Posthumous notes of the Pickwick Club
The
first
ray
of
light
which
illumines
the
gloom
,
and
converts
into
a
dazzling
brilliancy
that
obscurity
in
which
the
earlier
history
of
the
public
career
of
the
immortal
Pickwick
would
appear
to
be
involved
,
is
derived
from
the
perusal
of
the
following
entry
in
the
Transactions
of
the
Pickwick
Club
,
which
the
editor
of
these
papers
feels
the
highest
pleasure
in
laying
before
his
readers
,
as
a
proof
of
the
careful
attention
,
indefatigable
assiduity
,
and
nice
discrimination
,
with
which
his
search
among
the
multifarious
documents
confided
to
him
has
been
conducted
.
‘
May
12
,
1827
.
Joseph
Smiggers
,
Esq
.
,
P
.
V
.
P
.
M
.
P
.
C
.
[
Perpetual
Vice
–
President
—
Member
Pickwick
Club
]
,
presiding
.
The
following
resolutions
unanimously
agreed
to
:
—
‘
That
this
Association
has
heard
read
,
with
feelings
of
unmingled
satisfaction
,
and
unqualified
approval
,
the
paper
communicated
by
Samuel
Pickwick
,
Esq
.
,
G
.
C
.
M
.
P
.
C
.
[
General
Chairman
—
Member
Pickwick
Club
]
,
entitled
"
Speculations
on
the
Source
of
the
Hampstead
Ponds
,
with
some
Observations
on
the
Theory
of
Tittlebats
;
"
and
that
this
Association
does
hereby
return
its
warmest
thanks
to
the
said
Samuel
Pickwick
,
Esq
.
,
G
.
C
.
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
for
the
same
.
‘
That
while
this
Association
is
deeply
sensible
of
the
advantages
which
must
accrue
to
the
cause
of
science
,
from
the
production
to
which
they
have
just
adverted
—
no
less
than
from
the
unwearied
researches
of
Samuel
Pickwick
,
Esq
.
,
G
.
C
.
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
in
Hornsey
,
Highgate
,
Brixton
,
and
Camberwell
—
they
cannot
but
entertain
a
lively
sense
of
the
inestimable
benefits
which
must
inevitably
result
from
carrying
the
speculations
of
that
learned
man
into
a
wider
field
,
from
extending
his
travels
,
and
,
consequently
,
enlarging
his
sphere
of
observation
,
to
the
advancement
of
knowledge
,
and
the
diffusion
of
learning
.
‘
That
,
with
the
view
just
mentioned
,
this
Association
has
taken
into
its
serious
consideration
a
proposal
,
emanating
from
the
aforesaid
,
Samuel
Pickwick
,
Esq
.
,
G
.
C
.
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
and
three
other
Pickwickians
hereinafter
named
,
for
forming
a
new
branch
of
United
Pickwickians
,
under
the
title
of
The
Corresponding
Society
of
the
Pickwick
Club
.
‘
That
the
said
proposal
has
received
the
sanction
and
approval
of
this
Association
.
‘
That
the
Corresponding
Society
of
the
Pickwick
Club
is
therefore
hereby
constituted
;
and
that
Samuel
Pickwick
,
Esq
.
,
G
.
C
.
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
Tracy
Tupman
,
Esq
.
,
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
Augustus
Snodgrass
,
Esq
.
,
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
and
Nathaniel
Winkle
,
Esq
.
,
M
.
P
.
C
.
,
are
hereby
nominated
and
appointed
members
of
the
same
;
and
that
they
be
requested
to
forward
,
from
time
to
time
,
authenticated
accounts
of
their
journeys
and
investigations
,
of
their
observations
of
character
and
manners
,
and
of
the
whole
of
their
adventures
,
together
with
all
tales
and
papers
to
which
local
scenery
or
associations
may
give
rise
,
to
the
Pickwick
Club
,
stationed
in
London
.
‘
That
this
Association
cordially
recognises
the
principle
of
every
member
of
the
Corresponding
Society
defraying
his
own
travelling
expenses
;
and
that
it
sees
no
objection
whatever
to
the
members
of
the
said
society
pursuing
their
inquiries
for
any
length
of
time
they
please
,
upon
the
same
terms
.
‘
That
the
members
of
the
aforesaid
Corresponding
Society
be
,
and
are
hereby
informed
,
that
their
proposal
to
pay
the
postage
of
their
letters
,
and
the
carriage
of
their
parcels
,
has
been
deliberated
upon
by
this
Association
:
that
this
Association
considers
such
proposal
worthy
of
the
great
minds
from
which
it
emanated
,
and
that
it
hereby
signifies
its
perfect
acquiescence
therein
.
’
A
casual
observer
,
adds
the
secretary
,
to
whose
notes
we
are
indebted
for
the
following
account
—
a
casual
observer
might
possibly
have
remarked
nothing
extraordinary
in
the
bald
head
,
and
circular
spectacles
,
which
were
intently
turned
towards
his
(
the
secretary
’
s
)
face
,
during
the
reading
of
the
above
resolutions
:
to
those
who
knew
that
the
gigantic
brain
of
Pickwick
was
working
beneath
that
forehead
,
and
that
the
beaming
eyes
of
Pickwick
were
twinkling
behind
those
glasses
,
the
sight
was
indeed
an
interesting
one
.
There
sat
the
man
who
had
traced
to
their
source
the
mighty
ponds
of
Hampstead
,
and
agitated
the
scientific
world
with
his
Theory
of
Tittlebats
,
as
calm
and
unmoved
as
the
deep
waters
of
the
one
on
a
frosty
day
,
or
as
a
solitary
specimen
of
the
other
in
the
inmost
recesses
of
an
earthen
jar
.
