The Adventures of Dick Distich. In Three Volumes.
Author Details
Surname:Daniel
First Names:George
Gender:Male
Anonymous:No
Publication Details
Publisher:Published by Effingham Wilson, 88, Cornhill.
Place:London
Date:1812
Novel Details
Genre:Biography; courtship; satirical; travel
Setting:All over British Isles
Period:Contemporary
Plot
The eponymous hero is born in Shropshire and rapidly orphaned. He makes his way to London to work as a writer and has various adventures and social encounters, along with his friend Pegasus. Then he hears that is aunt is dying back in Shropshire and travels there in a coach with his friend, Toby, which provides the opportunity for a lot of character sketches and conversations. Back in Shropshire his aunt dies and he falls in love with Maria Scriblerus, the daughter of an old friend.
Toby becomes obsessed with chivalry and there is much humour around this. Maria is stolen away by Squire Goosetrap, but Goosetrap is interrupted by the arrival of his brother before he any violence takes place. Maria is returned to her father. Dick then joins a travelling troup of players and gets into various scrapes all over the place. He also meets many of his old friends from London. Finally he hears that Maria is to be married to someone else. He travels back home, having further adventures on the way and is finally happily married to Maria.
Toby becomes obsessed with chivalry and there is much humour around this. Maria is stolen away by Squire Goosetrap, but Goosetrap is interrupted by the arrival of his brother before he any violence takes place. Maria is returned to her father. Dick then joins a travelling troup of players and gets into various scrapes all over the place. He also meets many of his old friends from London. Finally he hears that Maria is to be married to someone else. He travels back home, having further adventures on the way and is finally happily married to Maria.
Overview of the Dialect
The novel contains lots of short bits of dialect from all over the place. In keeping with the fact that this is a satire, these are very stereotypical and very brief. There is some Irish, postboys, a fair stretch of Welsh, ("neither a shentleman porn or pred", "Cot pless me") and some West Country.
Speaker #1:Mr Tipple - Publican
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Mr Tipple the publican
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Publican
Social Role Category:Trade or craft
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Shropshire
Place of Origin Category:Shropshire, South West England, England
" Vor the sake of God, and the blessed Marturs ! I do beseech yaw my roight wurshipful Muster Pliable, justass of peace vor this here kounty , and yaw Muster Tummus Cringer, parson of this here parish, and measter of harts, to leave off wrangling; vor if be so as yaw should commit moordur , why I shall have my licence taken away, and ruinated , thof I be innocent ."
(Vol. 2,p. 49)Speaker #2:Postboys - Postboys
Individual or Group:Group
Primary Identity:Postboys
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Metalanguage, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Postboys
Social Role Category:Respectable poor
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Unspecified, but presumably England
Place of Origin Category:England
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Grammar, Metalanguage, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Our travellers had not been long housed, before a chaise drove furiously into the yard, and two young gentlemen alighted. " Wauns , ge'men ," cried the post-boy, " we have ran hard." [...]
" Upon my honor ," she cried, "it is a thousand pities that two such pretty gentlemen should travel about the country such a dark night as this. I hope your honours don't intend to go farther till morning." The elder of the two asked if there was any company in the house. -- "Not a soul, your honors," replied the landlady, "but two raw boys;" meaning Distich and Toby. The strangers were conducted into a private room, and the post-boy made his appearance in the kitchen. The landlady began to sound him concerning her guests, but he revealed little to satisfy her curiosity. "All I know of 'em ," quoth he, " is, that they jabbered together in some outlandish lingo , and axed me to drive as hard as I could; as for my part I thinks as how they be no better than they should be ; for they seemed woundily scared."
(Vol. 1,p. 130-132)" Upon my honor ," she cried, "it is a thousand pities that two such pretty gentlemen should travel about the country such a dark night as this. I hope your honours don't intend to go farther till morning." The elder of the two asked if there was any company in the house. -- "Not a soul, your honors," replied the landlady, "but two raw boys;" meaning Distich and Toby. The strangers were conducted into a private room, and the post-boy made his appearance in the kitchen. The landlady began to sound him concerning her guests, but he revealed little to satisfy her curiosity. "All I know of 'em ," quoth he, " is, that they jabbered together in some outlandish lingo , and axed me to drive as hard as I could; as for my part I thinks as how they be no better than they should be ; for they seemed woundily scared."
