Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 86: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Pickwick Abroad. 53 Since that period I have passed through a variety of changin scenes—have encountered a thousand singular adventures—and coul relate tales that would soften into pity the heart of a misanthrope, —wring tears from the eyes of the most obdurate and unfeeling, and afford such a lesson to the young and innocent that no farther warn- ing would be necessary to make them avoid the crooked paths of vice, and pursue the course of rectitude and virtue. At present I weary you no longer with my égoisme—on a future occasion I may tell you more. When the Gendarme had thus brought his interesting tale to a conclusion, he of course received the thanks of his audience; and Mr. Pickwick, in order to convince M. Dumont that he had been an attentive and sleepless listener, made certain comments on the inci- dents of the narrative, and discussed the whole transaction that had taken place in the Prefecture, as if he had been all his life familiar with the mysteries of the French police. But the conversation gradu- ally became languid—Mr. Boozie declared that be was not at all sleepy, and then effectually contradicted himself by snoring aloud— Mr. Crashem swore that he was too much accustomed to travel ever to slumber in a vehicle, and immediately tumbled into Mr. Winkle’s lap—and Messieurs Pickwick and Tupman commenced an agreeable little duet, which they performed together through the medium of their noses, to the great satisfaction of M. Dumont. In fine, the passen- gers in theinferieur were all soon labouring under the happy influence of Morpheus; and of this state of quiescence and oblivious beatitude shall we take advantage, to introduce to the reader a few of Mr. Pickwick’s private notes taken by that gentleman at Meurice’s hotel at Calais, and descriptive of the events immediately preceding his arrival at the town where he first burst in all his glory on the eyes of the great French nation. | CHAPTER VII. MR. SNODGRASS PROVES HIMSELF TO BE A POET.—PARTICULARS RE- LATED IN MR. PICKWICK’S JOURNAL.—MEURICE’S HOTEL IN PARIS. —MR. TIMS AND MR. SUGDEN. To Mr. Pickwick’s private journal we are indebted for the following particulars of his journey from Dulwich to Calais; and as every cir- cumstance connected with either the private or the public proceedings of this extraordinary man is calculated not only to interest the reader, but also to instruct and improve his mind, we shall not omit a duty we owe to ourselves and to mankind in general, but shall execute the important trust, confided to us, with the utmost impartiality. We ac- cordingly lay the following important memoranda before the public :— PASSAGES FROM THB PRIVATE JOURNAL OF SAMUEL PICKWICK, RSQ. November 11th, 1834.—Awoke this morning at seven o’clock, and ordered Sam to bring me a bottle of soda-water. Felt exceedingly CON stor) (O) SS (c@