Shakespeare, why don't you write us another Titus
Andronicus? Now that was a sweet play, that was."
And when he had done Antony and Cleopatra she would have told him
that her favourite plays were the three parts of King Henry VI.
Compensation
If I die prematurely, at any rate I shall be saved from being bored
by my own success.
Hudibras and Erewhon
I was completing the purchase of some small houses at Lewisham and
had to sign my name. The vendor, merely seeing the name and knowing
none of my books, said to me, rather rudely, but without meaning any
mischief:
"Have you written any books like Hudibras?"
I said promptly: "Certainly; Erewhon is quite as good a book as
Hudibras."
This was coming it too strong for him, so he thought I had not heard
and repeated his question. I said again as before, and he shut up.
I sent him a copy of Erewhon immediately after we had completed. It
was rather tall talk on my part, I admit, but he should not have
challenged me unprovoked.
Life and Habit and Myself
At the Century Club I was talking with a man who asked me why I did
not publish the substance of what I had been saying. I believed he
knew me and said:
"Well, you know, there's Life and Habit."
He did not seem to rise at all, so I asked him if he had seen the
book.
"Seen it?" he answered. "Why, I should think every one has seen Life
and Habit: but what's that got to do with it?"
I said it had taken me so much time lately that I had had none to
spare for anything else.
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