I.--Dowler and John Forster
The truculent Dowler figured before in "The Tuggs at Ramsgate"--a very
amusing and Pickwickian tale--under the title of Capt. Waters, who
exhibits the same simulated ferocity and jealousy of his spouse.
Cruickshank's sketch, too, of the Captain is like that of Dowler when
throwing up the window in the Crescent. Mrs. Waters is made as
attractive as Mrs. Dowler, and Cymon Tuggs, like Winkle, excites the
jealousy of the husband.
"Stop him," roared Dowler, "hold him--keep him tight--shut him in till I
come down--I'll cut his throat--give me a knife--from ear to ear, Mrs.
Craddock, I will." And Captain Waters: "Ah! what do I see? Slaughter,
your sabre--unhand me--the villain's life!"
In the same story we have an anticipation of another incident: the
shutting up and detection of Pipkin in the cupboard, who is discovered by
a pipe being required, just as young Tuggs was by his coughing from the
tobacco smoke. Boz was partial to this method of discovery, for, at the
close, Snodgrass was thus concealed and shut up at Osborne's Hotel. His
detection, through the stupidity of the Fat Boy, is singularly natural
and original.
Some of Dowler's dictatorial ways may have been suggested by Boz's
friend, the redoubtable John Forster. There is one passage in the Bath
chapters where we almost seem to hear our old friend speaking, when he
took command of his friends and introduced them, "My friend, Angelo Cyrus
Bantam, Esquire, know each other." "Bantam; Mr. Pickwick and his friends
are strangers. _They must put their names down_. _Where's the book_?"
Then adds: "This is a long call. It's time to go; I shall be here again
in an hour. _Come_." And at the assembly he still continued his
patronage and direction of everybody. "Step in the tea-room--take your
sixpenn'orth. They lay on hot water and call it tea. Drink it," said
Mr. Dowler, _in a loud voice_, _directing Mr. Pickwick_." Forster "all
over." We have heard him "direct" on many an occasion. When starting
from the White Horse Cellars, Dowler, fancying that more passengers were
to be squeezed into the coach, said he would be d---d if there were; he'd
bring an action against the company, and take a post chaise.
II.--Thackeray
In Thackeray's "Newcomes," the writer had some reminiscences of a place
like Eatanswill, for we are told of the rival newspapers, "The Newcome
Independent" and "The Newcome Sentinel," the former being edited by one
Potts. These journals assailed each other like their brethren in
"Pickwick." "Is there any man in Newcome except, perhaps, our _twaddling
old contemporary_, _the Sentinel_," &c. Doyle's picture of the election
is surely a reminiscence of Phiz's. There is the same fight between the
bandsmen--the drum which someone is kicking a hole in, the brass
instrument used, placards, flags, and general _melee_.
Doyle could sketch Forster admirably. Witness the drawing of the
travelling party in a carriage, given by Mr. Kitton in his wonderful
collection, "Dickens, by pen and pencil," where he has caught Forster's
"magisterial" air to the life. The picture, "F. B.," Fred Bayham in the
story, is certainly the figure of Forster (vol. ii., pp. 55 and 116.) F.
B. is shown both as a critic and pressman, though he has nothing of J.
F.'s domineering ways. Again, the waiter, speaking of Lord Highgate,
said he was a _most harbitrary gent_. This refers to the memorable story
of Forster being summoned by the cabman who said he did so because "he
were such a harbitrary cove." The truth was, Forster knew the distance
to a yard, and would tender the cabman his exact fare and no more. Once,
dining with Forster at a hotel in the country where he had rooms, we lit
our cigars after dinner, on which the waiter remonstrated, saying it was
not allowed. Then I knew the meaning of a "Harbitrary Cove." How the
irate Forster blew him up, roared at him, and drove him out, terrified!
It was, indeed, Dowler threatening the coach proprietor.
Thackeray would of course have known the story; he meant a sort of veiled
allusion which had or had not a reference. We have the key to this sort
of thing in the strange, uncomplimentary reference to Catherine Hayes,
the murderess, but which was at once applied to an interesting and
celebrated Irish singer of the same name. The author must have
anticipated this, and, perhaps, chuckled over the public ignorance, but
the allusion was far-fetched. In the same fashion a dramatist once chose
to dub one of his characters by my own rather unusual name, on which he
protested that he never dreamt of it, that others bore it; still he,
however, was obliged to remove it.
Again, on p. 55 we have this passage: "I was thirsty, having walked from
"Jack Straw's Castle," at Hampstead, where poor Kiteley and I had been
taking a chop." This was written in 1855, only a few years after
Forster's admirable performance of Kiteley with the other amateurs in
"Every man in his humour." "Jack Straw's Castle," too, was a regular
haunt of Forster and Dickens. It is as certain as anything can be that
this allusion was not an accidental one.
III.--Tupman
Tupman's relations to Mr. Pickwick were somewhat peculiar; he was
elderly--about Mr. Pickwick's age--whereas Winkle and Snodgrass were
young fellows under Mr. Pickwick's guardianship. Over them he could
exercise despotic authority; which he did, and secured obedience. It was
difficult to do this in the case of his contemporary, Tupman, who
naturally resented being "sat upon." In the incident of the _Fete_ at
Mrs. Leo Hunter's, and the Brigand's dress--"the two-inch tail," Mr.
