SAMUEL PEPYS
Jason Halal
Samuel Pepys is a person who has left us with one of the most extensive accounts of English life during the 17th century. As a productive and well-known figure during his own time, Pepys has given historians and scholars a vast collection of factual day-to-day stories with his famous diary. Because of the diary, we have learned an incredible deal about what it was like to live during Pepys' time.
Pepys was born on February 23, 1633, above his father's tailor shop in Salisbury Court, London. He was educated at St. Paul's School and Magdalene College in Cambridge. After graduating, he was employed by his cousin, Edward Montagu (who later became the Earl of Sandwich), in 1654, as a secretary and agent in London. The next year he married the 15-year old daughter of a Huguenot refugee, Elizabeth St. Michel. He then held a position as a junior clerk in the Exchequer from 1655 to 1660. In 1660 he became, once again through the help of his cousin, the Clerk of the Acts of the Navy Board, which is a fancy name for secretary for the Board.
Pepys prospered in this position due to his hard work and love of order. "By improving the state of victualling and in ensuring supplies of all kinds despite the financial difficulties, Pepys established himself as the dominant figure of the Board." This position lasted until 1673, at which time he became a member of parliament and the secretary to the Admiralty. Other highlights include his position as Secretary to the King for Naval Affairs (1684-1689), and a fellow of the Royal Society from 1665 (President 1884-1886). His wife died childless in 1669, and Pepys died on May 26, 1703.
There is a plethora of information about Pepys because of the diary he kept for ten year from 1659 until 1669. Pepys lived during one of the most exciting and eventful times in English history, and his diary is a reflection of these times. Pepys was a voyeur. He made a point of recording everything that went on in his public and private life, including his work, relationships with people, food, drink, entertainment and even his sexual activities with women (not his wife). In addition, he observed and recorded some of the larger events that occurred during his time, including the Coronation of Charles II.
Pepys was a great admirer of the theatre. With the theatre having recently been restored to London, Pepys took every opportunity he could get to watch the plays. Being of a wealthier status than most people of his time, he had the ability to become known in the London theatre world, and came to be friends with a number of actors and actresses. He was especially enthralled by the actresses Nell Gwyn and Elizabeth Knapp.
One of the most well known diary entries, and also a fine example of his voyeuristic nature, is his entry for the Fire of London, which took place in September of 1666. In his account, Pepys is thrilled at the opportunity to watch the fire consume the city. Although he does make a few efforts to convince the mayor to begin pulling down buildings, he is ultimately more concerned about getting a good view of the fire as it rages. Like a tourist coming to take pictures of a city, Pepys moves from a number of vantage points so that he can get the best possible view.
A question is often asked of Pepys scholars is: why did he write the diary? In response, there are two main reasons. First, Pepys was around during one of the most turbulent periods in English history. With the death of Cromwell in 1658, there was no real successor to the English throne, which made for lots of fighting over the throne, as well as lots of diary material. Secondly, Pepys was a lover of life. He constantly indulged in humanly pleasures such as food, drink, sex, music, and theatre and received great satisfaction out of these things. therefore, by recording these pleasures, Pepys could reread them and thereby relive his enjoyment.
It is easy to see, then, why we know so much about Pepys and why his accounts are so meaningful. Being quite rare for someone to record such an extensive a period of their life, let alone during such monumental years, Pepys' diary is a very unique look into the lives of the wealthy Englishmen of his time. Luckily, Pepys was very observant and articulate, which makes for a fascinating glimpse into an exciting time in English history.
JEREMY COLLIER
Eliana Coffidis
"Idleness is an inlet to disorder, and makes way for licentiousness. People who have nothing to do are quickly tired of their own company."
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Collier critiqued the restoration drama as a moral polemicist more than a literary critic. He bitterly denounced the dramatists for indecency, for profane language, for encouraging corruption and sin in the theatre, for abusing scripture and ridiculing the clergy. Collier's attack that the dramatists were immoral and profane sparked a rebuttal and an ensuing pamphlet war lasted spasmodically until 1726. Besides this, Collier's attack stimulated a redefinition of drama. Dryden had said that a play ought to be "a just and lively image of human nature, representing passions and humors, and the changes of fortune to which it is subject, for the delight and instruction of mankind." Collier's definition put emphasis on the "instruction of mankind" part of Dryden's characterization of a play. For Collier the business of the theatre was to "recommend virtue." He viewed theatre as a corrective instrument in society by means of instruction. He went on to say that the play houses should accomplish this not by holding up to ridicule any deviation from accepted standards of society, but by holding up exemplars of virtue and encourage the audience to follow these models.
