Sur l'art de prophétiser

On the Art of Prophecy
For a long time the human race has taken a wicked pleasure in showing up prophecies. But at the beginning of the nineteenth century, wrote G.K. Chesterton, every eminent man began to prophecy for and against. Then the people found itself in a cruel dilemma: how in fact to invalidate such diverse and contradictory forecasts when it is scarcely possible to escape from a development appearing among the possible futures?
The text which we are reproducing here is full of humour and vivacity; it also represents for futurists a lesson in humour and humility. This text is the first chapter entitled “Preliminary Remarks on the Art of Prophesying” from the work by G.K. Chesterton “The Napoleon of Notting Hill”.