n important corporate
town, with a Mayor, etc. Further, the cricketing at Muggleton was of the
poorest sort. There was an elderly gentleman playing who could not stop
the balls--a slim one was hit on the nose--they were a set of "duffers,"
in fact. As for Dickens knowing nothing about cricket, as Mr. Lang
contends, I can say, that he was always interested in it. I myself have
seen him sit the whole day in a marquee, during a match got up by himself
at Gads Hill, marking (or "notching") in the most admirable manner.
Anything he did or described, he did and described according to the best
fashion he could compass.

Wishing, however, to investigate this knotty question thoroughly, I
lately communicated with the Town Clerk of Maidstone, Mr. Herbert
Monckton, who was good enough to search the Books with reference to
certain queries which I furnished. Dickens states of the mysterious and
unnamed Borough, that it had its Mayor, Burgesses, and Freemen--which at
once excludes Town Malling which the younger Charles Dickens had
selected. The Clerk has found that, at the period in question, there
were 813 Freemen on the roll. It has always been held to be "an ancient
and loyal Borough," but this, of course, most boroughs of its standing
would claim to be. Boz speaks of innumerable Petitions to Parliament,
and Mr. Monckton tells me that he has found many petitions in the
Books--one in 1828 _against_ the Licensing Bill, which seems to prove
that Maidstone, like Muggleton, "mingled a zealous advocacy of Christian
principles with a devoted attachment to commercial rights." Then as to
the description: Both Maidstone and Muggleton have an open square for the
market: there are also in both places in the square a fire office,
linendraper, corn factor, saddler, grocer, shoe-shop, but apparently no
distiller. It was curious, certainly, that there should be an Inn with
so odd a sign as the Blue Lion in Maidstone--and also a post bearing this
sign, in front. Then as to the cricket, the cricket field was in the
Meadow, Maidstone, not far from the High Street; while at Muggleton, we
are told that Mr. Pickwick's friends "had turned out of the main street
and were already within sight of the field of battle."

And here we may admire the wonderful walking powers that Boz allots to
his heroes--Tupman and Pickwick, who were elderly persons and stout
withal. Fifteen miles to Muggleton--two miles further to Manor Farm--and
all done between