1669 -
Collier attended Caius College, Cambridge
- 1677 Ordained priest
- Became chaplain to the countess dowager of Dorset and in 1679 rector of
Ampton, near Bury St. Edmunds.
- He was made lecturer of Gray's Inn in 1685 but resigned at the
Revolution of 1688 and was sent to Newgate for writing a pamphlet
supporting James II. Released without trial after several months, he was
again imprisoned in November 1692 on suspicion of treasonable
correspondence with James but was freed within 10 days.
- In 1696 he daringly gave absolution on the scaffold to Sir John Friend
and Sir William Parkyns, who had been condemned for attempting to
assassinate William III. His confederates in this act were imprisoned, but
Collier absconded and lived under sentence of outlawry. When the storm
subsided, he returned to London.
- 1698 Collier published A Short View of the Immorality and Profaneness
of the English Stage, an attack on the leading dramatists of the day,
including John Dryden, John Vanbrugh, and
William Congreve, censuring them
for indecency, for profane language, for abusing the clergy, and for
undermining public morality by sympathetic presentation of vice. An
ensuing pamphlet war lasted spasmodically until 1726. See above.
- 1701 Published The Great Historical, Geographical, Genealogical, and
Poetical Dictionary in two volumes.
- 1708 Published the first volume of The Ecclesiastical History of
Great Britain. The last volume appears in 1714.
- Consecrated in 1713 by George Hickes, the sole survivor of the nonjuring
bishops, Collier was created, on July 23, 1716, primus of the church of
the nonjurors. His Reasons for Restoring Some Prayers (1717) recommended
the reintroduction of certain usages into the Anglican communion service.
The consequent "usages" controversy split the nonjuring community and
ultimately extinguished the party. A new Communion Office (1718) embodied
the changes required by Collier and was probably chiefly compiled by
him.
SECONDARY SOURCES
THOMAS RYMER
Eli Cohen
Thomas Rymer was born near Northallerton, Yorkshire, England, circa 1643. He attended the University of Cambridge, but left without receiving a degree. He then went on to study law at Gray's Inn, London. He was called to the bar in 1 673, but instead went straight into a career in literary criticism. He translated Reflections on Aristotle's Treatise of Poesie from Rene Rapin's Reflexions sur la Poetique d Aristote, as the Frenchman had originally titled it. In 1678 he wrote The Tragedies of the Last Age, in which he criticized English playwright Beaumont and Fletcher, and Edgar or the English Monarch, a play in rhymed verse. Rymer is remembered in particular for coining the phrase, "poetic justice," suggesting that dramatic action must reasonably with moral precept, and characters must accurately represent their respective social class and station. In his critical work, A Short View of Tragedy, he called Shakespeare's Othello a "Bloody farce". He also described it "as a caution to all Maidens of Quality, how, without their parents' consent they may run away with Blackamoors," and "a warning to all good Wives that they look well to their Linnen'ie their handkerchiefs."
Thomas Rymer's final life's work came in the form of a diplomatic work, begun in 1704. This is the analysis of protocols and documents such as treaties, charters, alliances, and capitulations. The process stems from disputes among the Benedictine Abbeys of France, and his work, Foedera, was modeled after Ieibmz's Codex .Juris Gentium Diplomaticus. Rymer was commissioned by the king for this extensive, fifteen volume work, which started in 1066, and listed eves concerning the British monarchy from that point on, including a listing of the crown jewels. Foedera was probably his most important work, though he was certainly one of the more prominent critics of his time. A combative man, he was no fan of Shakespeare, and rejected modern drama in favor of the ancients, being particularly critical of the English writers. Thomas Babington Macaulay called Rymer "the worst critic that ever lived". He died in 1713.
SECONDARY SOURCES
ADDISON AND STEELE
Negina Sawez
Joseph Addison:
Born on May 1, 1672, Joseph Addison began his early education at Charterhouse, where he formed his lifelong friendship with Richard Steele. At age sixteen, Addison entered Oxford University, where he became distinguished for writing classical verse. In 1699 he was granted a government pension which he used to travel on the Continent until 1703, publishing his experiences in Remarks on Italy (1705). In 1704, Addison achieved his first prominence with his epic The Campaign, celebrating the British victory at the Battle of Blenheim. Its wild success earned him an appointment as undersecretary of state in 1705, a seat in Parliament (which he held from 1708 until his death), and the position of lord lieutenant of Ireland in 1709. Addison's literary reputation reached its peak in 1713, when his tragedy Cato was produced in London. Although often negatively criticized by modern literary critics, Cato was a huge success at the time, translated into several languages, and praised by Voltaire as the finest English tragedy.
