Sketches of Young Couples

Sketches of Young Couples, by
Charles Dickens

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Charles Dickens (#24 in our series by Charles Dickens)
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Title: Sketches of Young Couples
Author: Charles Dickens

Release Date: May, 1997 [EBook #916] [This file was first posted on
May 22, 1997] [Most recently updated: May 8, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: US-ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, SKETCHES
OF YOUNG COUPLES ***

Transcribed from the 1903 edition by David Price, email
[email protected]

SKETCHES OF YOUNG COUPLES

AN URGENT REMONSTRANCE, &c
TO THE GENTLEMEN OF ENGLAND,
(BEING BACHELORS OR WIDOWERS,)
THE REMONSTRANCE OF THEIR FAITHFUL
FELLOW-SUBJECT,
SHEWETH,-
THAT Her Most Gracious Majesty, Victoria, by the Grace of God of
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of
the Faith, did, on the 23rd day of November last past, declare and
pronounce to Her Most Honourable Privy Council, Her Majesty's Most
Gracious intention of entering into the bonds of wedlock.
THAT Her Most Gracious Majesty, in so making known Her Most

Gracious intention to Her Most Honourable Privy Council as aforesaid,
did use and employ the words--'It is my intention to ally myself in
marriage with Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg and Gotha.'
THAT the present is Bissextile, or Leap Year, in which it is held and
considered lawful for any lady to offer and submit proposals of
marriage to any gentleman, and to enforce and insist upon acceptance
of the same, under pain of a certain fine or penalty; to wit, one silk or
satin dress of the first quality, to be chosen by the lady and paid (or
owed) for, by the gentleman.
THAT these and other the horrors and dangers with which the said
Bissextile, or Leap Year, threatens the gentlemen of England on every
occasion of its periodical return, have been greatly aggravated and
augmented by the terms of Her Majesty's said Most Gracious
communication, which have filled the heads of divers young ladies in
this Realm with certain new ideas destructive to the peace of mankind,
that never entered their imagination before.
THAT a case has occurred in Camberwell, in which a young lady
informed her Papa that 'she intended to ally herself in marriage' with
Mr. Smith of Stepney; and that another, and a very distressing case, has
occurred at Tottenham, in which a young lady not only stated her
intention of allying herself in marriage with her cousin John, but,
taking violent possession of her said cousin, actually married him.
THAT similar outrages are of constant occurrence, not only in the
capital and its neighbourhood, but throughout the kingdom, and that
unless the excited female populace be speedily checked and restrained
in their lawless proceedings, most deplorable results must ensue
therefrom; among which may be anticipated a most alarming increase
in the population of the country, with which no efforts of the
agricultural or manufacturing interest can possibly keep pace.
THAT there is strong reason to suspect the existence of a most
extensive plot, conspiracy, or design, secretly contrived by vast
numbers of single ladies in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Ireland, and now extending its ramifications in every quarter of the land;

the object and intent of which plainly appears to be the holding and
solemnising of an enormous and unprecedented number of marriages,
on the day on which the nuptials of Her said Most Gracious Majesty
are performed.
THAT such plot, conspiracy, or design, strongly savours of Popery, as
tending to the discomfiture of the Clergy of the Established Church, by
entailing upon them great mental and physical exhaustion; and that
such Popish plots are fomented and encouraged by Her Majesty's
Ministers, which clearly appears--not only from Her Majesty's principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs traitorously getting married while
holding office under the Crown; but from Mr. O'Connell having been
heard to declare and avow that, if he had a