BROTHER COPAS

By

ARTHUR THOMAS QUILLER-COUCH.

1911

This etext prepared from a reprint of a version published in 1911.

TO THE GENTLE READER.

In a former book of mine, Sir John Constantine, I expressed(perhaps extravagantly) my faith in my fellows and in their capacityto treat life as a noble sport. In Brother Copas I try to expresssomething of that corellative scorn which must come sooner or laterto every man who puts his faith into practice.. I have that faithstill; but that:

He who would love his fellow men
Must not expect too much of them"

This is good counsel if bad rhyme. I can only hope that both the faithand the scorn are sound at the core.

For the rest, I wish to state that St. Hospital is a society whichnever existed. I have borrowed for it certain features from theHospital of St. Cross, near Winchester. I have invented a fewexternal and all the internal ones. My "College of Noble Poverty"harbours abuses from which, I dare to say, that nobler institution isentirely free. St Hospital has no existence at all outside of myimagining.

ARTHUR QUILLER-COUCH.

The Haven, Fowey.
February 16th, 1911.