Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 3.djvu/147

 9 th S. III. FEB. 25, '99.]

NOTES AND QUEEIES.

141

LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 35, 1899.

CONTENTS. -No. 61.

)TES : Pickwick as a Teetotaler, 141 Literary Parallels, L42 Military Cemetery at Eve Leary, 143 The ' Gentle- nan's Magazine ' Montaigne and East Anglia, 144" Sir " is a Prefix Hay ward Prices in 1734 Proverb concerning Dogs " Parley's Penny Library," 145 ' Tom Tit Tot' Lord Bllenborough on India and Egypt Name-System on he Gold Coast " Huchown of the Awle Ryale" Holy Trinity, Minories, 146 ' Shakspeare and the Faust Legend,' 147.

QBRIES : Broadside Heylin Wellington and GrassinS, 147 Ewer and Thurloe Nag's Head Trevis Family Lavinia "To kiss the hare's toot" Maginus Bedfont Taking the Pledge Illegal, 148 North- Country Verse Wanted W. Cornwallis R. Dewhurst Sundials J. Wat- kins Parliament Cakes Bedell Easter "The Rabbi Lion of Prague" Authors Wanted, 149. BPLIBS : St. Peter's, Wolverhampton, 149 Wordsworth Tolling Church Bells Reference to Quotation Sir T. More's Ancestry, 151 Hands without Hair Maxwell's Herodian ' " An ice " ' ' T'esquinte pas "Cryptography R. S. Godfrey Genealogy of Lord Curzon Benedict Arnold. 152 Dead Fold Papal Bull Mrs. Younger=John Finch, 153 Cecil Unwritten History The Roman Ghetto, 154 Sir A. Crowley London Exhibitions, 155 "Tres tois d'or" Ministers' Letters to the Sovereign- Charles Young and Mrs. Young Scandal concerning Walpole Sewardstone Glyndyfrdwy, 156 "Ask no questions," &c. " Cambuscan bold" Omdurman " Pig- gin," 157 Rounds or Rungs Authors Wanted, 158. OTBS ON BOOKS : Cust's ' The Master E. S. and the Ars Moriendi " ' Derechef's Brunetidre's ' Manual of French Literature 'Piper's ' Church Towers of Somerset- shire ' Watson's ' Orientation and Dedications of Ancient Churches ' Leader's ' Records of the Burgery of Sheffield' Whitaker's Naval and Military Directory.' Notices to Correspondents.

MR. PICKWICK AS A TEETOTALER. THE notice of Mr. George William Mac- Arthur Reynolds in the 'Dictionary of National Biography ' omits all reference to a curious episode in the career of one who, both as politician and novelist, had a very strong hold on the " masses," however much the " classes " might be inclined to put aside his claims. Mr. Reynolds was one of the many Chartist leaders, and was the author of the ' Mysteries of London,' the ' Mysteries of the Court of London,' and many novels and romances, which were published in penny numbers, and had an immense sale. Some of these stories still circulate in six- penny editions. Mr. Reynolds passed some time in continental travel, and imbibed a great admiration for French literature and French republicanism. One of his early books was a continuation of ' Don Juan,' another was a collection of essays on the ' Modern Literature of France ' ; he made some excellent versions of Victor Hugo, and translated one or more of Paul de Kock's novels. The popularity of ' Pickwick ' led to many imitations, and one of these was * Pick- wick Abroad,' in which Mr. Reynolds carries the members of the famous club through

various continental adventures. Another, and less -known, continuation of Dickens's famous story came from the fluent pen of Reynolds. This is * Pickwick Married,' which appeared in a periodical entitled the Tee- totaler.

On 13 May, 1840, Mr. Reynolds, after dining with some friends at an Aldersgate hotel, chanced to enter the chapel in that street, where a temperance lecture was being delivered by Mr. J. H. Donaldson. After listening for a time he challenged the lecturer to a public debate. As the result of the discussion Mr. Reynolds signed the pledge of total abstinence on 13 June, and on 27 June there appeared under his editorship the first number of the Teetotaler, a folio of eight pages, which was issued weekly and sold for two- pence. It continued until 11 September, 1841, when there appeared under the same editorship the Anti-Teetotaler, which claimed to be the organ of the United Kingdom Anti- Teetotal Society, and soon died (see Dawson Burns's ' Temperance History,' vol. i. pp. 183 and 203). The Anti-Teetotaler I have never seen, but have recently had an opportu- nity of examining an imperfect set of the Teetotaler, ending with 22 May, 1841, and lacking the pictorial supplements which formed part of Mr. Reynolds's method of propaganda. The periodical was conducted with much spirit and literary skill. The first number contains the beginning of a romance entitled ' The Drunkard's Progress,' by the editor. The same hand contributes 'Koctes Pickwickianse,' of which there were five numbers. The chief part in the conversa- tion is taken by Pickwick and Sam, whose "Wellerisms" are oftener tedious than amusing. 'Pickwick Married,' the more elaborate attempt to trade on the reputation of Dickens, begins in the number for 23 Jan- uary, 1840. Mr. Pickwick interferes on behalf of a lady who is falsely accused of being drunk in the street by a member of the "new police force," then in all the unpopularity of an innovation. Mr. Pickwick is arrested, but, after a night's imprisonment, convinces the magistrate of his innocence, and makes the acquaintance of the young lady's family, proposes to her in a ball-room, and is duly accepted. There is very little apparent effort to imitate the style of Dickens, and though the old familiar names of Weller, Snodgrass, and Tupman reappear, these characters are seen through a distinctly Reynoldsian medium.

This treatment of a great author is a literary outrage, and would now be promptly suppressed. A notice of ' Master Humphrey's