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<font size=3>We expect from writers of personal memoirs and
autobiographies that they shall refresh their memories from diaries and
letters and other data. Yet in the whole list of American
historical liars none are more distinguished than some of these
autobiographies. A shelf of literature might be filled with
so-called memoirs which are full of what a genial journalist has called
“habitual facticides”. <br><br>
Attributed to Albert Bushnell Hart, <i>Harper's</i>, October 1915.
(I don't know who the "genial journalist" is, and Google yields
no hits for “habitual facticides”.)<br><br>
<br>
P.S. "facticide is not in the OED. Google Books presents
two full-view senses:<br><br>
(1) "the destruction of the foetus whilst yet in the womb,
commonly called criminal abortion"<br>
In _The cyclopaedia of practical medicine ..._ (Philadelphia: 1845), vol.
2, p. 677. Date confirmed from title page.<br><br>
(2) "I am a novice at lying. But I shall cultivate the art for
poor Edith's sale. I'm not a fanatic: there is justifiable homicide, so
why not justifiable facticide?"<br>
In _The Galaxy_ (New York: 1870), vol. 9, p. 312. Date confirmed from
title page.<br><br>
Joel </font></body>
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