Some Opinions of the Press on the
First Edition of this Work.
“The beauty of ‘Thoth’ is that you never have the faintest idea what will happen next. This is the glory of romance, to keep up the reader’s curiosity from page to page.... But what could hardly be bettered is the veiled yet awful picture of the women, the mothers of the ruling race in this wonderful city.... The central and vivifying idea is, to us, absolutely novel.”—Saturday Review.
“‘Thoth’ has imagination, delicacy, and finish.”—Athenæum.
“It is admirably written, many of its passages are not likely to be forgotten.”—Graphic.
“‘Thoth’ is a weird and mysterious romance, manifesting unusual literary skill, and displaying no small amount of imagination.”—Academy.
“Very curious and notable little book.”—Daily News.
“The story is one of great power and of the highest imagination.... One of the cleverest things of the day.”—Glasgow Herald.
“An excellent romance, strongly imagined, and worked out with praiseworthy delicacy and skill.”—Scotsman.
“The book is full of imaginative beauty of a rare order.”—Leeds Mercury.
“The tale is told with such a wealth of imagination and power of graphic description, that it is not only possible to take a lively interest in the fortunes of the heroine, but even difficult to cease following them till the last page is reached.”—Guardian.
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS,
EDINBURGH AND LONDON.
THOTH
A ROMANCE
THIRD EDITION
WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
MDCCCLXXXIX
All Rights reserved
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
I gladly avail myself of this occasion to thank my critics for the very friendly reception they have accorded to a book which was issued, in the fullest meaning of the term, anonymously—that is to say, even without the knowledge of a single personal friend. At the same time, I wish to make an explanation which is partly of the nature of a protest.
Post hoc ergo propter hoc may not always be a fallacy, but it was certainly a mistake on the part of several reviewers of ‘Thoth’ to translate it in their haste, “after ‘She,’ therefore on account of ‘She.’” For, as a matter of fact, ‘Thoth’ was designed and in part composed more than twelve years ago. In its present form, however, it has been entirely rewritten. It may interest somevi of my critics to know the original i