Pickwick was rather insulting and injudicious, gibing at and ridiculing
his friend on the exhibition of his corpulence, so that Tupman, stung to
fury, was about to assault him. Mr. Pickwick had to apologise, but it is
clear the insult rankled; and it would appear that Tupman was never
afterwards much in the confidence of his leader, and, for that matter, in
the confidence of his author. Boz, either consciously or unconsciously,
felt this. Tupman, too, never seems to have got over the figure he "cut"
in the spinster aunt business, and the loss of general respect.
Still he submitted to be taken about under Mr. Pickwick's patronage, but
soon the mutual irritation broke out. The occasion was the latter's
putting on speckled stockings for the dance at Manor Farm. "_You_ in
silk stockings," exclaimed Tupman, jocosely; a most natural, harmless
remark, considering that Mr. Pickwick invariably wore his gaiters at
evening parties. But the remark was hotly resented, and challenged. "You
see nothing extraordinary in the stockings _as_ stockings, I trust, sir?"
Of course his friend said "No, certainly not," which was the truth, but
Mr. Pickwick put aside the obvious meaning. Mr. Tupman "walked away,"
wishing to avoid another altercation, afraid to trust himself; and Mr.
Pickwick, proud of having once more "put him down," assumed his
"customary benign expression." This did not promise well.
In all the Manor Farm jollity, we hear little or nothing of Tupman, who
seems to have been thought a cypher. No doubt he felt that the girls
could never look at him without a smile--thinking of the spinster aunt.
In the picture of the scene, we find this "old Buck" in the foreground,
on one knee, trying to pickup a pocket handkerchief and holding a young
lady by the hand. Snodgrass and his lady are behind; Winkle and his
Arabella on the other side; Trundle and his lady at the fire. Then who
was Tupman's young woman? She is not mentioned in the text, yet is
evidently a prominent personage--one of the family. At Ipswich, he was
crammed into the sedan chair with his leader--two very stout
gentlemen--which could not have increased their good humour, though
Tupman assisted him from within to stand up and address the mob. We are
told that "all Mr. Tupman's entreaties to have the lid of the vehicle
closed" were unattended to. He felt the ridicule of his position--a
sedan chair carried along, and a stout man speaking. This must have
produced friction. Then there was the sense of injustice in being
charged with aiding and abetting his leader, which Mr. Pickwick did not
attempt to clear him from. When Mr. Pickwick fell through the ice,
Tupman, instead of rendering help, ran off to Manor Farm with the news of
the accident.
Then the whole party went down to Bath and, during their stay there, we
have not a word of Tupman. He came to see his friend in the Fleet--with
the others of course. But now for the remarkable thing. On Mr.
Pickwick's happy release and when every one was rejoining, Wardle invited
the whole party to a family dinner at the Osborne. There were Snodgrass,
Winkle, Perker even, but no Tupman! Winkle and his wife were at the
"George and Vulture." Why not send to Tupman as well. No one perhaps
thought of him--he had taken no interest in the late exciting adventures,
had not been of the least help to anybody--a selfish old bachelor. When
Mr. Pickwick had absented himself looking for his Dulwich house, it is
pointed out with marked emphasis that certain folk--"among whom was Mr.
Tupman"--maliciously suggested that he was busy looking for a wife!
Neither Winkle nor Snodgrass started this hypothesis, but Tupman. He,
however, was at Dulwich for Winkle's marriage, and had a seat on the
Pickwick coach. In later days, we learn that the Snodgrasses settled
themselves at Dingley Dell so as to be near the family--the Winkles, at
Dulwich, to be near Mr. Pickwick, both showing natural affection. The
selfish Tupman, thinking of nobody but himself, settled at Richmond where
he showed himself on the Terrace with a youthful and jaunty air, "trying
to attract the elderly single ladies of condition." All the others kept
in contact with their chief, asking him to be godfather, &c. But we have
not a word of Tupman. It is likely, with natures such as his, that he
never forgot the insulting remark about his corpulence. That is the way
with such vain creatures.
Boz, I believe, had none of these speculations positively before him, but
he was led by the logic of his story. He had to follow his characters
and their development; they did not follow him.
IV.--Grummer
This well drawn sketch of an ignorant, self-sufficient constable is
admirable. I have little doubt that one of the incidents in which he
figures was suggested to _Boz_ by a little adventure of Grimaldi's which
he found in the mass of papers submitted to him, and which he worked up
effectively. A stupid and malicious old constable, known as "Old Lucas,"
went to arrest the clown on an imaginary charge, as he was among his
friends at the theatre. As in the case of Grummer, the friends, like
Winkle and Snodgrass, threatened the constable. The magistrate heard the
case, sentenced Grimaldi to pay 5s. fine. Old Lucas, in his
disappointment, arrested him again. Being attacked by Grimaldi, as
Grummer was by Sam, he drew his staff and behaved outrageously. The
magistrate then, like Nupkins, had him placed in the dock, and sentenced.
It has also been stated that Grummer was drawn from Towshend--the
celebrated Bow Street Runner again introduced in "Oliver Twist." Towshend
was a privileged person, like Grummer, and gave his advice familiarly to
the magistrates.