Dedication
To Emma Mellicent Audrey
Plea: Confession and Avoidance
“... aphorism are seldom couched in such terms, that they should be taken as they sound precisely, or according to the widest extent of signification; but do commonly need exposition, and admit exception: otherwise frequently they would not only clash with reason and experience, but interfere, thwart, and supplant one another.”
—Issac Barrow
“The very essence of an aphorism is that slight exaggeration which makes it more biting whilst less rigidly accurate.” —Leslie Stephen