THE RECORD OF NICHOLAS FREYDON

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY

[A novel by Alec John Dawson]

This etext prepared from the first edition published in 1914 by Constableand Company Ltd, London.

EDITOR'S PREFATORY NOTE

It would ill become any writer to adopt an apologetic tone in introducingthe work of another pen than his own, and indeed I have no thought ofapologia where Nicholas Freydon's writing is concerned. On thecontrary, it is out of respect for my friend's quality as a writer that I ammoved to a word of explanation here. It is this: there are circumstances,sufficiently indicated I think in the text of the book and my own footnotethereto, which tended to prevent my performance of those offices for myfriend's work which are usually expected of one who is said to edit. It wouldbe more fitting, I suppose, if a phrase were borrowed from the theatricalworld, and this record of a man's life were said to be 'presented' rather than'edited,' by me. I am advised to accept the editorial title in this connection,but it is the truth that the book has not been edited at all, in the ordinaryacceptance of the term. A few purely verbal emendations have been made in it,but Nicholas Freydon's last piece of writing has never been revised, nor evenarranged in deference to accepted canons of book-making. It is given here as itleft the author's pen, designed, not for your eye or mine, but for that of itswriter, to be weighed and considered by him. But that weighing andconsideration it has not received.

So much I feel it incumbent upon me to say, as the avowed sponsor for thebook, in order that praise and blame may be rightly apportioned. Touching theinherent value of this document, nothing whatever is due to me. Any criticismof its arrangement, or lack of arrangement, to be just, should be levelled atmyself alone.

MANHOOD--ENGLAND: FIRST PERIOD

MANHOOD--ENGLAND: SECOND PERIOD

THE LAST STAGE

EDITOR'S NOTE