Biography for Beginners: Being a Collection of Miscellaneous Examples for the Use of Upper Forms

Mr. Chesterton's nonsense-book, called Biography for Beginners, will perhaps amuse the grown-up people more than the children, though even if the latter cannot appreciate its subtleties, they will laugh very heartily at the fun. It is very difficult to choose a "biography" as an example for our readers, as the reviewer's temptation is to turn over the pages and read and enjoy instead of writing. Here, however, is "Otto the Great" -
"The great Emperor Otto
Could not decide upon a motto,
His mind wavered between
'L'Etat e'est Moi' and 'Ich Dien."
We refer our readers to the picture facing these lines.
- The Spectator, Volume 101 [1908]