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
_Rouquet_ concludes his illustration of the fifth plate by observing,
that the story might have been concluded here. "L'auteur semble avoir
rempli son dessein. Il a suivi son heroine jusques au dernier soupir.
Il l'a conduite de l'infamie à la pauvreté, par les voies séduisantes
du libertinage. Son intention de tâcher de retenir, ou de corriger
celles qui leur foiblesse, ou leur ignorance exposent tous les jours à
de semblables infortunes, est suffisament executée; on peut donc dire
que la tragedie finit à cette planche, et que la suivante est comme le
petite piece. C'est une farce done la defunte est plustôt l'occasion
que le sujet."--Such is the criticism of _Rouquet_; but I cannot
absolutely concur in the justness of it. _Hogarth_ found an opportunity
to convey admonition, and enforce his moral, even in this last plate.
It is true that the exploits of our heroine are concluded, and that she
is no longer an agent in her own story. Yet as a wish prevails, even
among those who are most humbled by their own indiscretions, that some
respect should be paid to their remains, that they should be conducted
by decent friends to the grave, and interred by a priest who feels for
the dead that hope expressed in our Liturgy, let us ask whether the
memory of our Harlot meets with any such marks of social attention, or
pious benevolence. Are not the preparations for her funeral licentious,
like the course of her life, as if the contagion of her example had
reached all the company in the room? Her sisters in iniquity alone
surround her coffin. One of them is engaged in the double trade of
seduction and thievery. A second is admiring herself in a mirror. A
third gazes with unconcern on the corpse. If any of the number appear
mournful, they express at best but a maudlin sorrow, having glasses
of strong liquor in their hands. The very minister, forgetful of
his office and character, is shamefully employed; nor does a single
circumstance occur, throughout the whole scene, that a reflecting
female would not wish should be alienated from her own interment.--Such
is the plate which our illustrator, with too much levity, has styled a
farce appended to a tragic representation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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