The text of the Pickwick Paper of 15th May 1997 reads:

"Seated in his porter's lodge at Corpus Christi, John Fynn dived his hand into a pocket and, glancing round to make sure they were unobserved, produced a gold coin. He passed it to Pickwick who studied it intently. It was certainly ancient, dating from the reign of Kings Charles I.

Fynn explained how he'd come by it. "During the building of the college a tenement was added to the west of the Eagle Inn, in Bene't street. When they were digging the foundations the workmen had to cut through the floor of an old cellar and they found an earthenware jar. It was full of coins - about four of five thousand of them all silver, and all sizes from farthing to a crown and all more than 200 years old. They called me in straight away - well almost straight away any rate. Then bless me, they found another one. And that had about 200 coins - all gold - a little bit like this one in fact", and he spat on it for luck and slipped it back in his pocket.

"Well that caused all sorts of argument - the builder, James Howell, said as he'd found it so he should keep it, the Corporation said it belonged to them and the College said it was their's. Well they sealed it all up tight and put it in the bank while the lawyers debated about it - and then the Government claimed it as treasure trove. Anyway the Treasury finally gave it to the college provided they paid the expenses and allowances to the mason and workman. The college sold it off in bits and pieces (except one or two, like) at an auction in November 1827 and nobody really knows who put it there in the first place.

"Me, well I've got a nice little job. I've been porter here for 34 years now. I get a wage for keeping an eye on the gate, £4 for listing them who go to chapel - and we've not had the fuss here they had at Trinity, thank God, and £5 for bars and bolts - making sure them that should be inside are in by the right time - and collecting fines for any coming in late. Then when we get a hard winter there's extra money for snow - clearing it away and collecting some to keep the food cold. There’s a new little earner the college brought in in 1827 - any member of college walking on the grass has to pay a fine of 1/-. Me and the under-porter William Johnson are having a slight disagreement with the Fellows over this because the rules say any member of college and some of the Fellows say that it don’t mean them and we say it does.

"Mind you 1 don’t think you'll be walking very far for a while" and he unfastened Pickwick’s shoe to reveal an ankle swollen and red. "What are we to do with you. There is Addenbrooke’s hospital up the road but they only let people in on Wednesday mornings and you have to be recommended by a Benefactor or Subscriber. Anyway you have to be clean when you go there - and you look a bit dirty to me - (though not as bad as Jemmy Gordon - have you heard about him – ah, you have). You also have to have a change of linen and money to pay for washing it" Pickwick rejoined that he had money - and produced Gunning'scheque on Mortlock's Bank. "Well that settles it then - you can afford to pay for medicines, they certainly won't take you."

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Page last updated 2nd June 2010