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Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a self-proclaimed lord tells the world off—and leaves you to supply the punctuation?
In A Pickle for the Knowing Ones, Timothy Dexter has plenty to say about the world and himself. The Newburyport merchant, rich through speculation and lucky deals, calls himself a lord and a philosopher. His rants, boasts and complaints turn personal pride into the heart of this strange little collection.
Politics, clergy and his own wife all draw Dexter's grumbles. Orderly argument gives way to blunt opinion, while words follow the sounds in his head rather than familiar spelling. The text first appears without commas or full stops; a later addition offers punctuation marks for readers to place wherever they like.
What you’ll discover
- A lord by declaration Meet a merchant whose grand view of himself leaves little room for modesty.
- Words without brakes Follow blocks of unruly prose, where spelling and punctuation refuse familiar rules.
- Grievances on every side Explore complaints aimed at political leaders, clergy and the author's own wife.
- Philosophy with a boast Discover how Dexter's claim to greatness sits at the centre of his writing.
- An odd New England character Encounter early New England through a man determined to tell the world his mind.
Who will love it
You will love this if you enjoy odd, outspoken voices, early American characters, comic memoirs, and true tales of luck and bold trading told by the man who lived them.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Dexter makes himself the main attraction
- His grounds put rank on display
- Unity matters more than royal titles
- Honesty counts for more than credentials
- Human nature mixes goodness and mischief
- His boasting carries real family pain
- Being underestimated helps him make money
- His ambitions reach toward peaceful rule
- Pride and hurt share one voice
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Humour & SatireFree shelf
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones
by Timothy Dexter · 1802
A merchant who corners whalebone and ships warming pans confidently lectures kings, priests and lawyers.
Medium levelUnder 2 hours to read20 languages
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“Man is the best animal and the worst.”
In short
Picture a man who builds a tomb under a garden temple, fits it with a lock so he can take the key inside, and stocks it with fireworks, pipes, tobacco, a speaking trumpet, a Bible and some good songs. That man is Timothy Dexter of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and he tells you so himself in A Pickle for the Knowing Ones.
A Pickle for the Knowing Ones at a glance
- Reading time
- About 50 min40 min fast, 1 h slow
- Length
- 12,000 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1802by Timothy Dexter
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A Merchant Crowns Himself Lord of Newburyport
The pamphlet opens with a call to all mankind for a great day of rejoicing. Dexter then describes what he has built on his land in Newburyport. A Royal Arch is topped by three figures, with Father George Washington at its center, King Adams to the right and the current king to the left. Washington keeps his hat on and the others take theirs off.
The details come in a rush, as if he were giving a tour. The Arch is seventeen feet high. Thirteen pillars stand in a row for the thirteen states. His house has three stories, and a spread eagle sits on the cupola. He says the Arch and its figures cost thirty-nine pounds of silver.
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Details
- First published
- 1802
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 55 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Dexter, Timothy. A Pickle for the Knowing Ones. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-pickle-for-the-knowing-ones.
Dexter, T. (2026). A pickle for the knowing ones. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-pickle-for-the-knowing-ones (Original work published 1802)
Dexter, Timothy. A Pickle for the Knowing Ones. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-pickle-for-the-knowing-ones.
@book{dexter2026pickle,
author = {Dexter, Timothy},
title = {A Pickle for the Knowing Ones},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/a-pickle-for-the-knowing-ones},
note = {First published 1802}
}
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What is A Pickle for the Knowing Ones about?
It is a collection of short pieces by Timothy Dexter on kings and presidents, preachers, lawyers, colleges, his family troubles and how he got rich, all written in his own lively voice.
Who was Timothy Dexter?
He was a merchant of Newburyport, Massachusetts, born in 1747 and died in 1806. He grew rich, called himself Lord Dexter, displayed carved figures around his grounds, and wrote this pamphlet.
How did Timothy Dexter make his money?
He tells it himself. He bought up whalebone in several cities, sent warming pans to the West Indies after a dream, and shipped twenty-one thousand Bibles. He also made money on government securities.
The author
Timothy Dexter
1747–1806 · American businessman and author
Timothy Dexter was an American businessman and author. He was born in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1747 and later lived in Newburyport, Massachusetts. He worked as a merchant and invested in government securities. In 1802, he published A Pickle for the Knowing Ones. He died in Newburyport in 1806.
“Man is the best animal and the worst.”
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