liv INTRODUCTION

you. I had no idea how I should have to compress in finishing. Dr. Parsons here to-day; says I’m quite well-I think so too.”

(To his printer, HENRY JOWETT.)-“I am so glad you like the last number of Præterita. The feelings with which I write it are so many and mixed that I am quite unable to judge of the effect it will have on the readers I care most to please.

“The first chapter reads rather spicy. Dilecta is quite delightful. I think I like the Christ Church Choir in print mightily.

“I think the ii. Præterita¹ will bring the house down.

“I’ve rather enjoyed reading these slips myself.

“I have knocked off last sentence from Præterita; everybody wants the more poetic ending.² I wonder who will edit my diaries when I’m ended myself.”³

These extracts refer, as will have been seen, to the issue of successive chapters of Præterita, and to the supplementary series called Dilecta, which was to contain “Correspondence, Diary Notes, and Extracts from Books illustrating Præterita.” In what way the book was hindered by ill-health, and how it was ultimately left incompleted, I have already told. Of the third volume of Præterita, only four of the intended twelve chapters were written; and of Dilecta (which was to have consisted of thirty-six chapters) only three. I remember Ruskin showing me, in April 1888, a list of pretty titles for the twelve intended chapters of the third volume of Præterita and for as many parallel chapters of a third volume of Dilecta. This list is recoverable, as follows, from his MSS:-

PRÆTERITA.-VOL. III.DILECTA.-VOL. III.

CHAP. CHAP.

1. The Grande Chartreuse. 1. Golden Water.

2. Mont Velan. 2. Dash, Thistle, and Maude.

3. L’Esterelle. 3. Ara Cœli.

4. Joanna’s Care. 4. Brave Galloway.

5. The Source of the Arveron. 5.Rose Fluor.

6. Königstein. 6. Verona.

7. The Rainbows of Giessbach. 7. The Jungfrau.

8. Regina Montium. 8. The Bay of Uri.

9. The Hunter’s Rock. 9. St. Martin’s Porch.

10. Fairies’ Hollow.10. St. Martin’s Bridge.

11. Shakespeare’s Cliff.11. St. Martin’s Chapel.

12. Calais Pier.12. Notre Dame of the Isle.

“Everything is written,” he said, with a smile, “except the chapters themselves.” “But what,” I asked, “about the intervening chapters

¹ Chapter ii. of vol. ii.

² Probably ch. x. of vol. ii.

³ From John Ruskin: a Biographical Sketch, by R. Ed. Pengelly, pp. 107, 113.

[Version 0.04: March 2008]