LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

i /- —- Pepys—"Peps," "Peppis," or "Peeps"? "There was a nice set of the 'right,' the unexpurgated, Wheatley edition of Pepys'. Diary sold the other day at Bethune's, and sorno of us had a discussion as to what is the correct pionunciation of the name , of. tho famous Diarist. Some argued it was "Peppis,":... others, "Peeps," others, . yet . again,. "Peps," and eventually-we decided to aslc 'Liber' to decide. Will-you please oblige?" So 'writes a local book-lovefr'.Had the purchaser of tho Wheatley. set turned to tho first volume,'he'would have found, in'a prefatory . chapter,' entitled' - "Particulars of tlio Life .of' Samuel Penys," some, interesting remarks, by Mr. .Wheatley on the point at issue. It appears, according to Mr. Wheatley, that .even the Pepys family differ as to the pronunciation of the name. At present, says. Mr. Wheatley, there are three pronounciatiorts . in use—Peps, which is the most usual; Peeps, Which is the received ono at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where the Diarist was a sizar, and to which he left his valuable library; and Peppis,,which is used by some branches of the Pepys' family. Others ,(tho lineal descendants . of - .his sister Paulina, the family of "Pepys Cockerell," pronounce it Peeps. "Mr. Walter Pepys, who uses the pronunciation/Ten-, pis," holds that such is correct, being ltd,' he says, to that,, opinion, by-"the two facts that in the earliest known writing it is spelt, "Pepis," and that the French form of the name is 'Pepy." Mr. -Wheatley's own conclusion is that in Pepys's own time, the seventeenth century, the name, was either pronounced "Peps", (with a short "e") or "Papes" (with a long a ). In the register of St. Olave's Church, in the city of London, where the diarist was buried, the entry of death has tho -name "Peyps." As for "Liber's" own opinion, it is worth no more than'that of anyone else,'but when as a boy 1 used to pore over a well-worn copy of the original, or Braybrooke edition, of 1825—a highly expurgated version—l "was. told to use tlie pronunciation "Peps," and with me, - at least, it will b3i"Peps" to the end-of my reading life. < , The Charm of Pepys's Diary. As a matter of fact, when I dip into the "Diary"—that inexhaustible, mine of curious and interestirig information—and read how Pepys watched King- Charles playing with his spaniels, or flirted, over tli'e wall, with merry Nell Gwynne; ,of how the diarist philandered with Mistress ICnipe, or drank "strong waters" at the old Swan, or "did. meet" Captain Cuttle (I wonder if "Boz" got tho name of his Dombey character from Pepys), and Curtis, and Morthani, "telling stories of Algiers, the manner of life of the sla'ves there, till four in tho morning, at tho Fleece, Tavern—and ' so home, my. head aching"; or, again, of 'his hard work at tho Navv Office, where the shortness of money causo Lord Sandwich and myself greate grief, the Dutch being now more impudent than ever, and our ships j so ill provided"—it matters little tb me. whether the name, of the quaint, old. gossiper be Peps, 'or Peeps, or Peppis. Nolibrary, private or public, worth calling a library,.should bo without a good edition of Pepys. Fo;r family Teadmg, the old Mynors Bright edition; which can. be, bought oheAply enough '(in - Macmillan's "Globe" Library, for instance,'. in one volume, at 3s. 6d.), is, of course,' the most suitable, but those who . ivant le- tout Pepys, the unexpurgated Pepys,; should buy Mr. Wheatleys edition, .first.published by Bell's at 10s. Gd. a volume, but now procurable in eight volumes (same publishers) at 3s. Gd. a volume. With Pepys's "Diary" and Horace Walpole's. "Letters" a man will never,.'run short of amusing jind instructive pictures', of English life in tho seventeenth . and eighteenth, centuries. The Empire Novel Competition.' Another correspondent, . "Novel" (Petone), wants me to reprint the rules for the Australian and New Zealand section of Hoddor and Stonditon's Empire prize novel competition, alluded to by mo in The Dohinton of March 22. .The February "Bookman" merely states that .£250 will bo given, for tho best novel submitted from a native or resident of -tho Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand, thai "the competition is open to all writers, wherever at present residing, who are connected with the British colonifs or dependencies by birth or by residenco of not less than ono year," and that for further particulars-- intending competitors must write to Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton, Wajwiek Square, London, B.C. Sinoo I received tlie February "Bookman," I notice in, the "Red Page" of. tho Sydney "Bulletin" (March 27, 1913) that tho novels to be submitted "must not be more than 150,000 words in length— 80,000 to 120,000 is recommended—and must be accompanied"—this is important—by "a form to be obtflined from Hodder and Stoughton, on request." What authority the "Red Pago" editor has for the condition as to tho number of,words 1 do not know, but tho first and best thing to .do is for my correspondent and others interested to write to Hodder and Stoughton for tho form alluded to, and full particulars. No mention is iiiade in tlie February "tio'ikman" as to fhe'date of the comi n.ii.;tirm's closi'm;. Tho iudge for (lie

