"But Lavengro pretends to be an autobiography," say the critics;
and here the writer begs leave to observe, that it would be well
for people who profess to have a regard for truth, not to exhibit
in every assertion which they make a most profligate disregard of
it; this assertion of theirs is a falsehood, and they know it to be
a falsehood. In the preface Lavengro is stated to be a dream; and
the writer takes this opportunity of stating that he never said it
was an autobiography; never authorized any person to say that it
was one; and that he has in innumerable instances declared in
public and private, both before and after the work was published,
that it was not what is generally termed an autobiography: but a
set of people who pretend to write criticisms on books, hating the
author for various reasons,--amongst others, because, having the
proper pride of a gentleman and a scholar, he did not, in the year
'43, choose to permit himself to be exhibited and made a zany of in
London, and especially because he will neither associate with, nor
curry favour with, them who are neither gentlemen nor scholars,--
attack his book with abuse and calumny. He is, perhaps,
condescending too much when he takes any notice of such people; as,
however, the English public is wonderfully led by cries and shouts,
and generally ready to take part against any person who is either
unwilling or unable to defend himself, he deems it advisable not to
be altogether quiet with those who assail him.
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