[Literature] Charles Dickens: Sketches By Boz - Illustrated And Annotated Edition #3/347

Suspense of any kind, as Forster says, was intolerable to him, so the next day he wrote again to his friend.

"I sent down just now to know whether you were at home (two o'clock), as Chapman & Hall were with me, and, the case being urgent, I wished to have the further benefit of your kind advice and assistance. Macrone and H --- (arcades ambo) waited on them this morning, and after a long discussion peremptorily refused to take one farthing less than the two thousand pounds. H ---- repeated the statement of figures which he made to you yesterday, and put it to Hall whether he could say from his knowledge of such matters that the estimate of probable profit was exorbitant. Hall, whose judgment may be relied on in such matters, could not dispute the justice of the calculation. And so the matter stood. In this dilemma it occurred to them (my 'Pickwick' men), whether, if the ' Sketches ' must appear in monthly numbers, it would not be better for them to appear for their benefit and mine conjointly than for Macrone's sole use and behoof; whether they, having all the 'Pickwick' machinery in full operation, could not obtain for them a much larger sale than Macrone could ever (get; and whether, even at this large price of two thousand pounds, we might not, besides retaining the copyright, reasonably hope for a good profit on the outlay. These suggestions having presented themselves, they came straight to me (having obtained a few hours' respite) and proposed that we should purchase the copyrights between us for the two thousand pounds, and publish them in monthly parts. I need not say that no other form of publication would repay the expenditure; and they wish me to explain by an address that they, who may be fairly put forward as the parties, have been driven into that mode of publication, or the copyrights would have been lost. I considered the matter in every possible way. I sent for you, but you were out. I thought of " — what need not be repeated, now that all is past and gone — "and consented. Was I right? I think you will say yes."

Forster, as a prudent counsellor could not say "yes," but he was sagacious enough to see that he could not arrest Dickens's mind which was in full pursuit of its object. The transaction was completed, and Chapman & Hall proceeded to do what Macrone had proposed, and issued the series in monthly parts, but they did not begin the publication until after the completion of "Pickwick." The sketches were rearranged under the present grouping, including also one originally published by Chapman & Hall in their "Library," namely, "The Tuggs's at Ramsgate," and the illustrations were reengraved and increased in number. In this form the work has since remained. Its value is largely as a series of studies in scene painting and character sketching, and how much Dickens gained in the mastery of his instrument may be seen when one compares with these sketches the desultory papers which later he contributed to "Household Words" and "All the Year Bound."

Preface

The whole of these Sketches were written and published, one by one, when I was a very young man. They were collected and republished while I was still a very young man; and sent into the world with all their imperfections (a good many) on their heads.

They comprise my first attempts at authorship—with the exception of certain tragedies achieved at the mature age of eight or ten, and represented with great applause to overflowing nurseries. I am conscious of their often being extremely crude and ill-considered, and bearing obvious marks of haste and inexperience; particularly in that section of the present volume which is comprised under the general head of Tales.

But as this collection is not originated now, and was very leniently and favourably received when it was first made, I have not felt it right either to remodel or expunge, beyond a few words and phrases here and there.

Our Parish

Chapter I—The Beadle. The Parish Engine. The Schoolmaster

How much is conveyed in those two short words—‘The Parish!’ And with how many tales of distress and misery, of broken fortune and ruined hopes, too often of unrelieved wretchedness and successful knavery, are they associated!