The title of a short
book by
Lord Timothy Dexter of
Newburyport,
Massachusetts. The complete title is "A Pickle for the Knowing Ones; or Plain Truth's in a Homespun Dress." Originally published toward the end of the
lord's life it is notable for it's
complete and
utter lack of punctuation, conventional spelling, or usual sentence structure. The second edition contained a page full of punctuation with
instructions to
readers to "peper and solt it as the plese." The work is a quick
diatribe on
Dexter's life and
philosophy.
The "Knowing Ones" are presumably the high
society of colonial
Newburyport who viewed the
eccentric Dexter with contempt for he was
nouveau riche having made his
fortune in lucky investments.
A passage from
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones against
college education:
I thort that all thous that was brot up to Coleage the meaning was to git there Liveing out of the Labeer If the Coleages was to continer one sentry and keep up the game recken the cost of all from there cradel to 22 years old all there fathers and gurdEands to Lay out one houndred years interess upon intress gess at it & cast it see houe many houndred thousand millions of Dolors it would com to to make Rougs and theives to plunder the Labering man that sweats to get his bread good common Laning is the be t sum good books is best well under stoud be onnest dont be preast Riden it is a cheat all be onnest in all things Now feare Let this goue as you find it my way speling houe is the strangest man