Fowler, John: Lecture on Egypt: delivered at Tewkesbury, Jan. 20, 1880 (London, 1880)

TO
THE INHABITANTS OF TEWKESBURY.

In accordance with the promise made to you at the conclusion
of my Lecture in January last, I have printed the whole of the
notes which time on that occasion only permitted me to deliver
in part.

I must admit that I hesitated for a moment before acceding
to the request to have the Lecture printed, because to do justice
to the subject, and to my own long and intimate association
with Egypt, it would have been necessary to have included many
other important questions, and to have expanded the notes of
a lecture into a goodly-sized volume. However, the flattering
attention you had paid to the Lecture quickly decided me to
print it, and I now leave it with you without any further apology
for its fragmentary character.

To render the little volume more worthy of your acceptance
I have added a series of pictorial illustrations of Egyptian life
and manners, prepared for my wife by our talented artistic friend,
Mr. Frederick George, of Cairo. The frontispiece is a remark-
able conception, and a glance at it will give you a clearer idea of
the strange medley- of Eastern and Western habits and amuse-
ments, so characteristic of Egypt, than would the reading of
many tedious descriptions. The other drawings are as true to
life as they are artistically clever.

Yours faithfully,

JOHN FOWLER.

London, March 1880.