Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I

Life And Adventures Of Peter
Wilkins, Vol.
by Robert Paltock

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Wilkins, Vol.
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Title: Life And Adventures Of Peter Wilkins, Vol. I. (of II.)
Author: Robert Paltock
Commentator: A. H. Bullen
Release Date: May 17, 2007 [EBook #21513]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK
ADVENTURES OF PETER WILKINS ***

Produced by David Widger

LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF PETER WILKINS., VOL. I.
BY ROBERT PALTOCK, OF CLEMENT'S INN.
WITH A PREFACE BY A. H. BULLEN, Editor Of "The Works Of
John Day," "A Collection Of Old English Plays," Etc.
1884.

PREFACE.
In one of those bright racy essays at which modern dulness delights to
sneer, Hazlitt discussed the question whether the desire of posthumous
fame is a legitimate aspiration; and the conclusion at which he arrived
was that there is "something of egotism and even of pedantry in this
sentiment." It is a true saying in literature as in morality that "he that
seeketh his life shall lose it." The world cares most for those who have
cared least for the world's applause. A nameless minstrel of the North
Country sings a ballad that shall stir men's hearts from age to age with
haunting melody; Southey, toiling at his epics, is excluded from
Parnassus. Some there are who have knocked at the door of the Temple
of Fame, and have been admitted at once and for ever. When
Thucydides announced that he intended his history to be a "possession
for all time," there was no mistaking the tone of authority. But to be
enthroned in state, to receive the homage of the admiring multitude,
and then to be rejected as a pretender,--that is indeed a sorry fate, and
one that may well make us pause before envying literary despots their
titles. The more closely a writer shrouds himself from view, the more
eager are his readers to get a sight of him. The loss of an arm or a leg
would be a slight price for a genuine student to pay if only he could
discover one new fact about Shakespeare's history. I will not attempt to
impose on the reader's credulity by professing myself eager to acquire
information about the author of "Peter Wilkins" at such a sacrifice; but
it would have been a sincere pleasure to me if I could have brought to
light some particulars about one whose personality must have
possessed a more than ordinary charm. The delightful voyage

imaginaire here presented to the reader was first published in 1751.*
* Some copies are said to be dated 1750. It appears on the list of new
books announced in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for November 1750.
An edition appeared immediately afterwards at Dublin; so the book
must have had some sale. The introduction and the dedication to the
Countess of Northumberland (to whom it will be remembered Percy
dedicated his "Reliques" and Goldsmith the first printed copy of his
"Edwin and Angelina") are signed with the initials "R. P.;" and for
many years the author's full name was unknown. In 1835, Nicol, the
printer, sold by auction a number of books and manuscripts in his
possession, which had once belonged to Dodsley, the publisher; and
when these were being catalogued, the original agreement * for the sale
of the MS. of "Peter Wilkins" was brought to light.
* It is now in the collection, shortly to be dispersed, of the late Mr.
James Crossley of Manchester, a gentleman who was esteemed
throughout his long life not less for unfailing courtesy than for rare
scholarship. Mr. Crossley promised to search for the document and
send me a transcript of it; but his kind intention was frustrated by his
death. Paltock's name is sometimes written Pultock or Poltock. There is
no ground for identifying the author of "Peter Wilkins" with the "R. P.,
Gent.," who published in 1751 "Memoirs of the Life of Parnese, a
Spanish Lady, Translated from the Spanish MS."
From this document it appeared that the author was Robert Paltock of
Clement's Inn, and that he received for the copyright 20L., twelve
copies of the book, and "the cuts of the first impression"(proof
impressions of the illustrations). The writer's name shows him to have
been, like his hero, of Cornish origin; but the authors of the admirable
and exhaustive "Bibliotheca Cornubiensis" could discover nothing
about him beyond the fact that he was not a bencher of Clement's Inn.
That Paltock should