--_Ipse per omnes
Ibit personas, et turbam reddet in unam._[2]
The players having now almost done with the comedy, called the "Beggar's
Opera,"[3] for this season, it may be no unpleasant speculation, to
reflect a little upon this dramatic piece, so singular in the subject,
and the manner, so much an original, and which hath frequently given so
very agreeable an entertainment.[4]
Although an evil taste be very apt to prevail, both here, and in London,
yet there is a point which whoever can rightly touch, will never fail of
pleasing a very great majority; so great, that the dislikers, out of
dullness or affectation will be silent, and forced to fall in with the
herd; the point I mean, is what we call humour, which in its perfection
is allowed to be much preferable to wit, if it be not rather the most
useful, and agreeable species of it.
I agree with Sir William Temple, that the word is peculiar to our English
tongue, but I differ from him in the opinion, that the thing itself is
peculiar to the English nation,[5] because the contrary may be found in
many Spanish, Italian and French productions, and particularly, whoever
hath a taste for true humour, will find a hundred instances of it in
those volumes printed in France, under the name of _Le Théâtre
Italien_,[6] to say nothing of Rabelais, Cervantes, and many others.
Now I take the comedy or farce, (or whatever name the critics will allow
it) called the "Beggar's Opera"; to excel in this article of humour; and,
upon that merit, to have met with such prodigious success both here, and
in England.
As to poetry, eloquence and music, which are said to have most power over
the minds of men, it is certain that very few have a taste or judgment of
the excellencies of the two former, and if a man succeeds in either, it
is upon the authority of those few judges, that lend their taste to the
bulk of readers, who have none of their own. I am told there are as few
good judges in music, and that among those who crowd the operas, nine in
ten go thither merely out of curiosity, fashion, or affectation.
But a taste for humour is in some manner fixed to the very nature of man,
and generally obvious to the vulgar, except upon subjects too refined,
and superior to their understanding.
And as this taste of humour is purely natural, so is humour itself,
neither is it a talent confined to men of wit, or learning; for we
observe it sometimes among common servants, and the meanest of the
people, while the very owners are often ignorant of the gift they
possess.
I know very well, that this happy talent is contemptibly treated by
critics, under the name of low humour, or low comedy; but I know
likewise, that the Spaniards and Italians, who are allowed to have the
most wit of any nation in Europe, do most excel in it, and do most esteem
it.
By what disposition of the mind, what influence of the stars, or what
situation of the climate this endowment is bestowed upon mankind, may be
a question fit for philosophers to discuss. It is certainly the best
ingredient toward that kind of satire, which is most useful, and gives
the least offence; which instead of lashing, laughs men out of their
follies, and vices, and is the character which gives Horace the
preference to Juvenal.
And although some things are too serious, solemn or sacred to be turned
into ridicule, yet the abuses of them are certainly not, since it is
allowed that corruption in religion, politics, and law, may be proper
topics for this kind of satire.
There are two ends that men propose in writing satire, one of them less
noble than the other, as regarding nothing further than personal
satisfaction, and pleasure of the writer; but without any view towards
personal malice; the other is a public spirit, prompting men of genius
and virtue, to mend the world as far as they are able. And as both these
ends are innocent, so the latter is highly commendable. With regard to
the former, I demand whether I have not as good a title to laugh, as men
have to be ridiculous, and to expose vice, as another hath to be vicious.
If I ridicule the follies and corruptions of a court, a ministry, or a
senate; are they not amply paid by pensions, titles, and power, while I
expect and desire no other reward, than that of laughing with a few
friends in a corner. Yet, if those who take offence, think me in the
wrong, I am ready to change the scene with them, whenever they please.
But if my design be to make mankind better, then I think it is my duty,
at least I am sure it is the interest of those very courts and ministers,
whose follies or vices I ridicule, to reward me for my good intentions;
for, if it be reckoned a high point of wisdom to get the laughers on
our side, it is much more easy, as well as wise to get those on our side,
who can make millions laugh when they please.
