
     

                                Charles Dickens

                              A Tale of Two Cities

                                    Preface

When I was acting, with my children and friends, in Mr. WILKIE COLLINS'S drama
of The Frozen Deep, I first conceived the main idea of this story. A strong
desire was upon me then, to embody it in my own person; and I traced out in my
fancy, the state of mind of which it would necessitate the presentation to an
observant spectator, with particular care and interest.
    As the idea became familiar to me, it gradually shaped itself into its
present form. Throughout its execution, it has had complete possession of me; I
have so far verified what is done and suffered in these pages, as that I have
certainly done and suffered it all myself.
    Whenever any reference (however slight) is made here to the condition of the
French people before or during the Revolution, it is truly made, on the faith of
trustworthy witnesses. It has been one of my hopes to add something to the
popular and picturesque means of understanding that terrible time, though no one
can hope to add anything to the philosophy of Mr. CARLYLE'S wonderful book.

                                 Book the First

                                Recalled to Life

 

                                   Chapter I

                                   The Period

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom,
it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of
incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was
the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us,
we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going
direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period,
that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good
or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
    There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a plain face, on the
throne of England; there were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a fair
face, on the throne of France. In both countries it was clearer than crystal to
the lords of the State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general
were settled for ever.
    It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five.
Spiritual revelations were conceded to England at that favoured period, as at
this. Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed
birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the
sublime
