Introduction
In 1855, a Bill to restrict Sunday trading provoked riots in Hyde Park; Charles Dickens hosted his own in ‘Household Words’. His objection was not to Sunday Observance, a venerable Christian custom which he actively encouraged, but to politicians and campaigners who treat the General Public like a helpless child.
THERE are two public bodies remarkable for knowing nothing of the people, and for perpetually interfering to put them right. The one is the House of Commons; the other the Monomaniacs. Between the Members and the Monomaniacs, the devoted People, quite unheard, get harried and worried to the last extremity.*
Is it because the People is altogether an abstraction to them; a Great Baby, to be coaxed and chucked under the chin at elections, and frowned upon at quarter sessions,* and stood in the corner on Sundays, and taken out to stare at the Queen’s coach on holidays, and kept in school under the rod, generally speaking, from Monday morning to Saturday night?
Is it because they have no other idea of the People than a big-headed Baby, now to be flattered and now to be scolded, now to be kissed and now to be whipped, but always to be kept in long clothes, and never under any circumstances to feel its legs and go about of itself? We take the liberty of replying, Yes.*
For background, see The Brewery History Society. Dickens’s outspoken criticism of Sunday observance laws was developed at length in ‘Sunday Under Three Heads’, in which he contrasted Sunday as it is now, as the reformers would have it, and as it should be. He held that bad habits came from idleness and boredom, and that the right solution was to encourage wholesome Sunday recreations (following Church) such as countryside walking, outdoor sports, making music and visiting museums — all of which required society to function on a Sunday more than the badly-framed legislation allowed.
The Quarter Sessions were courts traditionally held four times a year to hear all but the most serious criminal and civil cases. They were replaced in 1972 by the Crown Courts.
Dickens was of course opposing only nannying state interference, not the principles of a day of rest or of Sunday observance. See our extract The Economic Case for Time Off, in which the great Scottish economist Adam Smith warmly encourages employers to impose their own generous working time limits.
Précis
After riots in Victorian London protesting against an attempt to restrict Sunday trading hours, Charles Dickens wrote an outspoken column in ‘Household Words’ accusing Parliament of being disconnected from the public, and treating them like a ‘great baby’ to be cosseted, schooled or scolded, but never trusted to make their own decisions like adults. (54 / 60 words)
After riots in Victorian London protesting against an attempt to restrict Sunday trading hours, Charles Dickens wrote an outspoken column in ‘Household Words’ accusing Parliament of being disconnected from the public, and treating them like a ‘great baby’ to be cosseted, schooled or scolded, but never trusted to make their own decisions like adults.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: because, besides, if, must, ought, unless, whereas, whether.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 But. Leg. Speak.
2 Always. They. Whip.
3 Head. Know. No.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
chrs (6+1)
chairs. chars. cheers. choirs. chores. chorus.
coheres.
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