The Project Gutenberg eBook, Two on a Tower, by Thomas Hardy

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Title: Two on a Tower

Author: Thomas Hardy

Release Date: October 11, 2007 [eBook #3146]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWO ON A TOWER***

This etext was prepared from the 1923 Macmillan edition by Les Bowler.

TWO ON A TOWER

BY
THOMAS HARDY.

'Ah, my heart! her eyes and she
Have taught thee new astrology.
Howe'er Love's native hours were set,
Whatever starry synod met,
'Tis in the mercy of her eye,
If poor Love shall live or die.'

CRASHAW: _Love's Horoscope_.

WITH A MAP OF WESSEX.

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
1923

COPYRIGHT

_First published by Macmillan and Co._, _Crown_ 8_vo,_ 1902

_Reprinted_ 1907, 1911, 1916, 1923

_Pocket Edition_ 1906. _Reprinted_ 1909, 1912, 1915, 1918 1919, 1920,
1922, 1923

_Wessex Edition_ (_8vo_) 1912

_Reprinted_ 1920

PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

PREFACE.

This slightly-built romance was the outcome of a wish to set the
emotional history of two infinitesimal lives against the stupendous
background of the stellar universe, and to impart to readers the
sentiment that of these contrasting magnitudes the smaller might be the
greater to them as men.

But, on the publication of the book people seemed to be less struck with
these high aims of the author than with their own opinion, first, that
the novel was an 'improper' one in its morals, and, secondly, that it was
intended to be a satire on the Established Church of this country. I was
made to suffer in consequence from several eminent pens.

That, however, was thirteen years ago, and, in respect of the first
opinion, I venture to think that those who care to read the story now
will be quite astonished at the scrupulous propriety observed therein on
the relations of the sexes; for though there may be frivolous, and even
grotesque touches on occasion, there is hardly a single caress in the
book outside legal matrimony, or what was intended so to be.

As for the second opinion, it is sufficient to draw attention, as I did
at the ti