My reason for mentioning courts, and ministers, (whom I never think on,
but with the most profound veneration) is because an opinion obtains that
in the "Beggar's Opera" there appears to be some reflection upon
courtiers and statesmen, whereof I am by no means a judge[7].
It is true indeed that Mr. Gay, the author of this piece, hath been
somewhat singular in the course of his fortunes, for it hath happened,
that after fourteen years attending the court, with a large stock of real
merit, a modest, and agreeable conversation, a hundred promises, and five
hundred friends [he] hath failed of preferment, and upon a very weighty
reason. He lay under the suspicion of having written a libel, or lampoon
against a great m[inister][8]. It is true that great m[inister] was
demonstratively convinced, and publicly owned his conviction, that Mr.
Gay was not the author; but having lain under the suspicion, it seemed
very just, that he should suffer the punishment; because in this most
reformed age, the virtues of a great m[inister] are no more to be
suspected, than the chastity of Caesar's wife.
It must be allowed, that the "Beggar's Opera" is not the first of Mr.
Gay's works, wherein he hath been faulty, with regard to courtiers and
statesmen. For, to omit his other pieces even in his Fables, published
within two years past, and dedicated to the Duke of Cumberland, for which
he was promised a reward[9]; he hath been thought somewhat too bold upon
courtiers. And although it is highly probable, he meant only the
courtiers of former times, yet he acted unwarily, by not considering that
the malignity of some people might misinterpret what he said to the
disadvantage of present persons, and affairs.
But I have now done with Mr. Gay as a politician, and shall consider him
henceforward only as author of the "Beggar's Opera," wherein he hath by a
turn of humour, entirely new, placed vices of all kinds in the strongest
and most odious light; and thereby done eminent service, both to religion
and morality. This appears from the unparalleled success he hath met
with. All ranks parties and denominations of men, either crowding to see
his opera, or reading it with delight in their closets, even ministers of
state, whom he is thought to have most offended (next to those whom the
actors more immediately represent) appearing frequently at the theatre,
from a consciousness of their own innocence, and to convince the world
how unjust a parallel, malice, envy, and disaffection to the government
have made.
I am assured that several worthy clergymen in this city, went privately
to see the "Beggar's Opera" represented; and that the fleering coxcombs
in the pit, amused themselves with making discoveries, and spreading the
names of those gentlemen round the audience.
I shall not pretend to vindicate a clergyman, who would appear openly in
his habit at a theatre, among such a vicious crew, as would probably
stand round him, and at such lewd comedies, and profane tragedies as are
often represented. Besides I know very well, that persons of their
function are bound to avoid the appearance of evil, or of giving cause of
offence. But when the lords chancellors, who are keepers of the king's
conscience, when the judges of the land, whose title is _reverend_, when
ladies, who are bound by the rules of their sex, to the strictest
decency, appear in the theatre without censure, I cannot understand, why
a young clergyman who goes concealed out of curiosity to see an innocent
and moral play, should be so highly condemned; nor do I much approve the
rigour of a great p[rela]te, who said, "he hoped none of his clergy were
there." I am glad to hear there are no weightier objections against that
reverend body, planted in this city, and I wish there never may. But I
should be very sorry that any of them should be so weak, as to imitate a
court chaplain in England, who preached against the "Beggar's Opera,"
which will probably do more good than a thousand sermons of so stupid, so
injudicious, and so prostitute a divine[10].
In this happy performance of Mr. Gay, all the characters are just, and
none of them carried beyond nature, or hardly beyond practice. It
discovers the whole system of that commonwealth, or that _imperium in
imperio_ of iniquity, established among us, by which neither our lives,
nor our properties are secure, either in the highways, or in public
assemblies, or even in our own houses. It shews the miserable lives, and
the constant fate of those abandoned wretches; for how little they sell
their lives and souls; betrayed by their whores, their comrades, and the
receivers and purchasers of these thefts and robberies. This comedy
contains likewise a satire, which, although it doth by no means affect
the present age, yet might have been useful in the former, and may
possibly be so in ages to come. I mean where the author takes occasion of
comparing those common robbers to robbers of the public;[11] and their
several stratagems of betraying, undermining, and hanging each other,[12]
to the several arts of politicians in times of corruption.
