The Breitmann Ballads | Page 4

give the world good cause to regret that the art of autobiography is of
all others the one least taught or studied. There are few characters more

interesting than those in which the practical man of business is
combined with the scholar, because of the contrasts, or varied play of
light and shadow, in them, and this was, absolutely to perfection, that
of Mr. Trübner. And if I have re-edited this
work, it was that I
might have an opportunity of recording it.
There are others to whom I owe sincere gratitude for
interest
displayed in this work when it was young. The first of these was the
late CHARLES ASTOR BRISTED of New York. With the exception
of the "Barty," most of the poems in the first edition were written
merely to fill up letters to him, and as I kept no copy of them, they
would have been forgotten, had he not
preserved and printed them
after a time in a sporting paper. Nor would they even after this have
appeared (though Mr. Bristed once tried to surprise me with a privately
printed collection of them, which attempt failed) had not Mr.
RINGWALT, my collaborator on the PHILADELPHIA PRESS, and
also a printer, had such faith in the work as to have it "set up" in his
office, offering to try an edition for me. This was transferred to
PETERSON BROTHERS, in whose hands the sale became at once
very great; and I should be truly ungrateful if I omitted to mention
among the many writers who were very kind in reviews, Mr. GEORGE

A. SALA, who was
chiefly influential in introducing Hans Breitmann
to the English public, and who has ever been his warmest friend.
Another friend who encouraged and aided me by criticism was the late
OCTAVE DELEPIERRE, a man of immense erudition, especially in

archæology,
curiosa and facetiæ. I trust that I may be
pardoned for here
mentioning that he often spoke of Breitmann's
"Interview with the Pope" as his favorite Macaronic poem, which, as he
had published two volumes of Macaronea, was praise indeed. His
theory was, that as Macaronics were the ultra-extravagance of poetry,
he who wrote most recklessly in them did best; in fact, that they should
excel in first-rate BADNESS; and from this point of view it is possible
that Breitmann's Latin lyric is not devoid of merit, since assuredly
nobody ever wrote a worse. The late LORD LYTTON, or "Bulwer,"
was also kind enough to take an interest in these Ballads, which was to
me as gratifying as it was amazing. It was one of the great surprises of
my life. I have a long letter from him, addressed to me on the
appearance of the collected edition, in 1870. In it he spoke with
warmest compliment of the poem of "Leyden," and the first verses of
"Breitmann in Belgium."
In conclusion, I acknowledge the courtesy of Messers.
DALZIELL
BROTHERS for allowing me to republish here four poems which had
appeared in the "Brand New Ballads" published by them in 1885. But
to mention all of the people of whom I have
grateful memories in
connection with the work, who have become acquainted with me
through it, or written to me, or said pleasant words, would be
impossible. I am happy to think it would embrace many of the Men of
the Times during the last twenty years -- and unfortunately too many
who are now departed. And trusting that the reader will take in good
part all that I have said, I remain, -- his true friend (for truly there is no
friend dearer than a devoted reader),
CHARLES G. LELAND
PREFACE

When HANS BREITMANN'S PARTY, WITH OTHER BALLADS,
appeared, the only claim made on its behalf was, that it constituted the
first book ever written in English as imperfectly spoken by Germans.
The author consequently held himself bound to give his broken English
a truthful form. So far as observation and care, aided by the suggestions
of well-educated German friends, could enable him to do this, it was
done. But the more extensive were his observations, the more did the
fact force itself upon his mind, that there is actually no well-defined
method or standard of "German-English," since not only do no two
men speak it alike, but no one individual is invariably consistent in his
errors or accuracies. Every reader who knows any foreign language

imperfectly is aware that HE SPEAKS IT BETTER AT ONE TIME
THAN ANOTHER, and it would consequently have been a grave error
to reduce the broken and irregular jargon of the book to a fixed and
regular language, or to require that the author should invariably write
exactly the same mispronunciations with strict consistency on all
occasions.
The opinion -- entirely foreign to any intention of the author -- that
Hans Breitmann is an embodied