THE "ANGEL," BURY ST. EDMUNDS
"Beg your pardon, sir, is this Bury St. Edmunds?"
The words were addressed by Sam Weller to Mr. Pickwick as the
two sat on top of a coach as it "rattled through the well-paved
streets of a handsome little town, of thriving appearance."
Eventually stopping before "a large inn situated in a wide street,
nearly facing the old Abbey," Mr. Pickwick, looking up, added,
"'and this is the "Angel." We alight here, Sam. But some caution
is necessary. Order a private room, and do not mention my name.
You understand?'
"'Right as a trivet, sir,' replied Mr. Weller, with a wink of
intelligence; and having dragged Mr. Pickwick's portmanteau
from the hind boot, into which it had been hastily thrown when
they joined the coach at Eatanswill, Mr. Weller disappeared
on his errand. A private room was speedily engaged; and into
it Mr. Pickwick was ushered without delay." Having been settled
comfortably therein, partaken of dinner and listened to Sam's
philosophy about a good night's rest, he allowed that worthy
to go and "worm ev'ry secret out o' the boots' heart" regarding
the whereabouts of Fitz Marshall, as he assured Mr. Pickwick he
could do in five minutes. As good as his word he returned with
his information that the gentleman in question also had a private
room in the "Angel," but was dining out that night and had taken
his servant with him. It was accordingly arranged that Sam should
have a talk with the said servant in the morning with a view of
learning what he could about his master's plans.
"As it appeared that this was the best arrangement that could
be made, it was finally agreed upon. Mr. Weller, by his master's
permission, retired to spend his evening in his own way; and
was shortly afterwards elected, by the unanimous voice of the
assembled company, into the tap-room chair, in which honourable
post he acquitted himself so much to the satisfaction of the
gentlemen-frequenters, that the roars of laughter and approbation
penetrated to Mr. Pickwick's bedroom, and shortened the term of his
natural rest by at least three hours. Early on the ensuing morning
Mr. Weller was dispelling all the feverish remains of the previous
evening's conviviality, through the instrumentality of a halfpenny
shower-bath (having induced a young gentleman attached to the stable
department, by the offer of a coin, to pump over his head and
face, until he was perfectly restored), when he was attracted by
the appearance of a young fellow in mulberry-coloured livery, who
was sitting on a bench in the yard, reading what appeared to be
a hymn-book, with an air of deep abstraction, but who occasionally
stole a glance at the individual under the pump, as if he took some
interest in his proceedings, nevertheless."
This was no other than Job Trotter, the servant to Mr. Alfred
Jingle of No Hall, No Where, and in a few moments the two were in
animated conversation over a little liquid refreshment at the bar.
How Job Trotter and Alfred Jingle not only got the better of the
usually astute Sam and the innocent Mr. Pickwick, and entangled
the latter into a very embarrassing situation at the Young .Ladies'
School in the district; and how the latter extricated himself from
the awkward predicament only to find that the instigators of it had
again hurriedly left the town, is best gathered from the pages of
the book itself.
"The process of being washed in the night air, and rough-dried in
a closet is as dangerous as it is peculiar." This having been the
case with Mr. Pickwick, he suffered as a consequence, and was laid
up with an attack of rheumatism, and had to spend a couple of days
in his bed at the hotel. To pass away the time, he devoted himself
to "editing" the love story of Nathaniel Pipkin, which he read to
his friends, who, having by this time arrived at the hotel, gathered
at his bedside and took their wine there with him.
It was whilst staying at the "Angel" that Mr. Pickwick received
the first intimation that a writ for breach of promise had been
issued against him at the instance of Mrs. Bardell, much to the
alarm and amusement of his friends. He did not, however, hasten
back to London, but accepted Mr. Wardle's invitation to a shooting
party in the neighbourhood, where he again involved himself in a
further misadventure.
[illustration: The Angel Hotel, Bury St. Edmunds. Drawn by
C. G. Harper]
Now all these little untoward events happened whilst Mr. Pickwick
was staying at the "Angel," and. not only have they caused much
amusement to the readers of the book, but incidentally have added
fame and importance to the "Angel" at Bury to such an extent
that the faithful reader of Pickwick who finds himself in the
neighbourhood would no more think of passing the "Angel" than
would the pilgrim to the town omit visiting the famous abbey.
He will find the hotel little altered since the day when Mr.
Pickwick visited it, either as regards its old-time atmosphere
or its Victorian hospitality.
It is a very plain and severe-looking building from the outside,
suggesting a gigantic doll's house with real steps up to the
front door all complete. Although it does not look as inspiring
on approaching it as most Dickensian inns do, its interior,
nevertheless, makes up in comfort what its exterior lacks
in picturesqueness.
It has stood since 1779 and occupies the site of three ancient inns
known at the time as the "Angel," the "Castle" and the "White
Bear," respectively. In such an ancient town as Bury St. Edmunds,
with so many years behind it, the "Angel" could tell a story worth
narrating. Fronting the gates of the ancient Abbey, it occupies the
most prominent place in the town. In the wide space before it the
Bury fair was held, and a famous and fashionable festivity it was,
which lasted in the olden time for several days. Latterly, however,
one day is deemed sufficient, and that is September 21 in each year.
In spite of its sombre appearance from the outside, it is considered
one of the most important hotels in West Suffolk, and is still a
typical old English inn, "a byword for comfort and generous
hospitality throughout the eastern counties." The spacious
coffee-room, its well-appointed drawing and sitting-rooms, its
many bedrooms, have an appeal to those desiring ease rather than
the luxuriousness of the modern style. In addition it has extensive
yards and stables, survivals of the old posting days, with a cosy
tap-room and bar, to say nothing of all the natural little nooks and
corners and accessories which pertain only to old-world hostelries.
There still remains the pump under which Sam had his "halfpenny
shower-bath." And in the tap-room one can be easily reminded of
the scene over which Sam presided and acquitted himself with
so much satisfaction.
As to which was the room occupied by Mr. Pickwick, history is
silent; but when Dickens was on his reporting expedition in Suffolk
during the electoral campaign of 1835, he stayed at the "Angel"
and, tradition says, slept in room No. 11. Mr. Percy FitzGerald,
on visiting it some years ago, ventured to seek of the "gnarled"
waiter information on the momentous question of Mr. Pickwick and
his adventure.
"Piokwick, sir? Why, HE knew all about it," was the reply. "No. 11
was Mr. Pickwick's room, and the proprietor would tell us everything.
A most quaint debate arose," says Mr. FitzGerald, "on Mr. Pickwick's
stay at the hotel. The host pronounced EX CATHEDRA and without
hesitation about the matter. . . . The power and vitality of the
Pickwickian legend are extraordinary indeed; all day long we found
people bewildered, as it were, by this faith, mixing up the author
and his hero."
This is not unusual, and even in these days we find that Dickens's
characters have become so real that no one stops to discuss whether
this or that really happened to them, but just simply accepts their
comings and goings as the comings and goings of the heroes and
heroines of history are accepted, with perhaps just a little more
belief in them. And so we can be assured that the "Angel" at Bury
will be chiefly remembered as the hotel where Mr. Pickwick and his
companions stayed, whoever before or since may have honoured it with
a visit, or whatever else in its history may be recalled as
important.
In 1861 Dickens again visited the town to give his famous readings
from his works, and put up at the "Angel," so that the county hotel
has many reasons for the proud title of being a Dickensian inn.