This comedy likewise exposeth with great justice, that unnatural taste
for Italian music among us,[13] which is wholly unsuitable to our
northern climate, and the genius of the people, whereby we are over-run
with Italian effeminacy, and Italian nonsense. An old gentleman said to
me, that many years ago, when the practice of an unnatural vice grew so
frequent in London, that many were prosecuted for it, he was sure it
would be a forerunner[14] of Italian operas, and singers; and then we
should want nothing but stabbing or poisoning, to make us perfect
Italians.
Upon the whole, I deliver my judgment, that nothing but servile
attachment to a party, affectation of singularity, lamentable dullness,
mistaken zeal, or studied hypocrisy, can have the least reasonable
objection against this excellent moral performance of the celebrated Mr.
Gay.
[Footnote 1: See title in note above, p. 313. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 2: "He will go among the people, and will draw a crowd
together." [T.S.]]
[Footnote 3: Gay's "The Beggar's Opera" was produced by Rich at the
Theatre Royal in Lincoln's Inn Fields, January 29th, 1727/8, and
published in book form in 1728. It was shortly afterwards performed in
Dublin, Bath, and other places. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 4: Writing to Pope, May 10th, 1728, Swift says: "Mr. Gay's
Opera has been acted here twenty times, and my lord lieutenant tells me
it is very well performed; he has seen it often, and approves it much....
'The Beggar's Opera' has done its task, _discedat uti conviva satur_"
(Scott's edition, xvii. 188-9). [T.S.]]
[Footnote 5: In his essay "Of Poetry," Sir William Temple, writing of
dramatic poetry, says: "Yet I am deceived, if our English has not in some
kind excelled both the modern and the ancient, which has been by force of
a vein natural perhaps to our country, and which with us is called
humour, a word peculiar to our language too, and hard to be expressed
in any other;" etc.--"Works," vol. i., p. 247 (1720). [T.S.]]
[Footnote 6: "Le Théâtre Italian, ou le Recueil de toutes les Comédies et
Scènes Françoises, qui out été jouées sur le Théâtre Italian." The
collection was edited by Evariste Gherardi, and published in 1695. Two
further volumes were issued in 1698, the third containing complete
plays. The collection was afterwards extended to six volumes. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 7: A modern writer says of it: "It bristles with keen,
well-pointed satire on the corrupt and venal politicians and courtiers of
the day" (W.H. Husk in Grove's "Dict. of Music").[T.S.]]
[Footnote 8: In the character of Robin of Bagshot Gay intended Sir Robert
Walpole.[T.S.]]
[Footnote 9: Gay's "Fables" was first published in 1727, with a
dedication "To his Highness William Duke of Cumberland." The Fables are
said to have been "invented for his amusement." Cumberland was the second
son of George, Prince of Wales, and was afterwards known as "the
butcher."[T.S.]]
[Footnote 10: Dr. Thomas Herring, preacher at Lincoln's Inn, and
afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, preached a sermon against "The
Beggar's Opera" in March, 1727-8. It is referred to in a letter to the
"Whitehall Evening Post," dated March 30th, 1728, reprinted in the
Appendix to "Letters from Dr. T. Herring to W. Duncombe," 1777. As
Archbishop of York, Herring interested himself greatly, during the
rebellion of 1745, in forming an association for the defence of the
liberties of the people and the constitution of the country. Writing to
Swift, under date May 16th, 1728, Gay remarks: "I suppose you must have
heard, that I had the honour to have had a sermon preached against my
works by a court-chaplain, which I look upon as no small addition to my
fame" (Scott, xvii. 194). [T.S.]]
[Footnote 11: The edition of 1729 has "those common robbers of the
public." [T.S.]]
[Footnote 12: Peachum says: "Can it be expected that we should hang our
acquaintance for nothing, when our betters will hardly save theirs
without being paid for it?"--Act II., sc. x. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 13: The rivalry between Handel and the Italian composers had
then been keen for nearly twenty years. [T.S.]]
[Footnote 14: The edition of 1729 has "the fore-runner." [T.S.]]