A CORRECTION.
[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR."1 SIR,—On a point of equity, I write to you. In the Spectator of June 25th (p. 991) one of your reviewers, in referring to a story of my relations with the critics, writes • the title of a book of mine. as "Religio Athleti," and on that blunder hangs a quip of sarcasm. In the first place, how- ever, the story referred to is without foundation, and it has been repudiated with proper expressions of regret in the journal in which it originally appeared. Your reviewer may certainly be excused for not having been aware of that fact; the mispotation of the title of my book is much more serious. It is your reviewer's business to be acquainted with such matters, and I am not altogether obscure in the literary world, for the Spectator itself has been known to devote considerable space to my writings, though, again, not 'without prejudice. If you care to refer to your issue of April 4th, 1896, you will observe that on that date you withdrew a criticism founded on a misunderstanding. In a general way I may say that the baseless stories circulated on my account while I was unable to defend myself, and retracted since my release, have afforded a strange comment on the boasted fair play of this country. And in the present instance I would put it to you with the straightness that Englishmen are said to appreciate : How does your reviewer reconcile his conduct either with the in- telligence due to his office or with common honesty F—I am, London.
[We had no desire to be unfair to Mr. Lynch when we criticised a book in which his name is mentioned, apparently in a misleading way, and we are therefore glad to publish his correction.—ED. Spectator.]
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