The (almost really) Complete Works of Lewis Carroll

Preface

“Yet once more,” (to use the time-honoured words of our poet Milton,) we present ourselves before an eager and expectant public, let us hope under even better auspices than hitherto.

In making our bow for the—may we venture to say so?—forth time, it will be worth while to review the past, and to consider the probable future. We are encouraged to do so by Mrs. Malaprop’s advice, “Let us not anticipate the past: let all our retrospections be to the future,” and by the fact that our family motto is “Respiciendo prudens.”

We purpose then to give a brief history of our former domestic magazines in this family, their origin, aim, progress, and ultimate fate, and we shall notice, as we go on, the other magazines which have appeared, but not under our own editorship: we commence our history, then, with

Useful and Instructive Poerty

This we wrote ourselves about the year 1845, the idea of the first poem being suggested by a piece in the “Etonian”: it lasted about half a year, and was then very clumsily bound up in a sort of volume: the binding, however, was in every respect worthy of the contents: the volume still exists.

The Rectory Magazine

This was the first started for general contribution, and at first the contributions poured in in one continuous stream, while the issuing of each number was attended by the most violent excitement through the whole house: most of the family contributed one or more articles to it. About the year 1848 the numbers were bound into a volume, which still exists.

The Comet

This was started by us about the year 1848. It was the same shape as the former, but, for the sake of variety, opened at the end instead of the side. Little interest attended this publication, and its contents were so poor, that, after 6 numbers were out, we destroyed all but the last, and published no more. The last number, we believe, is still in existence.

The Rosebud

This was started in imitation of the Comet, but only reached a second number: the cover of each number was tastefully ornamented with a painted rosebud: the two numbers do not contain much worth notice, but are still preserved.

The Star

Another imitator of the Comet, on a less ambitious scale even than the last: the manuscript and illustrations decidedly below par: some half-dozen numbers still survive.

The Will-O’-The-Wisp

Even inferior to the last: the numbers were cut in a triangular shape: we believe some numbers are still to be found.

The Rectory Umbrella

This we started, we believe, in 1849 or 1850, in a ready-bound square volume. It was admired at the time, but wholly unsupported, and it took us a year or more to fill the volume by our own unaided efforts. The volume exists, and in good preservation, and therefore any further account of it is needless.

We will here notice one or two of our own writings, which have seen more extended publicity than the above mentioned. In the summer of 1854 we contributed two poems to the “Oxonian Advertiser,” neither at all worth preservation; and in the Long Vacation of the same year, when staying with a reading party at Whitby, we contributed “The Lady of the Ladle” and “Wilhelm von Schmitz,” to the weekly Gazette of that place. Both will be found inserted in this volume. From this subject we hasten to the consideration of the present magazine.

Mischmasch

The name is German, and means in English “midge-madge,” which we need not inform the intelligent reader is equivalent to “hodge-podge”: our intention is to admit articles of every kind, prose, verse, and pictures, provided they reach a sufficiently high standard of merit.

The best of its contents will be offered at intervals to a contemporary magazine of a less exclusively domestic nature: we allude to the “Comic Times”; thus affording to the contributors to this magazine an opportunity of presenting their productions to the admiring gaze of the English Nation.

Notice to the Public

The two following compositions, “Wilhelm von Schmitz” and “The Lady of the Ladle,” were originally published in the “Whitby Gazette,” a weekly periodical, price one penny: what opinion the Editor of that paper formed of them may be judged from his farewell address, inserted below.

As the scenery and many of the allusions refer to Whitby, the papers may not prove very intellegible to the general reader; still, if they succeed in imparting one transient glow of satisfaction to the breast of any individual however humble, or in awakening one sickly smile on the countenance of any reader however disreputable, the author’s incessant and exhausting toil of sixteen long years will have been abundantly repaid.

The Publisher of the Whitby Gazette in issuing the last number for the first season, gratefully acknowledges its favourable reception, and although he cannot but own that the literary department as a whole, has not been of a high or specially attractive nature, yet the object originally intended has been realized, namely, the publishing of a List of Lodging Houses and Visitors, for the use of the greatly increased number who have sought health and recreation amid the attractions of of this rapidly rising watering place.

Although as a pecuniary speculation the past would not warrant him in promoting its re-appearance, yet, confidently hoping that its usefulness will be more generally owned, he respectfully announces that at the proper season it will again be issued.

Thanks are awarded to those who have taken an interest in its publication and have so kindly furnished materials for its columns, and hopes are entertained that the services of those and other kind friends will again be afforded when the publication is resumed.