Pickwick Abroad: or, The Tour in France — page 357: what you’re looking at

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

296 Pickwick Abroad. of them seem to. lack that useful and very generally estimated com- modity—a shirt (if we must tell the zaked truth) ; and a few appear to be so much attached to the only one they possess, that they are exceedingly loth to part with it even after it has been turned twice since the middle of the previous month. The mdependence of the Bar is like a ghost—a thing much talked of, but never seen: the in- dependence of the lawyers at the Insolvents’ Court 1s, however, far from problematical; inasmuch as some of the fraternity carry it to such an extent as occasionally to make their appearance at the low table in a pleasing and highly interesting state of intoxication. At the extremity of the Court facing the one which is embellished by the luminous presence of the Commissioners, is the receptacle for the audience, which principally consists of decrepit old men, leaning their hands and chins upon cane walking-sticks, and watching the proceedings with a most critical eye. On the left hand side of the barristers’ seats, the reporters of the newspapers occupy a small box in the immediate neighbourhood of the pulpit into which the opposing creditors hoist themselves, when they proceed thither for the purpose of punishing some silly young man whom their own pressing Invita- tions to obtain goods upon credit have ruined. Immediately opposite to this pulpit, on the other side of the Court, is the box into which the insolvents ascend to be bullied by their creditors; and connected with that ‘‘ bad eminence” is the pew allotted to petitioners who await their hearmg or their sentence. | Be it observed, en passant, that no tradesman, who has the slightest claim to respectability, ever opposes his creditor: this mode of paltry and miserable revenge is only resorted to by certain scoundrels, who, having entrapped those whom they deem a prey into their books and clutches, are disappointed at not being paid the money that is due to them, together with the hundred and fifty per cent. they anticipated to pocket by the transaction. No tradesman that ever entered oppo- sition against an insolvent, has, since the establishment of the Court, left the witness-box with any thing but disgrace to himself; and in most instances he has himself figured in the pulpit on the other side in the course of a few months, or a year at the outside. : Such was the state of matters in the Court House in Portugal Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, on the morning when Mr. Adol- phus Crashem, alas Mr. William Sugden (by which latter name we shall henceforth distinguish him) accompanied Mr. William Wibsey, the tipstaff, from the Royal Repose, or, in vulgar parlance, King’s Bench Prison, to the &foresaid Court. | On Mr. Sugden’s arrival at the Court, the exammation of Lord Thomas Swales was just concluded. His lordship had just been proved by an opposing creditor to be the most uumitigated ‘swindler on the face of the earth: but the learned Commissioner Buckphiz prudently and kindly took his lordship’s patent of nobility into con- sideration, and instead of remanding him for three years, as he would any poor devil without a title, ordered him to be discharged forthwith. His lordship, who looked any thing but like an insolvent, being dressed in the extreme of fashion,. scarcely condescended to thank the Com- missioner for this Daniel-like decision, but withdrew to the tavern op- EGomichbooks.co i .