THE CRITICS OF 195 



develop the humorous character of the immortal 

 Mr. Jorrocks, The papers of Surtees were pubhshed in 

 volume form as " Jorrocks' Jaunts " in 1838, but, though 

 the name of the author did not appear, his identity 

 could not be concealed. He was recognised as " The 

 Yorkshireman " in connection with the doings of Mr. 

 Jorrocks, and we have a better description of his life 

 at this time in " Handley Cross," when he portrayed 

 himself in the character of Charley Stubbs. As a man 

 about town, as a lawyer not caring for practice, and as 

 a north countryman with the instincts of a sportsman 

 strong at heart, Mr. Surtees took a part in the jaunts 

 and jollities of which his happy fancy made Jorrocks 

 the hero. In other words, he played Horatio to Mr. 

 Jorrocks Hamlet. 



On March 5, 1838, by the death of his father, 

 Mr. Surtees succeeded to the estate of Hamsterley 

 Hall and the duties of a country gentleman. He 

 became a J. P. for Durham, a major of the Durham 

 Militia, and was High Sheriff for the county in 1856. 

 He had severed his connection with the new Sporting 

 Magazine, and devoted his literary abilities to 

 fiction. " Handley Cross " immediately placed him on 

 the highest pinnacle of fame. Whilst man w^ears 

 leather breeches, and slow old duffers can be found 

 to cast backwards, the author of Jorrocks and Pigg can 

 never die. 



The original of John Jorrocks has never been 

 traced, so far as the novelist is concerned, though John 

 Leech took his original from a coachman, whom he 

 sketched in church. Mr. Surtees said of his hero : 



