEAR

CHAPTER XLIII—AFTERNOON VISITORS

CHAPTER XLIV—THE INTERCEPTED LETTER-BAG

CHAPTER XLV—MASTER'S TERM

CHAPTER XLVI—FROM INDIA TO ENGLEBOURN

CHAPTER XLVII—THE WEDDING-DAY

CHAPTER XLVIII—THE BEGINNING OF THE END

CHAPTER XLIX—THE END

CHAPTER L