THE ILLUSTRATED POCKET LIBRARY
OF PLAIN AND COLOURED BOOKS
THE HISTORY OF
JOHNNY QUÆ GENUS
Drawn by Rowlandson
Quæ Genus on his Journey To London.
THE HISTORY
OF
JOHNNY QUÆ GENUS
THE LITTLE FOUNDLING OF
THE LATE DOCTOR SYNTAX
A POEM BY THE AUTHOR OF
THE THREE TOURS
WITH TWENTY-FOUR
COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS
BY THOMAS ROWLANDSON
A NEW EDITION
METHUEN & CO.
LONDON
1903
NOTE
THIS Issue is founded on the Edition
published by R. Ackermann in the
year 1822
HISTORY
OF
QUÆ GENUS, ETC.
THE favour which has been bestowed on thedifferent Tours of Doctor Syntax, hasencouraged the Writer of them to give a Historyof the Foundling, who has been thought aninteresting Object in the latter of those Volumes;and it is written in the same style and manner,with a view to connect it with them.
This Child of Chance, it is presumed, is ledthrough a track of Life not unsuited to the peculiarityof his Condition and Character, while itsvarieties, as in the former Works, are representedby the Pencil of Mr. Rowlandson with itsaccustomed characteristic Felicity.
The Idea of an English Gil Blas predominatedthrough the whole of this Volume; which must beviconsidered as fortunate in no common degree, if itsreaders, in the course of their perusal, should bedisposed to acknowledge even a remote Similitudeto the incomparable Work of Le Sage.
The AUTHOR.
PREFACE
THIS prolonged work is, at length, brought toa close.—It has grown to this size, underrare and continuing marks of public favour; whilethe same mode of Composition has been employedin the last, as in the former Volumes. They areall equally indebted to Mr. Rowlandson's talents.
It may, perhaps, be considered as presumptionin me, and at my age, to sport even with my ownDowdy Muse, but, from the extensive patronagewhich Doctor Syntax has received, it may bepresumed that, more or less, he has continued toamuse: And I, surely, have no reason to be dissatisfied,when Time points at my eightieth Year,that I can still afford some pleasure to those whoare disposed to be pleased.
The AUTHOR.