Richard Steele:
Born in Dublin in March, 1672, Richard Steele entered Oxford University with Addison in 1689. He then joined the army from 1692-1705, where he rose to the rank of captain by 1700. Steele left school in 1692 to join the army, where he remained until 1705. In 1701, Steele published his first work, a moralistic book called The Christian Hero. That same year he produced his first sentimental comedy, The Funeral, followed by The Lying Lover (1703) and The Tender Husband (1705). In 1722 he produced his last and most important play, The Conscious Lovers and was appointed to the post of gazetteer for the government, and the official journalist for the Whig party. He was elected Whig member of Parliament in 1713. He was expelled from the House of Commons because of his anti-Tory pamphlets in 1714, but was reelected in 1715, the same year he was knighted. His opposition to the Peerage Bill in his weekly, The Plebeian (1719), involved him in a quarrel with Addison, and Steele's attempt at reconciliation was frustrated by his friend's death, thus ending the lifelong friendship and literary relationship of two of the 18th century's greatest essayists.
The Tatler:
First appearing in April, 1709, The Tatler was a periodical started by Richard Steele. Its avowed intention was "to present accounts of gallantry, pleasure, and entertainment, of poetry, and of foreign and domestic news," and was issued three times a week from London's most popular coffee and chocolate houses. Writing under the pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff, Steele used a mixture of entertaining anecdotes and instructive tales to promote his strong ethical beliefs. Steele specifically spent time extolling the virtues of friendship, benevolence, and honesty, at the same time criticizing dueling, gambling, coquetry, and licentiousness. His moral codes were advanced by the lightness of his manner, making The Tatler less sermon-like and more entertaining. Joseph Addison is said to have contributed at least 46 papers of the 271 issues of The Tatler, and his graceful writing has often been praised for its temperance of Steele's more colloquial manner. The Tatler's sudden disappearance in 1710 has often been attributed to political reasons, as Steele's Tory enemies had gained power, and presumably put pressure on him to discontinue his politically charged periodical.
The Spectator:
The Spectator began Mar. 1, 1711, and appeared daily until Dec. 6, 1712. Even more successful than its predecessor, The Spectator ran off 555 issues before its close, rising to a peak circulation of 14,000 copies. Supposedly written by members of a small club, The Spectator vowed to be non-political, with Addison and Steele attempting to ensure their objectivity on the subjects under discussion. Each edition of The Spectator dealt with a specific topic that was then subject to philosophical analysis by the symbolic figures representing members of the British middle class. These included Sir Roger de Coverley (country gentry), Captain Sentry (military), Sir Andrew Freeport (commerce), Will Honeycomb (town), and Mr. Spectator himself, who are seen rather as a comment on the changing image of the British hero. While Sir Roger is often mocked and ridiculed, Sir Andrew, the common man, is considered the "hero." With The Spectator, it was the intention of Addison and Steele to improve the lives of their readers and of society as a whole by "endeavoring to enliven Morality with Wit, and to temper Wit with Morality." In Ethan Klein's essay on "Nature, Society, and the Periodical Essay," he says of The Spectator:
"Addison and Steele recommended adherence to the dictates of natural science and to the logic and rationality behind the empiricist scientific method. They drew from natural science for such purposes as to point out the irrationality of superstition and to mock the extravagances of some church services. While Addison and Steele used nature in a positive way to advise self-confidence and rationality, they, on the other hand, encouraged the checking and moderation of certain passions and indulgences. They believed that some instinctual, natural drives should be tempered for the good of society. In this sense, a certain discretion and self-restraint was placed on the "natural." They did this with the intention of promoting the betterment of society and relieving its members of the burdens of intolerance, greed, frivolity, and ignorance."
