Street’s friendly objection, and a compressed quotation
"I will begin to worry about my philosophy," said Mr. Street, "when Mr. Chesterton has given us his."
The available transcription of G. S. Street’s review, headed ‘Mr. Chesterton’ and dated The Outlook, 17 June 1905, reads: ‘I shall not begin to worry about my philosophy of life until Mr. Chesterton discloses his.’ Chesterton preserves the challenge but compresses and recasts its wording.
Street’s objection was more pointed than a request for additional information: Chesterton insisted that doctrine mattered above everything, yet left his own indistinct. Street also explicitly rejected that estimate of doctrine’s importance. This was nevertheless a friendly review, admiring Chesterton’s intellectual energy and originality. The duel metaphor therefore turns an appreciative critic’s demand for consistency into a public obligation to answer.
The review is accessible here through a modern transcription; its newspaper date and wording have not been checked against an original page image. Read Street’s review.
Sources
Revision 1 of 1 · 2026-11-07 · Suggest an edit