Chapter I: Front Matter

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE

Italic text is denoted by _underscores_.

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represented by _________ in this etext.

The 3-star inverted asterism symbol occurred eight times in the
‘Personal Par’ chapter. This is denoted by * * *.

Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have
been placed at the end of the book.

This book uses some unusual characters. These will display on this
device as
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The Table of Contents was created by the Transcriber, and is
placed in the public domain.

Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book.

HILAIRE BELLOC

THE AFTERMATH

_or_

GLEANINGS FROM A BUSY LIFE

CALLED UPON THE OUTER COVER

For Purposes of Sale

CALIBAN’S GUIDE TO LETTERS

By H. B.

NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & CO.

☞ _FURTHER AND YET MORE WEIGHTY OPINIONS OF THE PRESS._

“ ... We found it very tedious....”--_The Evening German._

(The devil “we” did! “We” was once a private in a line regiment,
drummed out for receiving stolen goods).

“ ... We cannot see what Dr. Caliban’s Guide is driving at.”--_The Daily American._

(It is driving at you).

“ ... What? Again?...”--_The Edinburgh Review._

“ ... On y retrouve a chaque page l’orgueil et la sécheresse Anglaise....”--M. HYPPOLITE DURAND, writing in _Le Journal_ of Paris.

“ ... O Angleterre! Ile merveilleuse! C’est donc toujours de toi que sortiront la Justice et la Vérité....”--M. CHARMANT REINACH, writing in the _Horreur_ of Geneva.

“ ... Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch’entrate.”--Signor Y. ILABRIMO (of Palermo), writing in the _Tribuna_ of Rome.

“πολλὰ τὰ δεινα κὀυδεν ἀνθρώπου δεινότερον πέλει.”--M. NEGRIDEPOPOULOS DE WORMS, writing in _The_ “τὸ δεινον” of Athens.

“!!משאל.”--_The Banner of Israel._

“----!”--_The Times_ of London.

_TO_

CATHERINE, MRS. CALIBAN,

BUT FOR WHOSE FRUITFUL SUGGESTION, EVER-READY SYMPATHY,
POWERS OF OBSERVATION, KINDLY CRITICISM, UNFLINCHING
COURAGE, CATHOLIC LEARNING, AND NONE THE LESS
CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLE,

THIS BOOK MIGHT AS WELL NOT HAVE BEEN
WRITTEN;

IT IS DEDICATED

BY

HER OBEDIENT AND GRATEFUL SERVANT AND FRIEND
IN AFFLICTION,

THE AUTHOR.

“_O, Man; with what tremors as of earth-begettings hast thou not
wrought, O, Man!--Yet--is it utterly indeed of thee--? Did there
not toil in it also that_ WORLD-MAN, _or haply was there not Some
Other?... O, Man! knowest thou that word Some Other?_”--CARLYLE’S
“Frederick the Great.”

Most of these sketches are reprinted from “The Speaker,” and appear in this form by the kind permission of its Editor.

ERRATA AND ADDENDA.

P. 19, line 14 (from the top), for “enteric” read “esoteric.”

P. 73, second footnote, for “Sophia, Lady Gowl,” read “Lady Sophia Gowl.”

P. 277 (line 5 from bottom), for “the charming prospect of such a _bribe_,” read “_Bride_.”

P. 456, delete all references to Black-mail, _passim_.

P. 510 (line 6 from top), for “_Chou-fleur_”, read “_Chauffeur_.”

DIRECTION TO PRINTER.--Please print hard, strong, clear, straight, neat, clean, and well. Try and avoid those little black smudges!