LIFE IN LONDON, my boys, is a round of delight, In frolics, I keep up, both the day and the night, With my TOM and my JERRY, I try to “_get best_” Of the COVES in the _East_--and the SWELLS at the West! Such pals in a lark, we the TOWN can defy, O! Then join me in chaunting our precious TRIO.
Mags came thick, this made him merry; Fortune changes in a crack-- Folks they went t’ see Tom and Jerry, And on Billy turned their back.
One notable effect of “Life in London,” particularly in its dramatised form must be recorded. It broke the heart of poor Billy Waters, the one-legged musical negro, who died in St. Giles’s workhouse, whispering with his ebbing breath, a mild anathema, which sounded very much like: “Cuss him, dam Tom--meē--Tom--meē Jerry!”
Poor Billy endeavoured, up to the period of his last illness, to obtain for a wife and two children what he termed, “An honest living by scraping de cat-gut!” by which he originally collected considerable sums of money at the West-end of the town, where his ribbon-decked cocked hat and feathers, with the grin on his countenance, and sudden turn and kick out of his wooden limb, and other antics and efforts to please, excited much mirth and attention, and were well rewarded from the pockets of John Bull.
THE TRUE HISTORY OF TOM AND JERRY; OR, THE DAY AND NIGHT SCENES, OF LIFE IN LONDON
FROM THE START TO THE FINISH! WITH A KEY TO THE PERSONS AND PLACES, TOGETHER WITH A VOCABULARY AND GLOSSARY OF THE FLASH AND SLANG TERMS, OCCURING IN THE COURSE OF THE WORK.
By Charles Hindley,
Editor of “The Old Book Collector’s Miscellany; or, a Collection of Readable Reprints of Literary Rarities” “Works of John Taylor--the Water Poet,” “The Roxburghe Ballads,” “The History of the Catnach Press,” “The Curiosities of Street Literature,” “The Book of Ready Made Speeches,” “Life and Times of James Catnach, late of the Seven Dials, Ballad Monger,” “Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings,” etc.
London: CHARLES HINDLEY, 41, BOOKSELLERS’ ROW, ST. CLEMENT DANES, STRAND, W.C.
INTRODUCTION.
“Nothing succeeds like success”--or “Fails like failure.” Prince Talleyrand cum Baron Nicholson!
That PIERCE EGAN’S LIFE IN LONDON, or TOM AND JERRY, was a success, we have plenty of printed evidence and ‘hearsay’! to prove. And we also know--beyond the shadow of a doubt, that the news of its metropolitan fame went forth with almost telegraphic speed throughout the provinces:--From John o’Groat’s House to the Land’s End!--From Dan to Beersheba!--and back again! With LIFE IN LONDON, its language became the language of the day; drawing-rooms were turned into chaffing cribs, and rank and beauty learned to patter flash ad nauseam.
The original work went through several editions in a very short time, and the plates, by the Brothers Cruikshank, were considered so full of amusement that they were transferred to a variety of articles without any loss of time. The Lady taking her gunpowder was enabled to amuse her visitors with the adventures of Tom and Jerry on her highly-finished tea-tray. The lovers of Irish Blackguard experienced a double zest in taking a pinch from a box, the lid of which exhibited the laughable phiz of the eccentric BOB LOGIC. The country folks were delighted with the handkerchief which displayed TOM getting the best of a Charley, and DUSTY BOB and BLACK SAL “all happiness!” The Female of Quality felt interested with the lively scene of the light fantastic toe at Almack’s, when playing with her elegant fan; and the Connoisseur, with a smile of satisfaction on his countenance, contemplated his screen, on which were displayed the motley groups of high and low characters continually on the move in the metropolis.
Everybody talked of TOM AND JERRY, and crowds rushed to the theatres where the uproarious adventures of these popular personages were represented in a dramatic form. Mr. W. T. Moncrieff’s adaptation brought out at the Adelphi Theatre, November 26th, 1821:--which, “_by-the way_,” was by far the best of the whole bunch!--ran uninterruptedly through two seasons. It then appeared in rapid succession at the Theatres all over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; likewise in most of the United States of America, the West Indies, &c.
But although LIFE IN LONDON, or, TOM AND JERRY did make our grandfathers so very--_very!_ merry in the first quarter of the Nineteenth Century, we are constrained to admit; that it is a terrible dull and tedious work to read through in the present day, and it is on that very account, that we here place before our readers, what we are pleased to term--THE TRUE HISTORY of TOM and JERRY; for the work has a history of its own, and to exemplify the fact, we have in the first place, made numerous selections from the original work, then given the principal scenes of Moncrieff’s dramatic version of the same, the two concluding chapters of PIERCE EGAN’S continuation of his LIFE IN LONDON which he entitles--THE FINISH TO THE ADVENTURES OF TOM, JERRY, AND LOGIC, in their Pursuits through LIFE IN AND OUT OF LONDON.[1] Together with a “KEY to PERSONS and PLACES, and an Etymological and Critical Vocabulary and Glossary of Flash and Slang Terms occurring in the course of this work,” as at once giving an epitome of the whole: and to our mind, sufficient to be known of PIERCE EGAN’S once popular work. To which we have added such historic facts and scraps of information that have come to hand during our researches in connection with the--RISE and PROGRESS--DECLINE and FALL of the BOOK and its STORY. The present generation will find in some of the scenes depicted in such glowing colours, many of the fashions, manners and customs, which prevailed in the reign of King George the Fourth, together with certain landmarks of the past, which no one need regret leaving far behind, and ought to give every encouragement to those who live under the rule of Queen Victoria to maintain a firm faith in the social progress of the age.
