第1章

第1章aprefacetothefirsteditionofjaneeyrebeingunnecessary,igavenone:thissecondeditiondemandsaewwordsbothofacknowledgmentandmiscellaneousremark.

mythanksaredueinthreequarters.

tothepublic,fortheindulgentearithasinclinedtoaplaintalewithfewpretensions.

tothepress,forthefairfielditshonestsuffragehasopenedtoanobscureaspirant.tomypublishers,fortheaidtheirtact,theirenergy,theirpracticalsenseandfrankliberalityhaveaffordedanunknownandunrecommendedauthor.

thepressandthepublicarebutvaguepersonificationsforme,andimustthanktheminvagueterms;butmypublishersaredefinite:soarecertaingenerouscriticswhohaveencouragedmeasonlylarge-heartedandhigh-mindedmenknowhowtoencouragealingstranger;tothem,i.e.,tomypublishersandtheselectreviewers,isaycordially,gentlemen,ithankyoufrommyheart.

havingthusacknowledgedwhatiowethosewhohaveaidedandapprovedme,iturntoanotherclass;asmallone,sofarasiknow,butnot,therefore,tobeoverlooked.imeanthetimorousorcarpingfewwhodoubtthetendencyofsuchbooksasjaneeyre:inwhoseeyeswhateverisunusualiswrong;whoseearsdetectineachprotestagainstbigotry—thatparentofcrime—aninsulttopiety,thatregentofgodonearth.iwouldesttosuchdoubterscertainobviousdistinctions;iwouldremindthemofcertainsimpletruths.

conventionalityisnotmorality.self-righteousnessisnotreligion.toattackthefirstisnottoassailthelast.topluckthemaskfromthefaceofthepharisee,isnottoliftanimpioushandtothecrownofthorns.

thesethingsanddeedsarediametricallyopposed:theyareasdistinctasisvicefromvirtue.mentoooftenconfoundthem:theyshouldnotbeconfounded:appearanceshouldnotbemistakenfortruth;narrowhumandoctrines,thatonlytendtoelateandmagnifyafew,shouldnotbesubstitutedfortheworld-redeemingcreedofchrist.thereis—irepeatit—adifference;anditisagood,andnotabadactiontomarkbroadlyandclearlythelineofseparationbetweenthem.

theworldmaynotliketoseetheseideasdissevered,forithasbeenaccustomedtoblendthem;findingitconvenienttomakeexternalshowpassforsterlingworth—toletwhite-washedwallsvouchforcleanshrines.itmayhatehimwhodarestoscrutiniseandexpose—torasethegilding,andshowbasemetalunderit—topenetratethesepulchre,andrevealcharnelrelics:buthateasitwill,itisindebtedtohim.

ahabdidnotlikemicaiah,becauseheneverprophesiedgoodconcerninghim,butevil;probablyhelikedthesycophantsonofchenaannahbetter;yetmightahabhaveescapedabloodydeath,hadhebutstoppedhisearstoflattery,andopenedthemtofaithfulcounsel.

thereisamaninourowndayswhosewordsarenotframedtotickledelicateears:who,tomythinking,comesbeforethegreatonesofsociety,muchasthesonofimlahcamebeforethethronedkingsofjudahandisrael;andwhospeakstruthasdeep,withapowerasprophet-likeandasvital—amienasdauntlessandasdaring.isthesatiristof“vanityfair”admiredinhighplaces?icannottell;butithinkifsomeofthoseamongstwhomhehurlsthegreekfireofhissarcasm,andoverwhomheflashesthelevin-brandofhisdenunciation,weretotakehiswarningsintime—theyortheirseedmightyetescapeafatalrimoth-gilead.

whyhaveialludedtothisman?ihavealludedtohim,reader,becauseithinkiseeinhimanintellectprofounderandmoreuniquethanhiscontemporarieshaveyetrecognised;becauseiregardhimasthefirstsocialregeneratoroftheday—astheverymasterofthatworkingcorpswhowouldrestoretorectitudethewarpedsystemofthings;becauseithinknocommentatoronhiswritingshasyetfoundthecomparisonthatsuitshim,thetermswhichrightlycharacterisehistalent.theysayheislikefielding:theytalkofhiswit,humour,comicpowers.heresemblesfieldingasaneagledoesavulture:fieldingcouldstooponcarrion,butthackerayneverdoes.hiswitisbright,hishumourattractive,butbothbearthesamerelationtohisseriousgeniusthatthemerelambentsheet-lightningplayingundertheedgeofthesummer-clouddoestotheelectricdeath-sparkhidinitswomb.finally,ihavealludedtomr.thackeray,becausetohim—ifhewillacceptthetributeofatotalstranger—ihavededicatedthissecondeditionofjaneeyre.

currerbell.

december21st,1847.

notetothethirdedition

iavailmyselfoftheopportunitywhichathirdeditionofjaneeyreaffordsme,ofagainaddressingawordtothepublic,toexplainthatmyclaimtothetitleofnovelistrestsonthisoneworkalone.if,therefore,theauthorshipofotherworksoffictionhasbeenattributedtome,anhonourisawardedwhereitisnotmerited;andconsequently,deniedwhereitisjustlydue.

thisexplanationwillservetorectifymistakeswhichmayalreadyhavebeenmade,andtopreventfutureerrors.

currerbell.

april13th,1848.