Editing Pierce Egan (section)

==Works==
In 1814, he wrote, set and printed a book about the relationship between the [[George IV of the United Kingdom|Prince Regent]] (later George IV) and [[Mary Robinson (poet)|Mary Robinson]], called ''The Mistress of Royalty, or the Loves of Florizel and Perdita.''<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Egan, Pierce|volume=9|page=11}}</ref> However, Egan soon became known for his sporting work.
Four volumes of ''[[Boxiana|Boxiana; or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism]]'' appeared, lavishly illustrated, between 1813 and 1824. Following a dispute with his publisher, Egan was replaced for the fourth ''Boxiana'' volume (replaced by "Jon Bee"), the court permitting Egan continued rights to the title provided he used the ''New Series'' prefix. Two volumes of Egan's ''New Series Boxiana'' were published in 1828/29.<ref name=Snowdon>Snowdon, David, ''Writing the Prizefight: Pierce Egan's 'Boxiana' World'' (2013)</ref>

In 1821, Egan announced the publication of a regular journal: ''Life in London'', appearing monthly at a shilling a time. It was to be illustrated by [[George Cruikshank]] (1792–1878), and was dedicated to the king, [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]], who at one time had received Egan at court. The first edition of ''[[Life in London (novel)|Life in London]] or, the Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn, esq., and his elegant friend, Corinthian Tom, accompanied by Bob Logic, the Oxonian, in their rambles and sprees through the Metropolis'' appeared on 15 July 1821.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pierce Egan. Life in London / I. R. & G. Cruikshank (illustrators). — London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1821. |url=https://varshavskycollection.com/collection/lib-2616-2021/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=Varshavsky Collection |language=en-US}}</ref>

Egan's creation was an instant success, and was an early favourite of [[William Makepeace Thackeray|Thackeray's]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Pirate versions appeared, featuring such figures as "Bob Tallyho", "Dick Wildfire" and the like. Print-makers speedily knocked off cuts featuring the various "stars" and the real-life public flocked to the "sporting" addresses that Egan had his heroes frequent. There was a translation into French. At least six plays were based on Egan's characters, contributing to yet more sales. One of these was exported to America, launching the ''Tom and Jerry'' craze there. The version created by [[William Thomas Moncrieff]] was praised as ''[[The Beggar's Opera]] of its day''. Moncrieff's production of ''[[Tom and Jerry, or Life in London]]'' ran continuously at the Adelphi Theatre for two seasons and it was the dramatist's work as much as the author's that did so much to popularise the book's trademark use of fashionable slang. ''Life in London'' appeared until 1828, when Egan closed it down.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Egan published a report of the trial of [[John Thurtell]] and Joseph Hunt, for [[Radlett murder|the murder of William Weare]]. Thurtell allegedly mentioned, just seven hours before his execution, that among his final wishes was a desire to read Egan's coverage of a recent prizefight. Egan wrote also satirical legal pieces such as ''The Fancy Tog's Man versus Young Sadboy, the Milling Quaker''.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In 1824, he launched a new journal, ''Pierce Egan's Life in London and Sporting Guide'', a weekly newspaper priced at eightpence-halfpenny. Focusing on crime and sport, this newspaper lasted until November 1827, after which it merged with [[Bell's Life in London]]. <ref>{{cite book |last1=Brake |first1=Laurel |last2=Demoor |first2=Marysa |title=Dictionary of Nineteenth-Century Journalism in Great Britain and Ireland. |date=2009 |publisher=Academia Press |location=Gent |isbn=9789038213408 |page=195}}</ref> Other works included sporting anecdotes, theatrical autobiographies, guide-books, and 'fancy ditties'. Among his later efforts, in 1838, was a series of pieces on the delights to be found on and immediately adjacent to the Thames. It was dedicated, with permission, to the young [[Queen Victoria]] and featured the illustrative work of his son [[Pierce Egan the Younger]].{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

In 1823, Egan produced an edition of [[Francis Grose]]'s ''Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'' (1785 et seq.), including mainly sporting Regency slang. He also cut the "coarse" and "broad" expressions which Grose had allowed.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

The 1788 and 1823 definitions of "Academy, or Pushing School" show the extent of his wish to soften definitions "where propriety pointed out such a course as not only necessary, but, perhaps, essential". However, although he noted in his Preface that some slang terms had developed a different meaning, giving as an example ''rum''&mdash;which Grose had defined as "Fine, good, valuable", but which "is now generally used for the very opposite qualities"&mdash;Egan allowed Grose's definition to remain in the dictionary itself.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

Don Atyeo, author of ''Blood & Guts: Violence in Sports'' (1979), wrote that:<blockquote>''Boxiana'' is riddled with "Fancy" slang: '"Ogles" were blackened, "peepers" plunged into darkness, "tripe-shops" received "staggerers", "ivories" were cracked, "domino boxes" shattered, and "claret" flowed in a steady stream.<ref>*{{citation |last=Atyeo |first=Don |title=Blood & Guts: Violence in Sports |edition=illustrated |publisher=Grosset & Dunlap |year=1979 |isbn=9780709200000 |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Yj0TAQAAIAAJ&q=ogles- 146]}}</ref></blockquote>

And as Egan's character Corinthian Tom explains in ''Life in London'':
<blockquote>A kind of ''cant'' phraseology is current from one end of the Metropolis to the other, and you will scarcely be able to move a single step, my dear JERRY, without consulting a ''Slang''  Dictionary, or having some friend at your elbow to explain the strange expressions which, at every turn, will assail your ear.</blockquote> Such a dictionary is what Egan offers, hoping in sum that his efforts work "to improve, and not to degrade mankind; to remove ''ignorance'', and put the UNWARY on their guard; to rouse the ''sleepy'', and to keep them AWAKE; to render those persons who are a little UP, more FLY: and to cause every one to be ''down'' to those tricks, manoeuvres and impositions practised in life, which daily cross the paths of both young and old."
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==Influence==
[[John Camden Hotten]] brought out a reprint of ''Life in London'' in 1869. "Tom and Jerry", the celebrated duo, have been perpetuated in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's [[Tom and Jerry|cartoon cat and mouse]], and as the male protagonists of the 1970s' BBC television sitcom ''[[The Good Life (1975 TV series)|The Good Life]]''.

==In literature==
Pierce Egan was one of the narrators of [[George MacDonald Fraser]]'s book ''[[Black Ajax]]'', about [[Tom Molineaux]] and his quest for the heavyweight championship of England. One chapter of the book also featured schoolboy versions of Egan's characters from ''Life in London''.-->