The Project Gutenberg eBook, Bardell v. Pickwick, by Percy Fitzgerald

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Bardell v. Pickwick

Author: Percy Fitzgerald

Release Date: July 6, 2008 [eBook #25985]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BARDELL V. PICKWICK***

Transcribed from the 1902 Elliot Stock edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org

[Picture: Mr. Justice Gaselee (original of Mr. Justice Stareleigh),
sketched by the Editor from the family portrait in the possession of H.
Gaselee, Esq.]

Bardell v. Pickwick

The Trial for Breach of Promise of Marriage held at the Guildhall
Sittings, on April 1, 1828, before Mr. Justice Stareleigh and a Special
Jury of the City of London.

Edited with Notes and Commentaries
by
PERCY FITZGERALD, M.A., F.S.A.

_Barrister-at-Law_;
_and sometime Crown Prosecutor on the North-East Circuit_ (_Ireland_).

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

LONDON
ELLIOT STOCK 62 PATERNOSTER ROW E.C.
1902

INTRODUCTION.

There are few things more familiar or more interesting to the public than
this _cause celebre_. It is better known than many a real case: for
every one knows the Judge, his name and remarks--also the
Counsel--(notably Sergeant Buzfuz)--the witnessess, and what they
said--and of course all about the Plaintiff and the famous Defendant. It
was tried over seventy years ago at "the Guildhall Settens," and was
described by Boz some sixty-three years ago. Yet every detail seems
fresh--and as fresh as ever. It is astonishing that a purely technical
sketch like this, whose humours might be relished only by such
specialists as Barristers and Attorneys, who would understand the jokes
levelled at the Profession, should be so well understanded of the people.
All see the point of the legal satire. It is a quite a prodigy. Boz had
the art, in an extraordinary degree, of thus vividly comm