Speaker #3:Mr. Ap-Shenkin - Surgeon
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Welch surgeon
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Surgeon
Social Role Category:Professional
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:
Place of Origin Category:Wales
"He is neither a shentleman porn or pred ," cried Mr. Ap-Shenkin, (for that was the Welchman's name) "who shall cavil, criticise, or abuse, any Christian's pody , plood , or pones . I have myself a ferry creat veneration for a round portly stomach; and I love, admire, and esteem any man, woman, or child, ( look you ) who shall possess a coot quantity of wholesome flesh." -- "Aye," cried the quack, "but too great an oppression of fat is unwholesome; I myself have robbed a patient of eighty ounces of blood at a sitting to reduce him. " -- "Eighty ounces!" exclaimed Mr. Ap-Shenkin with astonishment; " Cot pless me , you did surely bleed him to death. I should conceive, conjecture, and suppose that the patient must have been as strong as Hercules, ( look you ) or as powerful as the mighty Sampson himself, to have borne such a violent phlebotomy: pray, sir, might I be so pold as to inquire where you studied?"
(Vol. 1,p. 168-169)The party being again seated in the coach, found the fencing-master and the dancing-master had left them, and their places supplied by a Welch surgeon, and a strolling player. Our hero and Toby placed themselves close together, so that the Welchman in stepping in, found himself obligated to sit between the quaker and the doctor, upon which he exclaimed -- " Cot pless my pones and blood! look you , as I am a christian soul I shall not be suffocated." But finding there was no alternative, he took possession of his seat. The horses proceeded in such a slow manner, that the Welchman cried " Coot Lord deliver me! I have travelled in Wales, look you , and I would pring a mountain goat that should go petter than these peasts ." -- "In Wales, sir, " cried the player, "why I have heard that the inhabitants live upon mountains like savages, and even eat one another."
-- "Then my coot sir, you have heard a ferry creat falsehood. The shentlemen in Wales are as civil, as polished, and as refined as any in the whole world; and comprehend, respect and observe, the forms, rules, and ceremonies, of coot fellowship and coot breeding, and are no more savages ( look you ) than an Englishman, Scotchman, or Irishman: and the persons who said so, must be either peggarly rogues who delight in falsehoods, misrepresentations and untruths; or a parcel of ideots, fools and numskulls, who know no more about Wales and Welchmen, than I do of Jericho, or the Cham of Tartary."
(Vol. 1,p. 163-165)-- "Then my coot sir, you have heard a ferry creat falsehood. The shentlemen in Wales are as civil, as polished, and as refined as any in the whole world; and comprehend, respect and observe, the forms, rules, and ceremonies, of coot fellowship and coot breeding, and are no more savages ( look you ) than an Englishman, Scotchman, or Irishman: and the persons who said so, must be either peggarly rogues who delight in falsehoods, misrepresentations and untruths; or a parcel of ideots, fools and numskulls, who know no more about Wales and Welchmen, than I do of Jericho, or the Cham of Tartary."
Speaker #4:Captain Mainmast - Captain
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Captain Mainmast
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - middle aged
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Idiom, Metalanguage, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Captain
Social Role Category:Seafarer
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Unspecified - has been a sailor 'from his youth', but presumably England
Place of Origin Category:England
Speakers: All , Captain Mainmast
"Come, brother, if thou hast gone a privateering , and captured a tight well-rigged little vessel, give her back to her right owner; -- don't let her founder; -- don't let the top-lifts of your heart be like a piece of old junk; -- send her to her old dad, like a good seaman, without damage. But if thou art inclined to embark in the same bottom with her, throw out your proper signals and she'll bring to, I'll warrant. I'm as fond of a wench as yourself; blue-ey'd Sall o' Portsmouth, and spanking Poll o' Wapping, for that! But you know they be ships that take in passengers ; any brother messmate may go a voyage with them. But, damme! 'twould be hard to board a vessel by force, get under the hatches in an unlawful way, and let her strike at last!"
(Vol. 2,p. 195-196)Extract #2 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Idiom, Metalanguage, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Speakers: All , Captain Mainmast
A servant now entered, who announced the arrival of his half-brother, who having ploughed the seas for many years, had returned home to enjoy for a short period, the pleasures of a land life. Captain Mainmast having been a sailor from his youth, was brave, open and benevolent; but withal rather passionate, and too much addicted to swearing; yet whatever he said came from the heart, and he was a bitter enemy to all dissimulation.
