The Rambler

In April of 1934, Chesterton agreed to supply an Introduction to Hesketh Pearson's biography of Sydney Smith. Chesterton, however, submitted an essay on Smith that mentioned neither Pearson nor Pearson's book. When Pearson protested, Chesterton sheepishly admitted that he had become so enthralled with Sydney Smith that he became "rather like a chairman who gave a lecture but forgot to introduce the guest speaker." Chesterton quickly corrected the defect, and the biography was published that January. [Ian Hunter, Nothing To Repent, London: Hamilton, 1987]