The opening of I. CHILDHOOD
1812-1822.
Birth at Landport in Portsea--Family of John
Dickens--Powers of Observation in Children--Two
Years Old--In London, aet. 2-3--In Chatham, aet.
4-9--Vision of Boyhood--The Queer Small
Child--Mother's Teaching--Day-School in Rome
Lane--Retrospects of Childhood--David
Copperfield and Charles Dickens--Access to
Small but Good
Library--Tragedy-Writing--Comic-Song
Singing--Cousin James Lamert--First taken to
Theatre--At Mr. Giles's School--Encored in the
Recitations--Boyish Recollections--Birthplace
of his Fancy--Last Night in Chatham--In
London--First Impressions--Bayham Street,
Camden-town--Faculty of Early Observation--His
Description of his Father--Small Theatre made
for him--Sister Fanny at Royal Academy of
Music--Walks about London--Biography and
Autobiography--At his Godfather's and his
Uncle's--First Efforts at Description--"Res
Angusta Domi"--Mother exerting Herself--Father
in the Marshalsea--Visit to the Prison--Captain
Porter--Old Friends disposed of--At the
Pawnbroker's.CHARLES DICKENS, the most popular novelist of the century, and one of the greatest humorists that England has produced, was born at Landport in Portsea on Friday, the 7th of February, 1812.