English Eccentrics and Eccentricities

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

50439

Title

English Eccentrics and Eccentricities

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

John Timbs presents a gallery of English eccentricities, blending humor with historical curiosity. This collection explores the oddities of wealth, fashion, delusions, and strange sights, revealing how eccentricity often coexists with goodness of heart.

Summary up to 500 words

In 'English Eccentrics and Eccentricities,' John Timbs presents a motley gallery of strange characters and incidents from his own time, arguing that while eccentricity can run to excess, it often preserves the dignity of human nature and offers lessons in thrift and humor. The work is divided into sections covering wealth, fashion, delusions, sporting scenes, artists, theatrical figures, and literary oddities. Timbs draws on trustworthy materials, often quoting authorities directly to ensure truthfulness alongside entertainment. The narrative begins with the Beckfords, contrasting the father's political influence with the son's literary whimsy. Young William Beckford, inheriting a fortune from his father, published the rare 'Biographical Memoirs of Extraordinary Painters,' a satire on connoisseurship that originated from his housekeeper's ludicrous descriptions of art. Timbs also details the life of the spendthrift Squire Mytton, who famously rode a bear, and the miserly habits of figures like John Ward and Lord Kenyon. The book delves into the world of delusion, profiling modern alchemists, astrologers like Jack Adams, and the fanaticism of Joanna Southcote and Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism. Timbs captures the bizarre nature of sporting scenes, such as the Irish Giant and the 'Wonder of all the Wonders,' alongside theatrical oddities like the young Roscius and the clown Grimaldi. He highlights literary madmen like Monk Lewis, who wrote ghost stories and visited the West Indies to inspect his slave plantations, describing the chaotic joy of his arrival. Lewis was known for his diminutive stature and his deep affection for the titled, once weeping because the Duchess of York had spoken kindly to him. The volume also features the sculptor Nollekens, known for his avarice, and the eccentric Miss Banks. Through anecdotes of quackery, peculiar wills, and strange funerals, Timbs illustrates the peculiarities of English society. He notes that eccentric individuals, though 'outlandish' or 'queer,' frequently possess claims to our notice that the conventional man would miss. The book serves as both an entertaining read and a truthful record, showcasing how oddity of character may coexist with goodness of heart, preventing human nature from degenerating into the sordid and low.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Biography
• History