The Pictorial Press: Its Origin and ProgressJackson, Mason
History
The Pictorial Press: Its Origin and Progress
Jackson, Mason
Illustration of books; Newspapers -- Illustrations
'To omit many other obvious Resemblances, such as Braying, &c, the
famous story of the Countryman and the Ass, briefly touched upon by
_Horace_ in the Epistle addressed to his own Book, is so perfect a
Picture of Jacobitism, that I have been inclined to think as the
Antients are known to have inveloped all their Mysteries in Fable and
Allegory, that no less than Jacobitism itself was intended to be couched
under this story: "A certain Countryman observing an Ass making towards
a Precipice, ran to him, and catching hold of his Tail, endeavoured with
all his Might to withhold him from Destruction; but the more the
Countryman attempted to preserve him, the more obstinately the Ass
contended against his kind Preserver, and the more eagerly was bent upon
accomplishing his fatal Purpose. The Countryman at last, wearied out
with his Endeavours to save an obstinate Beast against his own will, and
having probably received some Thanks from his Heels for his intended
kindness, instead of pulling any longer, gave the Ass a Push, and
tumbled him headlong down the Precipice which he had been so
industriously pursuing."
'I make no doubt but many of our good Enemies the Whigs, who have well
imitated this Countryman in the former part of his Behaviour, would
imitate him likewise in the latter, was it not that they cannot
precipitate us without tumbling down themselves at the same time.
'These are the Mysteries, then, which have been couched under my
Frontispiece, and which, tho' their meaning must now appear to have been
so plain, have nevertheless stood exposed so long at the Head of this
Journal, without having been, as I can find, understood by any.
'Perhaps I shall be asked, why I have now displaced them, since, after
so large and full an Explanation, they cannot fail of being highly
agreeable to that Party for whose use chiefly this Paper is calculated;
and who would, for the future, worship my Ass with the same Veneration
with which the _Jews_ of old did theirs.
'Now, tho' the Indignation which I have exprest in the Beginning of this
Essay at the many gross and absurd Misconceptions which have been vented
by the Public, would alone very well justify the Discontinuance of my
Emblem so much abused, there are, to say the Truth, two other Reasons
which have had a stronger Weight with me in producing this
Determination. The former of these is, that the Ass and his Retinue do
indeed take up too much room, and must oblige us either to suppress Part
of our Lucubrations, or some of those material articles of News which we
weekly transcribe from others; or lastly those pieces of Intelligence
called Advertisements, which tho' not always most entertaining to our
Reader, do afford very agreeable Entertainment to ourselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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