ALEXANDER POPE
James Buonantuono
Alexander Pope, perhaps the most influential and feared critic of his time, was born in London on May 21, 1688. His father, Alexander Sr., was a linen-merchant who was forced to move his family out of London soon after Alexander's birth because a new act of Parliament prohibited Catholics from living within ten miles of the city. Because of Pope's religious background, he was prevented from attending the best schools and thus was tutored by a priest for his early years, attended two Catholic schools, and was largely self educated. A child prodigy, he completed his first work of verse at only sixteen, entitled "Pastorals".
At around 1700, the family moved to Whitehill House in Windsor Forest where Pope would remain until his twenties. While living there however, Pope contracted a turbucular bone disease the effects of which resulted in his stunted growth. He would remain sickly for the remainder of his life and stand a diminutive 4' 6". This would be the basis for particularly painful personal attacks from warring critics. His stature always found its way into a scathing remark from an opposed contemporary. He did though while living in Windsor, continue his studies and his writing and would frequent London. He fell into intellectual literary circles and in 1709 "Pastorals" was published.
Two years later, Pope's seminal work would be published, "Essay
on Criticism". It was his poetic vision of the role of the critic and a
commentary on the state of literature of the time. While harshly
criticized by some, it caught the attention of the likes of Jonathan Swift
John Gay and Richard
Steele. It was also establish him as a staunch Neoclassicist.
In 1727 Pope and Swift would publish the first two volumes of
"Miscellanies" while Pope was working on "Dunciad". Both works were
demonstrations of Pope's satirical nature and his ability, at
times, to be a very bitter, nasty and shrewd man. Included in
"Miscellanies" was "Peri Bathouse" in which Pope visciously attacked his onetime
friend Lady Mary Wortley Montague. "The Dunciad" served basically as a
vehicle for Pope to attack many of his contemporaries. In turn
they reciprocated with much ferocity, prompting Pope to write and publish
another one of his most renknowned works, "Essay on Man".
It was with works such as this that Pope would become the most
notable and quoted critic of his day. Timeless quotes such as, "A little
learning is a dangerous thing" and "To hate is human, to forgive
devine" originated from Pope.
Pope was a true lover of literature and devoted his entire life
to the written word, writing until his death. His timeles works have
endured and remain at the foundation of literary criticism.
SECONDARY SOURCES
COVENT GARDEN JOURNAL
Henry Fielding wrote and created one of the first literary / social
commentary journals, The Covent Garden Journal. It was a place for
Fielding to disseminate his ideas on form and content and become involved
in a societal commentary on all of English culture. Everything from court
cases to commentary on manners as well as disputes between him and other
writers, these often were fierce and biting and lasted over many issues of
the journals. The first number of his Covent-Garden Journal appeared on
January 4th 1752 and ended November of that year, it was less than a year
old when it ended, but it epitomized the social climate of the time. The
backstabbing and criticism that seemed more important than the actual art
these men were attempting to write upon; it is no wonder that the majority
of the plays written at the time were satires of society considering the
journals made their first appearance at the same time. The risk of this
journal was that it was too much a newspaper for the readers looking for a
literary journal and too cerebral for the everyday newspaper reader.
Fielding edited the journal under the pseudonym Sir Alexander Drawcansir;
this allowed him to avoid some scandal attached to his name. Fielding was
careful considering he mostly wrote on the decay of British culture, as
in the article "Religion, Virtue, and good Sense":
"To effect so glorious a Purpose, I know no readier a Way than by
Endeavour to restore that true
and manly Taste, which hath, within these few Years, generated these
Kingdoms. A Degeneracy which hath been greatly owing to those base and
scandalous Writings, which the Press hath lately poured in such a Torrent
upon us , that the Name of an Author is, in the Ears of all good Men,
become almost an infamous Appelation." (pg 346 Thomas)
where we see can how his capitalization emphasizes the grand level he is
criticizing his peers. The idea that he is creating a publication to
critique the press itself is fascinating and pertinent to modern society
with all of our spoofs of 11 o'clock news on the Comedy network or
Saturday Night Live. A good deal of what he wrote, though was self
advertisement. He criticizes many other men's writings, thus stating an
aesthetic that promoted only his work.
What is also fascinating is that he was completely preoccupied
with court cases and changed public opinion, he put a disclaimer on his
first journal "By Politics I mean, that the great political Cause between
WOODALL OUT and TAKEALL IN, Esqs., which hath been learnedly handled in
Papers, Pamphlets, and Magazines, for above thirty years last past; and
which the nation in gereral are… greatly interested." (pg 346) Thus trying
to allow himself to arbitrate information as the papers have always done.
