Biographical Anecdotes of William Hogarth, With a Catalogue of His WorksNichols, John
General
Biographical Anecdotes of William Hogarth, With a Catalogue of His Works
Nichols, John
Hogarth, William, 1697-1764
In the plate already mentioned, figure A represents _St. André_.
[He has a kitt under his arm, having been at first designed by his
family for a fencing and dancing-master, though he afterwards attached
himself to music of a higher order than that necessary for one of the
professions already mentioned.] B is Sir _Richard Manningham_, C Mr.
_Sainthill_ a celebrated surgeon here in _London_, D is _Howard_ the
surgeon at _Guildford_, who was supposed to have had a chief hand in
the imposture. The rest of the characters explain themselves.
Perhaps my readers may excuse me, if I add a short account of another
design for a print on the same subject; especially as some collectors
have been willing to receive it as a work of _Hogarth_.
In _Mist's Weekly Journal, Saturday, Jan._ 11th, 1726-7, was the
following advertisement:
"The Rabbit affair made clear in a full account of the whole matter;
with the pictures engraved of the pretended Rabbit-breeder herself,
_Mary Tofts_, and of the Rabbits, and of the persons who attended her
during her pretended deliveries, shewing who were and who were not
imposed on by her. 'Tis given gratis no where, but only up one pair of
stairs at the sign of the celebrated Anodyne Necklace recommended by
Doctor _Chamberlen_ for Children's teeth, &c."
The original drawing from which the plate promised in _Mist's_ Journal
was taken, remained in the possession of Mr. _James Vertue_, and was
probably designed by his brother _George_. It was sold in 1781 in the
collection of _George Scott_, Esq. of _Chigwell_ in _Essex_, together
with eight tracts relative to the same imposture, for three guineas,
and is now in the collection of Mr. _Gough_.
_St. André's Miscarriage_, a ballad, published in 1727, has the
following stanza on this subject:
"He dissected, compar'd, and distinguish'd likewise
The make of these rabbits, their growth and their size.
He preserv'd them in spirits, and--a little too late
Preserv'd (_Vertue sculpsit_) a neat copper plate."
There is also a copper-plate, consisting of twelve compartments, on the
same story. It exhibits every stage throughout this celebrated fraud.
_St. André_ appears in the habit of a _Merry-Andrew_. The general title
of it is, "The Doctors in Labour; or a new Whim-wham from _Guilford_.
Being a representation of the frauds by which the _Godliman_ woman
carried on her pretended Rabbit breeding; also of the simplicity of our
Doctors, by which they assisted to carry on that imposture, discovered
their skill, and contributed to the mirth of his Majesty's liege
subjects."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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