The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-31 00:00:00

History of " Pickwick."

(From the Athena-um.)
Gad's-hill-place, March 28, 1866.
As the author of the "Pickwick Papers" (and of one or
two other books), I send you a few facts, and no comments,
having reference to a letter signed "R. Seymour," which in
your editorial discretion you published last week.
Mr. Seymour, the artist, never originated, suggested, or
in any way had to do with, save as illustrator of what I
devised, an incident, a character (except the sporting tastes
of Mr. Winkle), a name, a phrase, or a word, to be found
in the " Pickwick Papers."
I never even saw Mr. Seymour's handwriting, I believe,
in my life.
I never even saw Mr. Seymour but once in my life, and
that was within eight-and-forty hours of his untimely
death. Two persons, both still living, were present on
that short occasion.
Mr. Seymour died when only the first twenty-fourprinted.
pages of the " Pickwick Papers" were published ; I think
before the next three orfour pages were completely written;
I am sure before one subsequent line of the book was in-
vented.
In the preface to the cheap edition of the "Pickwick
Papers," published in October, 1847, I thus described the
origin of that work :—" I was a young man of three-and-
twenty, when the present publishers, attracted by some
pieces I was at that time writing in the Morning Chronicle
newspaper (of which one series had lately been collected and
published in two volumes, illustrated by my esteemed friend
Mr. Geo. Cruikshank), waited upon me to propose a some-
thing that should be published in shilling numbers—then
only knownio me; or I believe, to anybody else, by a dim
recollection of certain interminable novels in that form
which used, some five-and-twenty years ago, to be carried
about the country by pedlars, and over some of which I re-
member to have shed innumerable tears before I served my
apprenticeship to life. . . . The idea propounded to me was
that the monthly something should be a vehicle for certain
plates to be executed by Mr. Seymour, and there was a no-
tion, either on the part of that admirable humorous artist,
or of my visitor (I forget which), that a Nimrod Club, the
members of which were to go out shooting, fishing, and so
forth, and getting themselves into difficulties through their
want of dexterity, would be the best means of introduc-
ing these. I objected, on consideration, that although born
and partly bred in the country, I was no great sports-
' man, except in regard of all kinds of locomotion ; that the
idea was not novel, and had been already much used ; that
it would be infinitely better for %he plates to arise naturally
out of the text ; and that I should like to take my own way,
with a freer range of English scenes and people, and was
afraid I should ultimately do so in any case, whatever course
I might prescribe to myself at starting. My views being
deferred to, I thought of Mr. Pickwick, and wrote the first
number, from the proof sheets of which Mr. Seymour made
his drawing of the Club, and that happy portrait of its
founder, by which he is always recognised, and which may
bo said to have made him a reality. I connected Mr. Pick-
wick with a club, because of the Original suggestion, and I
put in Mr. Winkle expressly for the use of Mr. Seymour.
We started with a number of 24 pages, instead of 32, and
four illustrations in lieu of a couple. Mr. Seymour's
sudden and lamented death before the second number was
published brought about a quick decision upon a point al-
ready in agitation ; the number become one of thirty-two
pages with two illustrations, and remained so to the encl.',

In July, 1849, some incoherent assertions made by the
widow of Mr. Seymour, in the course of certain endeavours
of hers to raise money, induced me to address a letter to Mr.
Edward Chapman, then the only surviving business partner
in the original firm of Chapman slid Hall, who first pub-
lished the " Pickwick Papers," requesting him to inform
me in writing whether the foregoing statement was cor-
rect.

In Mr. Chapman's confirmatory answer, immediately
written, he reminded me that I had:given Mr. Seymour mor
credit than was his duo. "As this letter is to be historical,'
he wrote, " I may as well claim what little belongs to me in
the matter, and that is the figure of Pickwick. Seymour's
first sketch," made from the proof of my first chapter,
"was of a long, thin man. The present immortal one he
made from my description of a friend of mind at Rich-
mond." CHARLES DICKENS.

MARKETS.—This Day.

COVENT GARDEN.

Fair average supplies of fruit and vegetables are on sale
to-day. On the whole, the trade is steady, as follows :
FRUIT—Pine apples, 8s to 10s; hot house grapes, —s to
—s ; foreign do, is Od to 3s Od ; filberts, is 6d to 2s Od per lb ;
apples, 2s 6d to 4s Od per half sieve; oranges, 4s Od to 8s ;
lemons, 3s 6d to 7s per 100.
VEGETABLES—Red cabbages, 2s Od to 3s Od; white do.,
8d to is 3d ; Savoys, 10d to is 4d ; horseradish, 1s to 2s
Od per doz. heads; greens, 3s Od to 4s Od ; turnips, is 6d to
2s Od ; carrots, 4s 6d to 5s 6d per doz bunches ; brocoli, Od
to Od ; rhubarb, 6d to is Od per bundle ; Brussels spouts,
is 6d to 2s Od per half sieve ; seakale, is Od to 2s Od; mush-
rooms, 9d to is 3d; new potatoes, is to is 3d per punnet.