The Lab'ring Muses: Work, Writing and the Social Order in English Plebeian Poetry PDF
Preview The Lab'ring Muses: Work, Writing and the Social Order in English Plebeian Poetry
The Lab’ring Muses: Work, Writing, and the Social Order in English Plebeian Poetry, 1730–1830 William J. Christmas Associated University Presses The Lab’ring Muses ..........................8580$$ $$FM 06-01-0107:40:57 PS StephenDuck,frontispiecetoPoemsonSeveralSubjects,7thed.(1730), engraverunknown.ReproducedbypermissionoftheRareBook, Manuscript,andSpecialCollectionsLibraryofDukeUniversity, Durham,NorthCarolina. ..........................8580$$ $$FM 06-01-0107:41:12 PS The Lab’ring Muses Work, Writing, and the Social Order in English Plebeian Poetry, 1730–1830 William J. Christmas Newark: University of Delaware Press London: Associated University Presses ..........................8580$$ $$FM 06-01-0107:41:13 PS (cid:1)2001byAssociatedUniversityPresses,Inc. Allrightsreserved.Authorizationtophotocopyitemsforinternalorpersonaluse, ortheinternalorpersonaluseofspecificclients,isgrantedbythecopyrightowner, providedthatabasefeeof $10.00,pluseight centsperpage,per copyispaiddi- rectly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, Massa- chusetts 01923. [0-87413-747-0/01 $10.00 (cid:2) 8¢ pp, pc.] Other than as indicated intheforegoing,thisbookmaynotbereproduced,inwholeorinpart,inanyform (exceptaspermittedbySections107and108oftheU.S.CopyrightLaw,andex- ceptforbriefquotesappearinginreviewsinthepublicpress.) AssociatedUniversityPresses 440ForsgateDrive Cranbury,NJ08512 AssociatedUniversityPresses 16BarterStreet LondonWC1A2AH,England AssociatedUniversityPresses P.O.Box338,PortCredit Mississauga,Ontario CanadaL5G4L8 ThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstherequirementsoftheAmerican NationalStandardforPermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibraryMaterials Z39.48-1984. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Christmas,WilliamJ.,1965– Thelab’ringmuses:work,writing,andthesocialorderinEnglish plebeianpoetry,1730–1830/WilliamJ.Christmas. p. cm. Includesbibliographicalreferences(p. )andindex. ISBN0-87413-747-0(alk.paper) 1.Workingclasswritings,English—Historyandcriticism. 2.English poetry—18thcentury—Historyandcriticism. 3.Literatureandsociety— GreatBritain—History—18thcentury. 4.Literatureandsociety—Great Britain—History—19thcentury. 5.Englishpoetry—19thcentury— Historyandcriticism. 6.Duck,Stephen,1705–1756—Criticismand interpretation. 7.Jones,Henry,1721–1770—Criticismandinterpre- tation. 8.Socialclassesinliterature. 9.Workinliterature. I.Title. PR508.U6C47 2001 821(cid:1).509920693—dc21 2001027011 printedintheunitedstatesofamerica ..........................8580$$ $$FM 06-01-0107:41:13 PS For Maggie, and our Eamon ..........................8580$$ $$FM 06-01-0107:41:13 PS This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments 9 Abbreviations 13 Note on the Text 15 Introduction 17 1. Terminology and Methodology 39 2. Stephen Duck and Plebeian Poetry in the 1730s 63 Work WritingBeforeDuck 66 TheDiscovery,Publicity,and CommodificationofStephen Duck 73 TheFlightUpParnassus: Bancks,Dodsley,and Tatersal 95 TheBuzzingofMaryCollier’sBees:Resistanceand AssimilationinTheWoman’sLabour 115 3. ‘‘A Muse unknown’’: The Career of Henry Jones 130 4. Writing as Work in Mid- to Late-Century Plebeian Poetry 157 ARuralMaid’s PosthumousSuccess 161 JamesWoodhouse:‘‘Unpension’dPoet-Laureat,ofthe Poor’’ 183 Brimble,Bennet,Lucas,and Bryant: Writingfor Alms 210 ElizabethHandsAnswersthePolite Critics 228 5. Class Dialogue: Ann Yearsley, Hannah More, and the Power of Print 235 Epilogue: Ensconced in the ‘‘muses seat’’: Bloomfield, Clare, and the Plebeian Tradition 267 Appendix 1: Henry Jones Bibliography 297 Notes 302 Bibliography 337 Index 353 7 ..........................8580$$ CNTS 06-01-0107:41:26 PS This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments W HEN I READ MARY COLLIER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ROBERT Markley’s graduate seminar in 1990, eighteenth-century literature suddenly became enormously interesting to me. Not many profes- sors in the field were teaching Collier then, so I would like to thank Bob for his pedagogical foresight, and also for reading countless drafts of the chaptersthat follow. Thomas Lockwood, who directed thedissertationversionofthisstudy,alsoprovidedinvaluablecom- mentary and sound advice at every turn. Tom’s hearty refrain of ‘‘Carryon!’’haslingeredinmyearlongafterdepartingtheUniver- sityofWashington.Iwouldalsoliketoacknowledgeanothermem- ber of that dissertation committee, Evan Watkins, for his important help with the theoretical and methodological aspects of my work. I only hope that all three recognize this book as the one they thought I might one day produce. Many individuals and institutions assisted me in conducting the research and procuring materials for this project. Madeline Copp, now the Instructional Services Coordinator at the United States Naval Academy, and Glenda Pearson, Head of the Microform and NewspaperCollectionsatSuzzalloLibrary,UniversityofWashing- ton, performed numerous RLIN searches that made it possible to track down the primary sources for this study. I remain grateful for their research expertise, and the interest they showed in my work. The University of Washington funded a trip to the Houghton Li- brary in the early days of collecting texts. Rebecca Merrens, Daryl Ogden,andHansTurleydeservespecialmentionforselflesslytran- scribingand photocopyingmaterialfromCambridge UniversityLi- brary and the British Library. The later stages of research and revision were funded by two Summer Stipends from San Francisco State University which allowed for several glorious trips to the Huntington Library. I would like to thank the staff there for indulg- ing my manic book requests. Elizabeth Dunn, Research Services Librarianat DukeUniversity, MargaretFoley,Archivist atMcMas- ter University, Adam Grummitt, of the National Portrait Gallery, London, and Alan Jutzi, Avery Chief Curator of rare books at the 9 ..........................8580$$ $ACK 06-01-0107:41:36 PS
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