The Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. YellowplushThackeray, William Makepeace
General
The Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Didactic fiction; England -- Fiction; Household employees -- Fiction; Humorous stories; Master and servant -- Fiction
DEAR WHY,--Takin advantage of the Crismiss holydays, Sir John and me
(who is a member of parlyment) had gone down to our place in Yorkshire
for six wicks, to shoot grows and woodcox, and enjoy old English
hospitalaty. This ugly Canady bisniss unluckaly put an end to our
sports in the country, and brot us up to Buckly Square as fast as four
posterses could gallip. When there, I found your parcel, containing the
two vollumes of a new book; which, as I have been away from the literary
world, and emplied solely in athlatic exorcises, have been laying
neglected in my pantry, among my knife-cloaths, and dekanters, and
blacking-bottles, and bed-room candles, and things.
* These Memoirs were originally published in Fraser's Magazine, and it
may be stated for the benefit of the unlearned in such matters, that
“Oliver Yorke” is the assumed name of the editor of that periodical.
This will, I'm sure, account for my delay in notussing the work. I see
sefral of the papers and magazeens have been befoarhand with me, and
have given their apinions concerning it: specially the Quotly Revew,
which has most mussilessly cut to peases the author of this Dairy of the
Times of George IV.*
* Diary illustrative of the Times of George the Fourth, interspersed
with Original Letters from the late Queen Caroline, and from various
other distinguished Persons.
“Tot ou tard, tout se scait.”--MAINTENON.
In 2 vols. London, 1838. Henry Colburn.
That it's a woman who wrote it is evydent from the style of the writing,
as well as from certain proofs in the book itself. Most suttnly a femail
wrote this Dairy; but who this Dairy-maid may be, I, in coarse, can't
conjecter: and indeed, common galliantry forbids me to ask. I can only
judge of the book itself; which, it appears to me, is clearly trenching
upon my ground and favrite subjicks, viz. fashnabble life, as igsibited
in the houses of the nobility, gentry, and rile fammly.
But I bare no mallis--infamation is infamation, and it doesn't matter
where the infamy comes from; and whether the Dairy be from that
distinguished pen to which it is ornarily attributed--whether, I say,
it comes from a lady of honor to the late quean, or a scullion to that
diffunct majisty, no matter: all we ask is nollidge; never mind how we
have it. Nollidge, as our cook says, is like trikel-possit--it's always
good, though you was to drink it out of an old shoo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account