CONTENTS
A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
THE MEMOIRES OF BARRY LYNDON, ESQ.
CHAPTER I. MY PEDIGREE AND FAMILY—UNDERGO THE INFLUENCE OF THE TENDER
CHAPTER II. I SHOW MYSELF TO BE A MAN OF SPIRIT
CHAPTER III. A FALSE START IN THE GENTEEL WORLD
CHAPTER IV. IN WHICH BARRY TAKES A NEAR VIEW OF MILITARY GLORY
CHAPTER V. BARRY FAR FROM MILITARY GLORY
CHAPTER VI. THE CRIMP WAGGON—MILITARY EPISODES
CHAPTER VII. BARRY LEADS A GARRISON LIFE, AND FINDS MANY FRIENDS THERE
CHAPTER VIII. BARRY’S ADIEU TO MILITARY PROFESSION
CHAPTER IX. I APPEAR IN A MANNER BECOMING MY NAME AND LINEAGE
CHAPTER X. MORE RUNS OF LUCK
CHAPTER XI. IN WHICH THE LUCK GOES AGAINST BARRY
CHAPTER XII. TRAGICAL HISTORY OF PRINCESS OF X——
CHAPTER XIII. I CONTINUE MY CAREER AS A MAN OF FASHION
CHAPTER XIV. I RETURN TO IRELAND, AND EXHIBIT MY SPLENDOUR AND
CHAPTER XV. I PAY COURT TO MY LADY LYNDON
CHAPTER XVI. I PROVIDE NOBLY FOR MY FAMILY
CHAPTER XVII. I APPEAR AS AN ORNAMENT OF ENGLISH SOCIETY
CHAPTER XVIII. MY GOOD FORTUNE BEGINS TO WAVER
CHAPTER XIX. CONCLUSION
Barry Lyndon—far from the best known, but by some critics acclaimed as the finest, of Thackeray’s works—appeared originally as a serial a few years before VANITY FAIR was written; yet it was not published in book form, and then not by itself, until after the publication of VANITY FAIR, PENDENNIS, ESMOND and THE NEWCOMES had placed its author in the forefront of the literary men of the day. So many years after the event we cannot help wondering why the story was not earlier put in book form; for in its delineation of the character of an adventurer it is as great as VANITY FAIR, while for the local colour of history, if I may put it so, it is no undistinguished precursor of ESMOND.
In the number of FRASER’S MAGAZINE for January 1844 appeared th