editor's preface. 7 



From Mr. Waffles of Laverick Wells, to Mr. Buckram of the 

 snug little hiudependence of his hown, from the am-a-azin' specimen 

 of a pop'lar man, Mr. Puffington, to my Lord Scamperdale blubber- 

 ing over the untimely parted corpse of Jack Spraggon, because he 

 may never hope to find again " so fine a natural bb-blackguard," from 

 Jawleyford of Jawleyford Court, to Facey Romford and Farmer 

 Springwheat, from the fashionable fair of the pump-rooms and ball- 

 rooms of Laverick Wells, to my Lady Scattercash, nee Miss Spangle, 

 Miss Harriet Howard alias Jane Brown, and beautiful, brave Lucy 

 Glitters, with whom a better fellow than our friend Soapey Sponge 

 might have wedded without derogation, the reader, whoever he or 

 she may be, will not find one character, high or low, good or bad, but 

 i3 painted to the very life, as, at some time, and in some place or 

 other — with the sole exception, perhaps, of Mr. Jogglebury Crowdey 

 — I myself can avouch, that I have seen them. 



Much farther than this your deponent sayeth not, but this he will 

 say- 

 That if there is some low life, there are no low thoughts, nothing 

 offensive or hurtful to the feelings, much less prejudicial or seductive 

 to the minds of the purest and most refined. 



If there be not much wisdom, I will be content to bear the blame 

 if there be not found much wit, much keen comprehension of the 

 world, and much scathing satire of all that is low, mean, dirty and 

 degrading, in the Sporting Tour of Mr. Soapey Sponge. 



I will only add, that if my friends, to whom I recommend him, 

 derive as much pleasure as I have done, from his companionship, I 

 shall look to them for thanks, neither small nor stinted, for my intro- 

 duction, not for a cold shoulder, much less for censure. 



Frank Forester. 

 The Cedars. January 1, 1856. 



