knew Forster well--seemed to
hear his very voice. "It was a stern-eyed man of about five-and-forty,
who had large black whiskers. He was buttoned up to the chin in a brown
coat and had a large seal-skin cap and a cloak beside him. He looked up
from his breakfast as Mr. Pickwick entered with a fierce and peremptory
air, _which was very dignified_, and which seemed to say that he rather
expected _somebody wanted to take advantage of him_, _but it wouldn't
do_" . . . "Are you going to Bath?" said the strange man. "I am, sir,"
replied Mr. Pickwick. "And these other gentleman?" "They are going
also," said Mr. Pickwick. "Not inside--I'll be damned if you're going
inside," said the strange man. "Not all of us," said Mr. Pickwick.
"No--not all of you," said the strange man, emphatically. "We take two
places. If they try and squeeze six people into an infernal box that
only holds four I'll take a post-chaise and bring an action. It won't
do," etc. This recalls the pleasant story about Forster and the cabman
who summoned him. The latter was adjudged to be in the wrong and said he
knew it, but "that he was determined to show him up, he were _such a
harbitrary cove_." None enjoyed this story more than Forster himself,
and I have heard him say to a lady humorously, "Now you must. You know I
am 'such a harbitrary cove.'" Dear good old Forster!

I must confess all Pickwickians would like to know biographical details,
as one might call them, about the personages engaged in the trial. I
need not repeat that Judge Stareleigh was drawn from Mr. Justice Gazalee,
or that Buzfuz was founded on Mr. Serjeant Bompas, or Bumpus. Charles
Carpenter Bompas was his full designation. He was made a Serjeant in
1827, the very year of the memorable trial. He obtained a Patent of
Precedence in 1834. "Buzfuz's son"--Mr. W. Bompas, Q.C., who will pardon
the freedom of the designation--was born in the year of the celebrated
trial. He was the youngest son and had a very distinguished career both
at College and at the Bar, being a "leader" on his circuit, revising
barrister, bencher, recorder, and was last year appointed a County Court
judge.

Who were Serjeant Snubbin, Skimpin, and Phunkey? No traditions have come
to us as to these gentlemen. Skimpin may have been Wilkins, and Snubbin
a Serjeant Arabin, a contemporary of Buzfuz. But we are altogether in
the dark.

We should have liked also to have some "prehistoric peeps" at the
p