Fielding won much respect for his work with the Mary Blandy case where he
finally brought up charges against the printsellers of London for
corrupting the jurors by printing material that implied that she was
guilty from the start. While he often used his sway to his own benefit, it
also is good to note what contributions he did have. Fielding wrote "I
hope she is innocent" (pg 348), but in the end she was guilty of murdering
her father with poison. It is good to understand that he did not claim
the opposite of his collegue, but that absolutes were not necessary for
journalism and that opinion can be left out , especially when a court case
is involved, not everyone is guilty and slander was still hard to deal
with. Fielding was a man a gross anger, but when is came to his
philosophy of journalism, he made sure his presumptions were presented as
such or were not in existence. He spent most of his writing about the
case, commenting on commentary than on the case itself, as that was not
his focus. Interestingly enough in current American Academia we often find
criticism dealing more with disproving arguments than proving them and
creating new ideas.
He, as well, had fun in his journal and played with language for
his audience to their amusement.
"Angle- The name of a women, commonly of a very bad one.
I find Fielding a conundrum, he both merges his contempt for the
decay in English society with that which he his critiquing, like wit. This
synergy allows for him to access his audience, but also calls into
question, from us, the postmodern reader, a large criticism, that he is
hypocritical, but the gains he made were enourmous and his cleverness self
promotion- amusing quirks.
SAMUEL JOHNSON 1709 - 1784
Samuel Johnson was born September 18th 1709. Johnson was never healthy, and
his problems began as early as birth. When he was first born he was
nursed by a tubercular wet nurse, where he acquired scrofula. He became blind
in one eye, deaf in one ear, and developed a scarred face. Johnson was a part
of a poor family where his father was a bookseller. Samuel grew up in his
father's store, where he acquired most of his vast literary knowledge. He
attended Oxford University, but had to leave without a degree in 1729 for
financial reasons.
In 1735 Samuel Johnson married Elizabeth Porter, a widowed woman 20
years his elder. (He was 25 and she was 46 when they wed) He used the small
fortune he acquired by this marriage to set up a school, which proved to be
unsuccessful. In 1737, he and David Garrick, his
former student went to seek fame and fortune in London. Failing at this,
Johnson returned that summer to get his wife and they returned to London
together.
When Johnson first moved to London, he was overcome by a long period of
poverty and depression. He finally found a job aiding Edward Cave in editing
the Gentleman's Magazine. (On the side, he was writing essays and
poetry. He wrote "London," one of his most famous poems at this time -
In this poem, he inveighed against the corruptions of Robert Walpole's
Whig government and the cruelties of the city.)
In 1746 - Johnson got a contract with a group of booksellers to
produce a dictionary of the English language. The dictionary took a lot
longer than expected; seven years instead of three, because he was busy
writing many other works on the side. His reputation was widely established
with the public after the publication of the dictionary, but even though
this brought Johnson fame, it brought in little fortune.
In the meantime, he had managed to publish "The Vanity of Human Wishes" -
a long poem on the pain of delusion, and The Rambler, a periodical essay.
In 1749, Johnson founded the Ivy Lane Club, which was later formed
in 1764, including many impressive members such Joseph Banks, Boswell,
Garrick, Edward Gibbon, Adam Smith and William
Windham. Then in 1752, with the death of his wife, Johnson looked for more
diversion and companionship in taverns and coffee houses. He spent
time there drawing a circle of friends such as Edmund Burke, Sir Joshua
Banks, Oliver Goldsmith, and David Garrick.
A huge influence on Samuel Johnson was a man named James Boswell. He was
a man much younger than Johnson who followed him around to make a biography
of his life. They traveled together often; including an eight-month trip
they took so Scotland. Boswell wrote a biography on Johnson after his death,
which was his single successful work.
Johnson was an essayist, a lexicographer and a critic. He believed greatly in
skepticism, except in regards to religion, which he never dared to question.
Johnson was always searching for the truth in his writing, and was sure he
wouldn't ever be able to find it. As a critic, Johnson wasn't a rigid theorist;
instead he relied on common sense and experiential knowledge. He
strongly believes that nothing created by human beings could ever be perfect,
and that the duty of the critic was to point a work's flaws as well as its
merits.
Samuel Johnson died in 1784.
