prisoned for debt; by a
fourth, sent per steamer to the United States; by a fifth, rendered
incapable of mental exertion for evermore; by all, in short, represented
as doing anything but seeking in a few weeks' retirement the restoration
of that cheerfulness and peace of which a sad bereavement had
temporarily deprived him."

[35] See _ante_, p. 81.

CHAPTER XIV.

BARNABY RUDGE.

1841.

Advantage in beginning _Barnaby_--Birth of
Fourth Child and Second Son--The Raven--A Loss
in the Family--Grip's Death--C. D. describes
his Illness--Family Mourners--Apotheosis by
Maclise--Grip the Second--The Inn at
Chigwell--A _Clock_ Dinner--Lord Jeffrey in
London--The _Lamplighter_--The _Pic Nic
Papers_--Character of Lord George Gordon--A
Doubtful Fancy--Interest in New
Labor--Constraints of Weekly Publication--The
Prison-Riots--A Serious Illness--Close of
_Barnaby_--Character of the Tale--Defects in
the Plot--The No-Popery Riots--Descriptive
Power displayed--Leading Persons in Story--Mr.
Dennis the Hangman.

THE letters of 1841 yield similar fruit as to his doings and sayings,
and may in like manner first be consulted for the literary work he had
in hand.

He had the advantage of beginning _Barnaby Rudge_ with a fair amount of
story in advance, which he had only to make suitable, by occasional
readjustment of chapters, to publication in weekly portions; and on this
he was engaged before the end of January. "I am at present" (22d
January, 1841) "in what Leigh Hunt would call a kind of impossible
state,--thinking what on earth Master Humphrey can think of through four
mortal pages. I added, here and there, to the last chapter of the
_Curiosity Shop_ yesterday, and it leaves me only four pages to write."
(They were filled by a paper from Humphrey introductory of the new
tale, in which will be found a striking picture of London from midnight
to the break of day.) "I also made up, and wrote the needful insertions
for, the second number of _Barnaby_,--so that I came back to the mill a
little." Hardly yet; for after four days he writes, having meanwhile
done nothing, "I have been looking (three o'clock) with an appearance of
extraordinary interest and study at _one leaf_ of the _Curiosities of
Literature_ ever since half-past ten this morning--I haven't the heart
to turn over." Then on Friday the 29th