Transcribed from the 1903 Chapman and Hall Sketches byBoz edition ,
p. 402TO THE YOUNG LADIES
OF THE
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland;
ALSO
THE YOUNG LADIES
OF
THE PRINCIPALITY OFWALES,
AND LIKEWISE
THE YOUNG LADIES
RESIDENT IN THE ISLES OF
Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, and Sark,
THE HUMBLE DEDICATION OF THEIR DEVOTEDADMIRER,
Sheweth,—
That your Dedicator has perused,with feelings of virtuous indignation, a work purporting to be‘Sketches of Young Ladies;’ written by Quiz,illustrated by Phiz, and published in one volume, squaretwelvemo.
That after an attentive andvigilant perusal of the said work, your Dedicator is humbly ofopinion that so many libels, upon your Honourable sex, were nevercontained in any previously published work, in twelvemo or anyother mo.
That in the title page and prefaceto the said work, your Honourable sex are described andclassified as animals; and although your Dedicator is not atpresent prepared to deny that you are animals, still hehumbly submits that it is not polite to call you so.
That in the aforesaid preface, yourHonourable sex are also described as Troglodites, which, being ahard word, may, for aught your Honourable sex or your Dedicatorcan say to the contrary, be an injurious and disrespectfulappellation.
That the author of the said workapplied himself to his task in malice prepense and withwickedness aforethought; a fact which, your Dedicator contends,is sufficiently demonstrated, by his assuming the name of Quiz,which, your Dedicator submits, denotes a foregone conclusion, andimplies an intention of quizzing.
That in the execution of his evildesign, the said Quiz, or author of the said work, must havebetrayed some trust or confidence reposed in him by some membersof your Honourable sex, otherwise he never could have acquired somuch information relative to the manners and customs of yourHonourable sex in general.
That actuated by theseconsiderations, and further moved by various slanders andinsinuations respecting your Honourable sex contained in the saidwork, square twelvemo, entitled ‘Sketches of YoungLadies,’ your Dedicator ventures to produce another work,square twelvemo, entitled ‘Sketches of YoungGentlemen,’ of which he now solicits your acceptance andapproval.
That as the Young Ladies are thebest companions of the Young Gentlemen, so the Young Gentlemenshould be the best companions of the Young Ladies; and extendingthe comparison from animals (to quote the disrespectful languageof the said Quiz) to inanimate objects, your Dedicator humblysuggests, that such of your Honourable sex as purchased the baneshould possess themselves of the antidote, and that those of yourHonourable sex who were not rash enough to take the first, shouldlose no time in swallowing the last,—prevention being inall cases better than cure, as we are informed upon theauthority, not only of general acknowledgment, but also oftraditionary wisdom.
That with reference to the saidbane and antidote, your Dedicator has no further remarks to make,than are comprised in the printed directions issued with DoctorMorison’s pills; namely, that whenev