No sooner did the tar enter the house, than he bellowed forth " Ahoy! hark'e, is your commander a-board? Tell him Tom Mainmast has come alongside his mooorings !" and continued to talk in this way to the infinite surprise of the servants. When he entered into the presence of the squire, he thrust forward his hand, exclaiming, "No offence, I hope, brother, but I've steered into your port, d'ye see, come in with a fair wind, flowing sail, and good stowage, split my bowlines! " Goosetrap expressed great joy at seeing him, and hoped that he had been successful. "Why, as for that," replied the tar, "pretty well; but reef my topsails, 'twas a hard bout. Curse the French! but howsumever , we gave 'em pill for pill , shiver my timbers ! we sent 'em to hell with a wet sail! A privateer of forty funs, with a complement of men doubling ours; but I say nothing. The mounseers were damnably mistaken; -- well, on the third watch, Jack Buntline gave an alarm -- all turned out -- clear ship - damme boys, look sharp! -- hailed her -- she gave a broadside -- we returned it -- now was the time -- we poured in our shot -- yard -arm and yard-arm -- the Frenchman wanted to sheer off -- we pursued her -- she struck, and went to the bottom, smite my limbs !"
(Vol. 2,p. 179-182)No sooner did the tar enter the house, than he bellowed forth " Ahoy! hark'e, is your commander a-board? Tell him Tom Mainmast has come alongside his mooorings !" and continued to talk in this way to the infinite surprise of the servants. When he entered into the presence of the squire, he thrust forward his hand, exclaiming, "No offence, I hope, brother, but I've steered into your port, d'ye see, come in with a fair wind, flowing sail, and good stowage, split my bowlines! " Goosetrap expressed great joy at seeing him, and hoped that he had been successful. "Why, as for that," replied the tar, "pretty well; but reef my topsails, 'twas a hard bout. Curse the French! but howsumever , we gave 'em pill for pill , shiver my timbers ! we sent 'em to hell with a wet sail! A privateer of forty funs, with a complement of men doubling ours; but I say nothing. The mounseers were damnably mistaken; -- well, on the third watch, Jack Buntline gave an alarm -- all turned out -- clear ship - damme boys, look sharp! -- hailed her -- she gave a broadside -- we returned it -- now was the time -- we poured in our shot -- yard -arm and yard-arm -- the Frenchman wanted to sheer off -- we pursued her -- she struck, and went to the bottom, smite my limbs !"
Speaker #5:Mr. O'Shinnaghly - Tragic playwright fom Tipperary
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Mr. O'Shinnaghly
Gender:Unknown
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Grammar, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling, Vocabulary
Social Role
Social Role Description:Tragic playwright fom Tipperary
Social Role Category:Professional
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Tipperary
Place of Origin Category:Tipperary, Tipperary, West Ireland, Ireland
Speakers: All , Mr. O'Shinnaghly
The manager was surprised, while Mr. O'Shinnaghly with true Irish jollity danced about, singing a stave that he had composed upon a like occasion.
" Och! by St. Patrick , my friend has come back again,/This is the time for our frolics and jigs;/Now that I see thee , my Terence O'Whack again,/We will get drunk and be merry as grigs .
Out wid the fiddles, the pipes and the tabors,/ Wid' their sweet noise let the welkin resound/Here are the health and success to our sweethearts and neighbours/And all the young damself for fifty miles round."
(Vol. 3,p. 89-90)" Och! by St. Patrick , my friend has come back again,/This is the time for our frolics and jigs;/Now that I see thee , my Terence O'Whack again,/We will get drunk and be merry as grigs .
Out wid the fiddles, the pipes and the tabors,/ Wid' their sweet noise let the welkin resound/Here are the health and success to our sweethearts and neighbours/And all the young damself for fifty miles round."
Extract #2 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
They had not long taken up their abode, before their ears were saluted by a voice which exclaimed in the true Irish accent: " Arrah , honey ! be aisey ." - "O!" cried the manager, "here comes my Tipperary savage;" and a figure immediately entered, which Dick recollected to be the person of Mr. Dermot O'Shinnaghly, whom his friend Mr. O'Whack introduced him to at the ball and concert. The Irishman did not retain the slightest knowledge of our hero, who was much altered since that time. " Well , honey !" he cried, "and here I am! Oh! such a tragedy; -- here, one, two, three, all killed in one scene. I founded the plot upon a queen having two twins , and so they kill each other, and the survivor comes to the crown. I've made their pretty ghosts fly in all together, one at a time , and make a great hubbubbo."
(Vol. 3,p. 86-87)Speaker #6:Terence O'Whack - Wandering player
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Terence O'Whack
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Minor
Dialect Features:Discourse Marker, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Wandering player
Social Role Category:Trade or craft
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Tipperary
Place of Origin Category:Tipperary, Tipperary, West Ireland, Ireland
Extract #1 dialect features: Discourse Marker
Speakers: All , Terence O'Whack
Miss Freebottle, on whom the liquor had worked a favourable effect, namely, that of removing her ill-nature, declared herself to have been highly pleased with the dancing; but as for the concert, it was truly hideous. -- "Why to be sure ," cried Terence, "little Roderick O'Connor brought a whistle instead of a pipe, and Paddy O'Halloran's fiddle had only two strings; but the rest was charming."
