1920-22 Draft of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom – Page 17

I. The story which follows was first written out in Paris during the Peace Conference, from notes taken soon after on the march, afterwards lost, & some reports I had sent to my Chiefs in Cairo: Woodrow Wilson in the autumn of 1919. It remained just scribbled-in like that, under circumstances on which I need not dwell. It seemed to me needful to rewrite it, for historical purposes, as perhaps no one but myself in Foch's army had thought of writing down at the time what we felt, what we hoped, what we did. So I make of it all again with great difficulty in London in the winter of 1919-1920 from many and my surviving notes. In re-writing it, what I do not think that every actual matters mentioned, except in - except ... as some dates & numbers - and the mere names and circumstances of things happen to have lent the ... from their having come was associated, have of true, and consequently the story touches on. However, as my object was to give those who cared to read it some general notion it would be idle to elaborate its lore. I suppose something should be said of the particular status of this draught. For the style. I hope a spirit of rigour - correct drudgery is more to my own taste than any sprightly turns from the ... stock task of words that wield. - words learn men have clung to, and charged with rich meaning, and made our living possessions. I am conscious continually of such borrowed phrases and ideas, but I have not fished them out to make a parade, and quotation marks alone great loads of bonded must be heaped to see us forewarning sitting of no tripe hands thus faults: wise, and shadowy in this Stretch cottage. I that I would be glad if anyone found no ... ... Faults, differ The dates and facts are correct, ad for as my notes shown them: but the personal names are not in the same case. Since we rinded the adventures some of those who worked with me have turned themselves in the excellent streams of public duty. I have made free with their names. Others still possess the wiles, and I have misplaced their aliases. Sometimes no man has fictitious names. Thus may have been...