"The essays collected in First and Last give us Hilaire Belloc in full stride, confident in what he knows, intuits, and observes about the world past and present. Written in the years prior to the volume’s publication in 1911, they display the sure tone of a natural teacher, of a master unfolding the manner of things. This master, however, remains ever a companionable guide. His unhurried musings, his satirical eye, his love of human variety, and his deeper love of civilization never become tiresome or imperious. The essays instead possess the character of an unsentimental invitation to delight in and reflect upon a world, intelligible yet mysterious, alongside the author. Like Browning’s Fra Lippo Lippi, the world “means intensely, and means good:/ To find its meaning is my meat and drink.” Happily for readers, and with the added aim of delight, this is the object of Belloc’s First and Last." — from the Foreword by David M. WhalenWith a brand new foreword written by David M. Whalen, Associate Vice President for Curriculum and Professor of English, Hillsdale College, The Cenacle Press is pleased to present this republication of the essays of the renowned author, Hilaire Belloc.As with other collections of Belloc's essays, the topics cover a wide range. Yet what brings them into a unified whole is Belloc's vivid awareness that things "mean intensely." There is no room for thoughtlessness and pointlessness, whether he is delivering in clear argumentative style or whimsical satire. Join Belloc on the journey into reality and meaning through essays such asRealityThe Lost ThingsOn the Reading of HistoryThe End of the WorldAnd many more…As a part of The Cenacle Press' Kells Collection, the volume is printed as a cloth back with sewn binding, and silk screen and gold foil stamping finish on the cover. It is a volume that all true book lovers will want to have in their library!