(Vol. 1,p. 78)Extract #2 dialect features: Discourse Marker, Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
A figure now appeared which was no other than Mr. O'Whack; his hair was long, and hung about his ears, and his beard bristly and black. "Don't mind her, honey ! " he cried, "the good cratur 's as mad as a cat in the dog-days." The lady hearing this, rose from her posture of humiliation, and walking sternly up to her husband, exclaimed, "What, brute! do you fancy yourself Cardinal Wolsey in this house?" -- "D--n Cardinal Woolsack!" cried the frantic Terence, "here I've been following you about like a greyhound."
(Vol. 3,p. 115-116)Speakers: All , Terence O'Whack
" Och ! by the sweet J---s ," cried Pad, "I should like to see the dear cratur touch a hair of my head;"
(Vol. 1,p. 44)Speaker #7:Young fellow - Young fellow, auditioning to join players
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Young fellow
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Metalanguage, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Young fellow, auditioning to join players
Social Role Category:Respectable poor
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Doncaster
Place of Origin Category:Doncaster, Yorkshire, North England, England
A young fellow who gave out that he came from Doncaster, made his appearance before the manager to offer himself for a performer. This new candidate for fame spoke any language but english; his dialect being a barbarous mixture of all the provincial jargons: yet he represented himself to have been teacher at a school, and a perfect adept in the art of speaking correctly.
The manager, who loved a joke, seemed to approve him, and desired to know his cast of characters. The stage-struck hero declared that they must be all from Shikespur , Howay , or Driedurn ; for instance, he was very great in Omlet , Mockbeeth , Cryhollanus , Jaffire and Willowroy . The other, willing to carry on the jest, desired to have a specimen of his abilities, and chose the dagger-scene in Macbeth. The young fellow having started, or rather leaped , three yards backwards, began the soliloquoy in an accent, tone, and gesture, perfectly original.
[is sent away] No sooner had he disappeared, than the manager burst into a loud laugh, and asked Distich how he liked his tragedian? -- "I suppose," cried he, "the fellow is some Yorkshire bullock-driver; the effrontery of these clowns exceeds every thing. -- A blockhead, who knows no more of grammar than a hottentot, who has no better voice than a raven, and as much elegance as a Russian bear, will come and pester me with his ridiculous offers ."
(Vol. 3,p. 97-100)The manager, who loved a joke, seemed to approve him, and desired to know his cast of characters. The stage-struck hero declared that they must be all from Shikespur , Howay , or Driedurn ; for instance, he was very great in Omlet , Mockbeeth , Cryhollanus , Jaffire and Willowroy . The other, willing to carry on the jest, desired to have a specimen of his abilities, and chose the dagger-scene in Macbeth. The young fellow having started, or rather leaped , three yards backwards, began the soliloquoy in an accent, tone, and gesture, perfectly original.
[is sent away] No sooner had he disappeared, than the manager burst into a loud laugh, and asked Distich how he liked his tragedian? -- "I suppose," cried he, "the fellow is some Yorkshire bullock-driver; the effrontery of these clowns exceeds every thing. -- A blockhead, who knows no more of grammar than a hottentot, who has no better voice than a raven, and as much elegance as a Russian bear, will come and pester me with his ridiculous offers ."
Speaker #8:Farmer Gammon - Farmer
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Farmer Gammon
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:3rd person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Orthographical Contraction, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Farmer
Social Role Category:Yeoman
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Shropshire
Place of Origin Category:Shropshire, South West England, England
"I did not expect to see you so soon, my dear;" cried the lady. -- "Mayhap not," joined Gammon, "but Farmer Hawbuck had gone to Lunnun , zo I couldn't speak to him about the colts."
(Vol. 3,p. 151)Speaker #9:Peasant - Peasant
Individual or Group:Individual
Primary Identity:Peasant
Gender:Male
Age:Adult - unspecified age
Narrative Voice:1st person
Role:Peripheral
Dialect Features:Grammar, Idiom, Orthographical Respelling
Social Role
Social Role Description:Peasant
Social Role Category:Respectable poor
Speaker's Origin
Place of Origin Description:Shropshire
Place of Origin Category:Shropshire, South West England, England
At this, a voice cried out, "Holloa, yaw Muster Madbrain, where be this here princess that yaw talk zo much about?" -- "She is," replied the champion, "under the baneful power of the enchanter Anthropumhayguts, whom God and his saints confound." -- "It is a lie!" cried the uncouth voice, "she is some draggle-tail'd trull , and yaw no better than yaw should be."
(Vol. 3,p. 171-172)