Freiburger historische Bestände - digital

— 57 —

„Miss Amelia Crumpton owned to thirty-eight, and Miss
Maria Crumpton admitted she was forty, an admission which
was rendered perfectly unnecessary by the seifevident fact
of her being at least fifty." (Sh. Sentiment, S. 333.)

Ein allen englischen Charakterzeichnern von Addison
bis Dickens eigener Zug besteht in der steten Rücksichtnahme
auf das Gewand der zu zeichnenden Charaktere. Dickens
liebt es besonders dadurch komisch zu wirken, dass er bei
der Beschreibung des Gewandes die einzelnen Teile derselben
durch widersprechende Farben oder Formen kontrastieren
lässt. Ansätze hierzu finden sich auch schon bei seinen Vorgängern
. Fielding beschreibt seinen Pfarrer Adams folgender-
massen (J. A. B. I. Kap. 16): „He had on a nightcap drawn
over his wig, and a short great-coat, which half covered his
cassock; a dress, which, added to something comical enough
in his countenance, composed a figure Jikely to attract the
eyes of those who were not overgiven to Observation." Überhaupt
finden wir bei Fielding schon öfters die bis ins Kleinste
gehenden Personalbeschreibungen, wie sie Dickens auf Schritt
und Tritt giebt. So werden wir sicher an unseren Autor erinnert
werden, wenn wir die Beschreibung des Stutzers
Didapper (J. A. B. IV, Kap 9; lesen: „Mr. Didapper, or Beau
Didapper, was a young gentleman about four feet five inches
in height. He wore his own hair, though the scarcity of it
might have given him sufficient excuse for a wig. His face
was thin and pale; the shape of his body and legs none the
best, for he had very narrow Shoulders and no calf u. s. w.

Auch Smollett darf hier genannt werden. Es sei nur
erinnert an folgende Beschreibung von Brambles Schwester
(H. C. S. 73): „Mrs. Tabitha Bramble is a maiden of forty-
five. In her person, she is tall, raw-boned, awkward, flatchested,
stooping; her complexion is sallow and freckled; her eyes are
not gray, but greenish, like those of a cat, and generally
inflamed; her hair is of a sandy, or rater dusty hue, her
forehead low; her nose long, sharp, and towards the extremity,
always red in cool weather; her lips skinny, her mouth
extensive, her teeth straggling and loose, of various colours