Australian arid New Zealand sections I see .to bo Mr. Charles Garvice. Why, goodness only knows, for I am not'aware that Garvico knows anything of colonial life. His, own novels simply reek with sl6shy sentiment, and are totally devoid of any literary quality, although it must be confessed that the author has generally a good story to tell, as a story. Beyond that, Garvice's talents are mediocre. The choice is a most unfortunate one. ' ITho above paragraph also answers a query by another correspondent, "C.L.," Maungahoe-l' ;The Origin of Sam Weller : In tho "British Weekly" for February 13, to' hand by this week's mail, I noticei .an interesting paragraph in the alwaysreadable column of literary gossip,' signed "A Man of Kent," wlu'ch relates to tho origin of Dickens's famous character, Sam Weller. According to "A Man of -Kent,". thero has recently been issued , to .the'friends of the author, a Mr. Sterne, a privately-printed autobiography, in aro given of various ■ celebrities of the Victorian period. According to Mr. Sterne, Sam. Weller was . taken from a Mr. Samuel Weller, a well-to-do gentleman, who, by the way, was 'the graadfother of Elizabeth Thompson (now Lady BulleT), painter of the famous ( picture, "The Roll Call." Air. Sterne alleges that Charles Dickens "told him ■how he became acquainted'with Samuel '.Weller, and-how he camo to adopt his jnatne in the 'Pickwick Papers.'" "Sammy, My Boy." ' Mr. Weller . was dining one day, a guest of Dickens's friend and biographer ;that was to be, at tho Cock Tavern, in 'Fleet Street, near Temple Bar. Some [twenty, guests • were present, ■ including !"Boz," and there being considerable hilarity at orie end of the.tablei owing to Mr. ■AVeller's witty remarks, Dickens is said to have asked Forster for-an. introduction. .This was followed, so tho story goes, by a request by "Boz" that he might bo allowed to use Mr. Weller's name in a sketch which was then in manuscript, arid Which was afterwards known as "The 'Pickwicic Papers." Mr. Sterne continues:— ' It may be noted, here that Mr. . Weller was a merchant in.'the city of. London. He was a gentleman highly > ■ respected, and was most popular with all who knew him. Ho was generally ■ ■ known as "Sammy, my boy," by most .of his intimate friehds.__ Forster, finding, on the publication of the , : "Pickwick Papers," that Weller had suddenly become famous, although f knowing tho circumstances just relat- ; ed,-never mentioned this interesting • . episode in his "Life of Dickens"; . rhence it has never before been pub-' .- lished.. ' .:; Exactly; arid the very fact. that. Forster did not mention it is, to my mind, as olio who has devoted a good deal of time to investigating various proljlems connected with Dickens's works, the best proof that there is nothing in it. Sam Valo and Sam Weller. _ , It is far more likely, judging by Mr. Sterne's description of Mr. Weller, that he stood,'to some extent, for the portrait of Mr. Pickwick, who was a retired business man, than for the Cockney servant, whose quaint sayings have become so famous. As a matter of fact, it is admitted by practically every, well-informed, writer on Dickens that the real original Of the immortal Sam was one Samuel Vale, a popular London comedian, who, as "Simon Slattetdash," a man-servant, made a big hit when "Boz" was a boy, in a farce called "The Doardingliouse." Some of "Simon Slatterdash's sayings in tho . farce; Wero very likely in Dickens's mind Mvhen he wrote the "Pickwick Papers." for instance: "'I am down on' you,' as tho extinguisher said to tho rushlight." ' ' " 'Let everyone take care of themselves,' as tlie jackass'said when he . . danced among tho chickens." " 'Come on,' as the man said to tho tight bo-ot," : "'Bo quick, well, so I will,', as, the ifly taid when it of 'tho ' mustard pat." "'Sharp work for the eyes,' as the ' devil-said when the .broad-wheeled .. ■ wagon went ov=r his/ nose." ■ Dickens, thero dan bo little doubt, was indebted to some extent to the curious similes of "Simon Slatterdash," but although there is a' coincidence in the fact that a real Sam Vale preceded a fictional Sam Weller, there is little doubt that "Boz" took the, name Weller from Mary Weller, his- old nurse at Chatham. Marcus Stone, the famous painter, who was a friend of Dickens in the Gadshill days, told Mr. Percy ; Fitzgerald that once when out walking with "Boz," near Rochester, a light cart Mssed by, on which was tho luvno "Weller" and ■ he (Stone) ]Vnted it out as "an odd coincidence," "Nono at all," said "Boz," "that is the original.