energies and talents existed only in a Row. It is not necessary, however, to dilate on the merits of a Work that affords such an inexhaustible scope, as ‘Life in London;’ neither, perhaps, is it too much to conclude, that it will be a production, at which the Grave may smile, the Gay feel delight, the Comical laugh heartily, and the Pathetic have occasion for a wipe. The Modest it is trusted, will not have occasion to turn aside with disgust, nor the Moralist to shut the book offended. The Corinthians likewise, will have no occasion to be ashamed to acknowledge ‘Tom’ as one of their party; the Universities not the slightest complaint to expel, or even rusticate ‘Bob Logic,’ nor the large Family of the Hawthorns to disown—poor Jerry, for his Sprees and Rambles in the Metropolis.”

During the periodic publication of Life in London it was generally supposed that the character-parts! of Tom, Jerry and Logic, were portraits of particular individuals, and there was much speculation and ink-slinging in respect to “Who is Who?” In the House of Lords it was whispered that the gallant and daring Tom represented his Grace the Duke of Wellington; Jerry, his Grace the Duke of Buckingham; and Logic, no less a personage than the Lord Chancellor. In the House of Commons it was said that Tom was intended for that worthy legal bibliophile, Mr. Butterworth, the pious member for Coventry; that Mr. Martin of Galway, pleaded guilty to Jerry; and the acute and knowing Mr. Hume sat for the all-awake leary Logic. On the other hand it was positively asserted at the West-end that Tom type-ified the elegant and spirited Colonel Berkeley; that the unsophisticated hopeful sprig of rurality, Jerry, was drawn, ad vivum, from Mr. Pea-Green Hayne,[11] while Logic absolutely personated that notorious modern Greek scholar, the learned, larking, laconic, Parson Colton.[12]

In the City, per contra, it was currently reported on ’Change that Tom, from his love of fun, and knowledge of good living, was the locum tenens of that great and learned man, and most facetious Banking Baronet, Sir William—more succinctly and familiarly Billy—Curtis, of the “three R.’s” notoriety;[13]—that Jerry was the picture of Mr. Treble, X Sheriff Parkins; and that Logic was an outline of Mr. Alderman Wood. But, Mr. W. T. Moncrieff states that he can, however, safely assert that all these suppositions are totally unfounded, as the characters of Tom, Jerry and Logic, were autobiographical sketches of the artists to whom they severally originally owe their being. The talented, spirited George Cruikshank was himself, in all the better points, the Tom—of the Corinthian Order; he is so admirably delineated; his very clever brother Isaac Robert, then perhaps less experienced, condescended to pass for Jerry, and the downey Pierce Egan—“‘None but himself can be his parallel’[14]—was his own Logic—the Oxonian in green specs—gig-lamps!” Mr. Moncrieff continues—“they having tria juncta in uno produced the admirable foundation of this Piece.[15] May they speedily furnish the public with some more of their larks, sprees and rambles—the world will thank them for the gift.”

It is now a matter of history that the Brothers Cruikshank, first designed and engraved the Plates for the original Edition of Life in London, and, then, Pierce Egan wrote the letter-press up to them from month to month to the completion of the work in July, 1821.

To this order of things there was, however, one exception, namely in December, 1820,—“’twas Christmas, merry Christmas time, when ‘Man being reasonable, must get drunk,’” and Pierce Egan, admitted that he got too much Daffy aboard the over night, and that on waking up late the next morning he found his pocket-book containing his Notes! i.e., “copy” absent without leave. He therefore published at page 275 as follows:—