Heaven upon Earth: The Form of Moral and Religious Children's Literature, to 1850

188 Pages·1993·4.86 MB·English

by  Patricia Demers

H eaven
upon E a rth
T H E F O R M OF M O R A L
A N D R E L I G I O U S C H I L D R E N ’S
1850
L I T E R A T U R E , T O
Patricia Demers
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE PRESS / KNOXVILLE
- *
*
THE
DUTY of CHILDREN to P A R E N T S.
A /oollfll'that I'.,.. \\ ickedj Son [or Daughter.]
A CUttfe (that is, a Godly) Son [or Daughter. ] A I uolifh Sots lithe heasim's of hu Mother, PrOV. 10. I.
ATTAHTgTWJWhhhh eS WWheeiee Wft a leTWhLUffii-ofofaioiMpeef tnfieh sf tprS*Se e o to*oDongn atfnnfaoa * i ortoul hkdmharHgfeeeey hLtatttf Rhkthh*rWoe *ee\er rfgbtt tR hhfWih iWbfKs e "thna taepj io Uiu{FogSfrfbee*la eo artarb Ft oU edrihaaeiflAi an/ tneeFpeUoglitrgawtestv.,hwtn f ehar em JCkPVn"eIrmorhi ra vauIm.aekIntdUnvtt meklt tfhenbFhetadet trerg.n *mnai dWmntBx.mr eueittfgnaftnfcat *ttt.o.!tbo.n. l eehm.,eernuHt, uf.hohaar nnhddi-t AT7ATAATSHhh ht h efeASee*Fh-e Ir et t ojMMi aebeMhoMeogtdniarlroototiuo eftnOndn uaf tnclgohstetti)rt h tvh rfhh Fhoph Mef o etonaiesooafffa ao i r d fftlorlntMl a t!be lhfh hoj fit bDleolhhe otoaF bt it np'Fn1Whos/ine l ooofoef/h ttooFiHfllr nlisalla R’yktsl 1lfitt fef1lebh"lihh, he) dCa e rubhIP’ut nrSfeit i,fr rrTh , enof,a I e eaMeF n 1 iddatiPa loeao rai/lot rdftb©lrhDohf eooav e dG•fr'.y nfrpr thu oe,oe rPh< ldmdfm maPtr{,e,/, i. rvaadf iPPohhE,rev Irvrtde,c.iP moo.annd rvvP,ee'uo I,,frfr P'vtCo,$£/ ,r..|vP cJ oa.2J.rd >Jnv . o0. 5\.dS1. V2.n4O J1.hO,,. 56.1 e0.3,5 . t.h214a0t..
fff'tbaf hononreth bit Mothct, is at one tbatUyeth »f trea. A4n S tOubbfbtoiorant cb ehaena frltafbitl lfla bret lea%d-eini n ie ttlhhef olarfrio."t,and the Wick­
mdioZoj olfe' Jrhtfoi'nlieo' uufrnhst oh ib5sit s.F 4Patta*hrreednr,,t s„,b Uaasl ltf obc o»b»riet. r s j*toauyf f oeFrfis lh tihes erO,d iarnt . CJ.h" s7UJ* Ange daE vM hiliam nn uj. brtatausilri aehd eF aoSfoo Slnlif n«l) n Dtfohaaeu Sdgithmfbte,o rnR o//cn crb loourCfn b tntJ . hF i2at 6tlhe, fet2r, 7Et.hcactl uhCe-
Jen i and "ben he makes hit Prayer hejbtd be taaM.EcduC as. j.
l 5'
Children cught, UJ.-A ie.ee tftr feat' S’/ ‘4r- Children ought not,
l p—r~\00 ffeeaarr tthheeiirr PPaa rents, yc (ball fear every Man fits Mother and brt father, T O Curjt their Parent i. Every one tha Curfith his Father, or his Mother,
I Ltvit. 19. J. Ibail be lurely put to Death: He that Curfeth his Father, or his Mother,
I U. To Hoao- «-and Reverence el:tar Parents. A Sun Honour 1 his Father, n« R|.jod Hull be upon him, F.xod. 21. 17. Letn. 20. 9. Whofo Cnrfetb bis
3f I tlico be aa Father w litre is mine Honour ! Maine. 1, h. Honour tJiy Father, or his Mother, his Lamp (hall be nut out in oULum Darkncfs, Prov. 20.
Father 2nd Mother, rliut thy thv* may be long m the Lam] whiJi the Lord thy God He that Carfnh Father, or Mother, let Inm dye the death, Sc. Matth. 15.
eiveththee, FnM 20. 12. Honmt thy Father ami Mother, ( uhit.li istht Full Com­ There is a Generation chat Cnrfetb their Father, and doth not Uteji tlieir Mo­
mandment with premile, that it may be well with thee, ar..! thou may if live lone on ther, Prov. JO. it.