- I got it from them." -— : — \ Chesterton on Strange Drinks. ; In more than ono of his essays, Chesterton has written the praises of good British ale, and as a staunch Johnsonian it is riot surprising to find him, in some verses entitled "A Song of Strange Drinks" (in the "New Witness"), chanting the virtues of tea, although he can criticise as well as well praise, for he Bays:— ' Tea is like the East it grows in, A great Yellow Mandarin, Without urbanity of manner . .And unconsciousness of sin: ' -' AH the women, like a. harem, At his pigtail troop along, . And, liko all tho East ho grows in, . Ho is poison when he's strong. "Windy -Waters," too:—. / , Heaven sent us soda water, . . .-As a torment for our. crimes. lie is not enthusiastic about, but ho is specially and curiously severe upon that innocent' beverage,"cocoa.- Ho quite loses his -temper over this popular drink: Tea, although an Oriental, Is a gentleman at least— Cocoa is a cad and coward, , Cocoa is a vulgar beast, Cocoa is a era vling, cringing, , . : ' Lying;, loathsome swine and clown, .. Arid riiay very w;ell be grateful . "■ To the fool that takes him down. - Now, I wonder—yc9, I wonder—whether .there, is any connection between this furious Cliestertonian diatribe on cocoa and the fact that ■ two or three months ago Miv Chesterton ceased to.write a Saturday essay for the London "Daily Mail and the chief proprietors of which are tho Messrs. Cadbury, the famous cocoa'.manufacturers, arid went over to a recently-established Labour .-daily—"The Citizen," I think- the title is- Perhaps it is.only a coincidence; but still I wonder. i Chesterton v, Victorian Literature. Talking, of Mr. Chesterton reminds me that recent English • papers speak' A-ery highly of a little shilling volume, entitled "The Victorian Age in ISiteraturei" which G.K.C. has written for that excellent series, "Tho Home and University Library," to tho merits of. certain vol- • umds of''which I have more than onco directed the attention of my readers. I ; notice thdt the London "Times" (in the ■Literary Supplement of February 20) devotes a-whole column to this little shilling book. The "Times" reviewer's final sentence is worth qucting: "In any case; nonsenso or wisdom,- truth ai\d falsehood, ripe thought or schoolboy superficiality, tlie book is everywhere immensely alive; and no one will put it down without tho senso of having taken a tonic, or perhaps of having received a eeries of impertinently administered shocks." Those who read Chesterton's books on Browning and Dickens will agreo with ino that when G.K.C. writes on tho Victorians ho is one of tlie most arresting arid stimulating of critics. I shall certainly invest, fifteenpenco in his latest book, being sure of entertainment therein. "Martin Swayne." "Martin Swayne," whoso first- novel, "Lord Richard in tho Pantry," was so amusing, and whose more recent story, "Tho Sporting Instinct," I specially com- ' mended to my readers a fortnight or so ago, is the pseudonym of a clever son- of Sir William Itobortson Nicol, editor of "Tho Bookman" and of "Tho British Weekly." An instance of hereditary talent. William De Morgan Busy. "By all means pradict a novel from me," wrote William Do > Morgan, of "Joseph Vaneo" and "Alice for Short" fame recently to his publisher, William • Heinemann, but, he adds, "time unfixed ■ and titlo unknown—author and publisher ■ are the only points arranged—am! some 300 pages of test."

Some Nincpenny Novels. Buyers of reprint novels have got so used to the "sevenpennies" that I am doubtful whether Heinemann's "Ninopenny Novels" will "go." But some of the titles aro alluring. For instance, D. L. Voynieh's weird but fascinating story, "The Gadfly," is included, and tho equally weird "Flames," by Robt Hichens, with its pathetic picture of a certain ugly phase of London life, as exemplified by tho once much discussed "Lady of the Fathers." Then, too, the series includes Stevenson's "St. Ives" and "The Ebb Tide," and Conrad's "Typhoon," and last, but- not least, tho late Harold Frederic's fine Irish story, "Tho Return of . the O'Mahony." Harold Frederic is a much-neglected novelist. If ever you come across his "Illumination" or "The Market Place," make a point of reading them. Both are novels much above the average. H. G, Wells's New Story. Mr. H. G. Wells commences a new serial story,. "The Passionate Friends," in tho March issue of; "The Grand Magazine." Tho story is said to be written in the form of ( an autobiography by Strattan, the.herb, who, in a prefatory chapter, says that ho writes the story for the benefit of his son. Wells is fond of the autobiographical form. He employed it, it may bo remembered, both in "Tono -Bungay"—the "best, I think, of all .his dater novels—apd in that unpleasant but powerful story "A New -Macchiavelli."