This little book was written before either "Jane Eyre" or"Shirley," and yet no indulgence can be solicited for it on theplea of a first attempt. A first attempt it certainly was not,as the pen which wrote it had been previously worn a good deal ina practice of some years. I had not indeed published anythingbefore I commenced "The Professor," but in many a crude effort,destroyed almost as soon as composed, I had got over any suchtaste as I might once have had for ornamented and redundantcomposition, and come to prefer what was plain and homely. Atthe same time I had adopted a set of principles on the subjectof incident, &c., such as would be generally approved in theory,but the result of which, when carried out into practice, oftenprocures for an author more surprise than pleasure.

I said to myself that my hero should work his way through life asI had seen real living men work theirs--that he should never geta shilling he had not earned--that no sudden turns should lifthim in a moment to wealth and high station; that whatever smallcompetency he might gain, should be won by the sweat of his brow;that, before he could find so much as an arbour to sit down in,he should master at least half the ascent of "the Hill ofDifficulty;" that he should not even marry a beautiful girl or alady of rank. As Adam's son he should share Adam's doom, anddrain throughout life a mixed and moderate cup of enjoyment.

In the sequel, however, I find that publishers in generalscarcely approved of this system, but would have liked somethingmore imaginative and poetical--something more consonant with ahighly wrought fancy, with a taste for pathos, with sentimentsmore tender, elevated, unworldly. Indeed, until an author hastried to dispose of a manuscript of this kind, he can never knowwhat stores of romance and sensibility lie hidden in breasts hewould not have suspected of casketing such treasures. Men inbusiness are usually thought to prefer the real; on trial theidea will be often found fallacious: a passionate preference forthe wild, wonderful, and thrilling--the strange, startling, andharrowing--agitates divers souls that show a calm and sobersurface.

Such being the case, the reader will comprehend that to havereached him in the form of a printed book, this brief narrativemust have gone through some struggles--which indeed it has. Andafter all, its worst struggle and strongest ordeal is yet to comebut it takes comfort--subdues fear--leans on the staff of amoderate expectation--and mutters under its breath, whilelifting its eye to that of the public,

"He that is low need fear no fall."

CURRER BELL.

The foregoing preface was written by my wife with a view to thepublication of "The Professor," shortly after the appearance of"Shirley." Being dissuaded from her intention, the authoressmade some use of the materials in a subsequent work--"Villette,"As, however, these two stories are in most respects unlike, ithas been represented to me that I ought not to withhold "TheProfessor" from the public. I have therefore consented to itspublication.

A. B. NICHOLLS

Haworth Parsonage,September 22nd, 1856.