SECONDARY SOURCES
ELIZABETH INCHBALD
Elizabeth Simpson Inchbald was born on October 15, 1753, in the
town of Stanningfield, Suffolk. She was born into a very literate family,
though she and her sisters were never formally educated. Eventually,
their parents taught the girls to read and write, and the entire family
would read plays during the evening for entertainment. This nightly
event, and her brother George's somewhat successful career with The
Norwich Co., greatly influenced Elizabeth's desire to pursue acting
professionally.
After her father died in 1761, Elizabeth's mother was left to
raise her and her siblings alone, which granted Elizabeth more freedom
from parental scrutiny. This fact allowed her to pursue acting more
tenaciously, for during that time, acting was not seen as a suitable
profession for women. At the age of 17, she wrote to Richard Griffin, the
manager of The Norwich Co., and asked him if the two could meet and set up
an audition. He wrote back that he would love to meet her any time she
visited London, though he could not promise her an audition. It is
believed, due to passages in Elizabeth's journal, that she had a crush on
Griffin, though she hid all contact with him from her family.
Elizabeth grew into a tall, slender, beautiful young woman, assets
that would help her land acting roles later on in her career. However, in
her early life she was plagued by a stuttering problem, which embarrassed
her into avoidance of social situations. Though a stuttering problem
would seem as if it would end any prospective acting career, Elizabeth was
stubborn and motivated, and dedicated herself to overcoming adversity.
She would write out all of her lines, and practice them over and over,
until she could recite them without hindrance.
She and her family would often travel to London to see George in
his performances, and on one such trip, she met Joseph Inchbald, an older,
established actor. The two began a romance, but when Joseph proposed to
Elizabeth, she declined, though the two kept in constant correspondence.
On April 10, 1772, Elizabeth left her mother a note, and set off for
London to actively pursue her career. She moved in with her sister and
her husband, and soon began visiting theatres, while rekindling her
relationship with Griffith. In June of that same year, she married Joseph
Inchbald, and soon began to receive minor roles. On September 4, 1772,
she and Joseph starred as Cordelia and King Lear, respectively, in a
provincial production of King Lear. She received substantial
critical acclaim on the provincial circuit. However, she was still plagued by
her impediment, and often received poor critical acclaim for her roles in the
more well known productions, for it was generally agreed upon that she had
much difficulty in the deliverance of her lines.
On January 18, 1777, she met John Kemble, and the two began an
inspirational friendship. Kemble encouraged Elizabeth to write, and soon
she started the beginning of A Simple Story, which would become one
of her most celebrated works. Kemble kept encouraging Elizabeth to write,
and when her husband died in 1779, she was forced to abandon acting
because of her aging appearance, and so she decided to pursue writing in
order to support herself.
She wrote a few farces, though they received little acclaim. She
wrote A Mogul Tale, which received a fair amount of
acknowledgement, though she struggled initially. Her background as an actress
aided her in her writing, for she was able to write parts to suit the actors,
and to bring out their talents. She borrowed many themes from high class French
drama, though she added base English humor and intricate characters, which
attracted readership.
In addition to writing, she edited a series entitled The
British Theatre, which was a sort of anthology of British drama. This
work, by merit of its content, ultimately decided the standard for English
drama, a lasting and notable accomplishment for Inchbald. In 1791, she
finished A Simple Story, and in 1796, she published Nature and
Art, two of her most well known works. The lives of the female characters
in many of her works mirrored her own life, having lost a father at an early
age, and then being attracted to an older man in order to fill the paternal
void.
Elizabeth Inchbald died on August 1, 1821.
Micheal Andrews
Beauty- The qualification with which women generally go into
keeping.
Death- The final end of man; as well of thinking parts of the body
as of all other parts.
Dress- The pricipal Accomplishment of Men and Women.
Gallantry- Fornication and adultery.
Honour- Dueling.
Marriage- A kind of traffic carried on between the two sexes, in
which both are constantly endeavouring to cheat each other, and both are
commonly Losers in the end.
Patriot- A candidate for a place at court.
Politics- The Art of such a Place.
Promise- Nothing.
Religion- A Word of no Meaning; but which serves as a Bugbear to
frighten Children.
Riches- The only thing on earth that is really valuable or
desirable.
Wit- Prophaneness, Indecency, Immorality, Scurrility, Mimickry,
Buffoonery. Abuse of all good men, and especially the clergy.
Worth- Power, Rank, Wealth.
Wisdom- The art of acquiring all three.
World- Your own acquaintance." (pg 347)
Karol Shekhter
Marc Brunstein