CXiARI.
Iprftwjf* ZfytatvitalB.
The married Bachelor.
OX SATURDAY EyENING. APRIL 27. 1853.
Ait urrmoDócroiiY raoLOGtrz;
jeugdige Dickens in ruime mate
demonstreerde. Bronnen voor de hierna
volgende kroniek zijn: John Forster's The
Life of Charles Dickens (1872-1874), The
Childhood and Youth of Charles Dickens
(1883) van Robert Langton, en verder de
gepubliceerde herinneringen van de oudste
dochter Mary My Father as I recall him
(1896) en van de jongste zoon Sir Henry
Fielding Memoirs of my father (1928).
Veel informatie gaf Dickens zelf in zijn
talloze brieven, The Letters of Charles
Dickens, uitgegeven in de Pilgrim Edition,
waarvan het eerste deel in 1965 verscheen
en het vijfde in 1981, met brieven uit de
periode van 1820 tot en met 1849. Een
titanenarbeid, met nog 21 jaar te gaan.
1816-1821: "During the early years in
Chatham, it was in the Mitre Inn that little
Charles used occasionally to sing, in a clear
treble voice, some of those old songs which
he was always fond of. Seasongs were at this
time special favorites. Charles and his sister
Fanny mounted on a dining table for a stage,
and the accomplishments of Charles and his
sister were often utilised to amuse the
company." (R.L.)
"The child took to writing, himself; and
became famous in his childish circle for
having written a tragedy called "Misnar, the
Sultan of India", founded (and very literaly
founded, no doubt) on one of the Tales of
the Genii. His chief ally and encourager in
these displays was a youth of some ability,
much older than himself, named James Lamert,
stepson to his mother's sister and therefore a
sort of cousin, who was his great patron and
friend in his childish days." (J.F.)
"Young Lamert took Charles to the
Theatre Royal at the foot of Star Hill in
Rochester, and even after he had been sent
to Sandhurst for his education, he continued
still to visit Chatham from time to time. He
had a turn for private theatricals; and as his
father's quarters (Doctor Lamert was an
army-surgeon) were in the ordnance-hospital
there, a great rambling place otherwise at
that time almost uninhabited, he had plenty
of room in which to get up his
entertainments. The staff-docter himself
played his part, and his portrait will be
found in Pickwick: "my name is Slammer,
Doctor Slammer, Sir - 97th regiment-
Chatham Barracks - my card, Sir - my card."
(J.F.)
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Aanplakbiljet voor de amateurtoneeluit
voeringen van Dickens ten huize van zijn
ouders in 1833
- 4 -
