The Harlot's Progress (1733), The Rake's Progress (Ms., ca. 1778-1780) — John Shaqi
The Harlot's Progress (1733), The Rake's Progress (Ms., ca. 1778-1780)Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Harlot's Progress (1733), The Rake's Progress (Ms., ca. 1778-1780)
Cibber, Theophilus
English drama -- 18th century
[1]: There are at least three dramatic pieces other than the _Theophilus
Cibber_ work reprinted here which were inspired by William Hogarth's
"A Harlot's Progress." Ronald Paulson reports one announced in the
_Daily Advertiser_ (13 November 1732) by Charlotte Charke entitled
_The Harlot_. It had been printed by Curll; but there is no record
of performance (_Hogarth: His Life, Art, and Times_, I, London and
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1971, p. 290). Paulson also
mentions the publication announcement in the _Daily Advertiser_ (5
February 1732/3) of: "_The Decoy_, or _The Harlot's Progress_ (on
February 14 called _The Jew Decoy'd_), a new ballad opera, said to
be performed at Goodman's Fields" (p. 290). _The Jew Decoy'd_, a
work never performed and discussed at length by Robert E. Moore
(_Hogarth's Literary Relationships_, Minneapolis: University of
Minnesota Press, 1948, pp. 34-36) as being published in 1733, is a
different piece than _The Decoy; or, The Harlot's Progress, A New
Ballad Opera_ [By Henry Potter] (_The London Stage_, ed. Arthur
Scouten, Part 3, Vol. I, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University
Press, 1962-68, pp. 269-270, abbreviated in later citations as
"_LS_" followed by part, volume and page number.) The title page of
Potter's piece reads: "_The Decoy. An Opera. As it is Acted at the
New Theatre in Goodman's Fields_. London, 1733, with the
"Dedication" signed by Potter. This three-act piece contains 52
songs, three of which also appear in Cibber's "The Harlot's
Progress." The "Introduction" alludes to Hogarth's series as the
source ("the Sketch is now in Print"), but it has many links to John
Gay's _The Beggar's Opera_, and, like Cibber's piece, only follows
the first three plates. Potter's small theater in the Haymarket
opened in 1720 but no organized company had produced legitimate
drama there by 1728 (_LS_, 3, I, cxxxix). The run was successful for
Potter: he had a benefit on 8 February, with the comment "On account
of the great Demand for Places, the Pit and Boxes will be laid
together at 5s each" (_LS_ 3, I, 270). Hogarth had advertised the
subscription for "A Harlot's Progress" as early as 8 March 1731.
(See Ronald Paulson, _Hogarth's Graphic Works_, I, Rev. Ed., New
Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1970, p. 141. Citations in
my text are abbreviated _HGW_ followed by volume and page number.)
This piece appears in Baker's _Biographia Dramatica_ (Vol. II, p.
157) without comment, while he lists "_The Jew Decoy'd; or The
Progress of an Harlot_," 8vo. 1733 "as never being performed, but
founded on the Hogarth series." _The Jew Decoy'd_ discussed by Moore
has the title page: "London: Printed for E: Rayner ... 1733,"
published on 14 February (p. 34). The Henry E. Huntington Library
has a copy, "Printed by W: Rayner ... 1735" but does not have the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account