m of Chapman &
Hall) has set down in writing, for similar preservation, his personal
knowledge of the origin and progress of this book, of the monstrosity of
the baseless assertions in question, and (tested by details) even of the
self-evident impossibility of there being any truth in them." The
"written testimony" alluded to is also in my possession, having been
inclosed to me by Dickens, in 1867, with Mr. Chapman's letter here
referred to.

[10] Whether Mr. Chapman spelt the name correctly, or has unconsciously
deprived his fat beau of the letter "r," I cannot say; but experience
tells me that the latter is probable. I have been trying all my life to
get my own name spelt correctly, and have only very imperfectly
succeeded.

CHAPTER VI.

WRITING THE PICKWICK PAPERS.

1837.

First Letter from him--As he was Thirty-five
Years ago--Mrs. Carlyle and Leigh Hunt--Birth
of Eldest Son--From Furnival's Inn to Doughty
Street--A Long-Remembered Sorrow--I visit
him--Hasty Compacts with Publishers--Self-sold
into Quasi-Bondage--Agreements for Editorship
and Writing--Mr. Macrone's Scheme to reissue
_Sketches_--Attempts to prevent it--Exorbitant
Demand--Impatience of Suspense--Purchase
advised--_Oliver Twist_--Characters real to
himself--Sense of Responsibility for his
Writings--Criticism that satisfied him--Help
given with his Proofs--Writing _Pickwick_, Nos.
14 and 15--Scenes in a Debtors' Prison--A
Recollection of Smollett--Reception of
_Pickwick_--A Popular Rage--Mr. Carlyle's
"Dreadful" Story--Secrets of
Success--_Pickwick_ inferior to Later
Books--Exception for Sam Weller and Mr.
Pickwick--Personal Habits of C. D.--Reliefs
after Writing--Natural Discontents--The Early
Agreements--Tale to follow _Oliver
Twist_--Compromise with Mr. Bentley--Trip to
Flanders--First Visit to Broadstairs--Piracies
of _Pickwick_--A Sufferer from
Agreements--First Visit to Brighton--What he is
doing with _Oliver Twist_--Reading De Foe--"No
Thoroughfare"--Proposed Help to Macready.

THE first letter I had from him was at the close of 1836, from
Furnival's Inn, when he sent me the book of his opera of the _Village
Coquettes_, which had been published by Mr. Bentley; and this was
followed, two months later, by