The first CHAPTER of LIFE IN LONDON, commences with what the author terms AN INVOCATION, in which, after _invoking!_--“the pleasing, grateful, inspiring, nay, golden advantages resulting from the smiles of that supreme goddess of the gods, FAME!”--which he adds is the--“flattering unction” that all authors sigh to be anointed with. He then in very--“merry-go-round--here we go round”--sort of a way calls to his aid many of the past, and, also then, living authors, artists, publishers, and public characters of the day--“to enrich his judgment--guide his pen--inspire him with confidence--and in other ways assist him in the arduous task he has undertaken.” And thus he ‘_invokes_.’ Laurence Sterne--divine and humourist--(1713-68):--
--“It is to thee, STERNE, I first humbly bend my knee, and solicit thy most powerful aid. If thou didst not use up all thy stock of SENSIBILITY before thou wert called away to enjoy the reward of thy exertions in the bowers of Elysium, pray tell me where thou didst deposit that most precious bottle, that I may with an eagerness unexampled, uncork its treasures and apply every drop after thy rich felicity: I have great need of it. And FIELDING, too, thou true delineator of HUMAN NATURE, if only a small remnant of thy MANTLE has been left behind, let me but know it, that I may ransack every piece-broker’s house in the kingdom, till I become the master of such an invaluable stimulus to exertion. And, although another SOPHIA WESTERN, perhaps, is not to be met with in the walks of the present day, if it were my precise object, yet, let me but produce some similarity towards the double of a TOM JONES or a BOOTH, and the highest pinnacle of my ambition is attained. SMOLLETT, thy touching heartfelt qualities break in upon me so penetratingly, that I must also invoke thy friendly shrine. And if a RORY RANDOM or a Lieutenant BOWLING should ever cross my path, instruct me to portray their noble traits with all that richness of colouring, and peculiar happiness of style, that once embellished thy truly characteristic pen.
--“Advance, also the Metropolitan Heroes of Literary Renown, whether of GENIUS great, either of romantic style, or of Poetry exquisite, of DON JUAN or Lalla Rookh quality, it matters not, if generosity lie within thine inkstands, and ye put forth your good wishes for my success; show me your passports to excellence, and put me in the right road, that I may ultimately obtain your proud signatures and arrive safe at the end of my journey.
--“REVIEWS, those terrific Censors of the timid writer, and arbiters of the press, whether QUARTERLY,[2] or at EDINBURGH,[3] you who apply the knife, bear it in mind that VAN BUTCHELL[4] advertises to perform cures without cutting; and that ABERNETHY[5] is himself alone! and also remember, thou sages of the quill, that many an unfortunate homo who has been ‘damned to everlasting Fame’ and disposed of in a Jef, in thy most omnipotent pages; yet has, from the resuscitating glossy aid of Messrs. DAY & MARTIN, become a shining Literary Character in Paternoster Row, and formed one of the real Portraits of LIFE IN LONDON.
--“Come forth, my Mag of BLACKWOOD[6]; thee, too, I must invoke! thou chiel of SATIRE, whose lively sallies and ‘laughing-in-the-sleeve greatness’ that would have paralysed the pencil of a HOGARTH, or struck dumb the piquant ridicule of a CHURCHILL, if the grim King of Terrors had not deprived us of their talents; I challenge thee to the scratch! ’Tis ONE OF THE FANCY calls! But, from thy lamb-like qualities and playful artillery, it must only be a private set-to with the gloves. My hand grapples with you in friendship--it possesses not weight enough to combat with thee, although the pluck, perhaps, attached to it may be always gay. Be it remembered, that BLACKWOOD is always in _training_--he hits so very hard--and his BACKERS are likewise so numerous amongst the Greeks, Latins, Hebrews, and Classics, that it would be two to one against an open contest: therefore, good Mr. Blackwood, be just, nay, be more, ‘be merciful. It is doubly bless’d’; and you know Blacky, ‘it blesseth him that gives and him that takes.’ Then floor me not; but instead:--
Shoot thine arrow o’er thy house,-- And do not wound thy brother;
but whisper to the PACK, and particularly to the whipper-in, Old Christopher North, that ‘’TIS I’--(your flash-y friend of the South). But let me entreat of you Mr. Blackwood, to bottle-off a few of thy little mastery touches (as full of fire as thy famed whisky), and send them to me with all the speed of the mail, lest my stock of spirits should be exhausted, and that LIFE IN LONDON may be enriched with the fine colouring of a Meg Merrilees, if it be only in perspective.”
--“And MR. COLBURN (thou indefatigable promoter of literature), thy assistance I most humbly crave! indeed, I feel assured that thy spirited and liberal disposition will not permit thee to omit informing those dashing belles and beaux, whose morning lounge gives thy repository of the mind an air of fashion, that LIFE IN LONDON is worthy of perusal.