the Earth, P/L 6. 2, j. Bed*/. 3. .\ud Rachel Uni nmo l.cr Father, Let .t not d/Cplcalc 11. To Strike tbcir Ptreat!. He that Smitetb his Father, or Ilia Mother, Dull
my lard.' chat 1 cannot nieuf lefoie thee, Cut. ji. jy. be (urely pu Doth, Lxnd, 91. 1 t.
l, i-l s, *Tro. Rt>e lieve. a.n..dI SVa.s.i.s.ia..r tr hKa,..t. PPa*■r' camu!t j« ;i AA nlidft %Tnotjceuthh niounihtd hi- father, with IIIILL TIno ' RRaanh ttnheciirr rPaarreemntiss.. Ww hnoo 1lo0 tR\oohmhe,tnh hilii»s iF ather, vo.<r hii>s Mother, and Uitb
Bread, Gw. 47. 12- God Cummaodctl, faying, Hcnonr tliy father and Mosher, and it is no Tmnl'grcflion; the lame is a Companion of a Dcrtroycr, Prov, el
he that curiit/i Father or Mother, let him die the Deaih : But ye Jay, wboJocver (baJJ I' V. To Vrffife aal Dertde tbar Parents Dtffijt not thy Mother when (he
^Hlaova otoo rh niso Fta Itnhse rF aotrh Mer eotrb Me/o.hth iesr ,a hGei ffth,a wlll biaec fforecev,c Mrtahtotuh . m1 isg-h 4te, ft5 b.6e .p Mroofmiteendt b tyh ym Fea,tahoedr itsh aOt lddM1,,f o.Pc.trko e.tv1b. 2 j.t. s1hs.i.s. AFra- t.Fhlo eorl, da.en.f dJfi j‘eIDAthe f yhs.»f Ae Ft.hal tt.hAoe rao'sIb mIen,y .f thIsr i^us Q MOiooan/tJshm, e.Pr .,r o,tvfhv.e 1 P5R. a «v5,Me. nMTs bfoetff EFCy:«^ee
with thy whole Heart, and forget not the furrows of thy Mstbcr. Remember tliat Valley (hall pick it out, and the young Eagles (hall Eat it, Prov. jo. 17.
thoihwan begat of them, and hoiv canft thou recomptnie them the things tlut they th’ ee "[ J’e rui'ailfecmri ]] hhaavvee tthheeyy ffeeee lliigghhtt bbyy FFaatthtieerr aanndd MMoosthheerr,, EEzzetethh.. 2222.. 77.. CCurl-
have done fot thee, Fctiai. ?. 27, a!\ If any Widow have Children or Nephews, let cd is lie that p: ‘c:h h-ln by hn / a-hr. Drat. tty. i'i. Glory not m the Dtjhon-
them learn firrt to (hew piety at home, and H'jaite then Putm,, for tlut to good „„ 0f thv Ivhr . tor thv Father's Dtfbennnr is no Glory to t\c, Fta'.aj, 3, to.
and acceptable before God, j 7tm. y 4, 1 A foolilh’Son /> ,/ift:h Ins Mother, Prov. 15. ao. And Ham the Father ofCa-
IV. Toiler their Paienn lufirachoMt. Hear yc Children the Inllrudion of a Fa-1 naan, faw tlic Nakedncfs ot In- Fax hr, [. A'eVr J and told Ins two Brethren, and
tber, ‘Prcv, i. My Son give me chine Heart, and let thine Eyes obfenc my ways, AW> Lid. Coiled be Canaan, a Svrvant of Servants, Hull lie be to his Bretlircn,
Prov- 2 J. 2f>. Hear thou my Sou, and bt Wile, and guide rlum. Heart in the way. (j,„ ^
Hearken unto thy father tlut begat thee, and defpile not tin Mother wlwnlheisoid, v. Fo be DHooedient to Parent 1, God gave them over 10 a reprobate Mind, dr.
prov. 23. /y, 23 My Son, hear the Imhutlicnof thy Father, and forfake not tlie|------t0 be DtJobedient to Parents, Rom. 1. eS, jo. For Men Cull be------Dtfa-
' y—ir of thy Mo1l.eer, Prov. i. 8. My Son keep thv Father'* Commandmcncs, and Uditnt to Parents in the lall times, a Tim. 3. a. Jt one Man Sin againfl another,
forlike not ilie Lav of thv Mother. Prov. 6. to. Chl-drcn obey your Patents in‘thc judg (hall Judg him: But if a Man S.n aiisuilf tlic Lord, who Hull inrreac
all thiiigs,-£W. ?- 20. CbtUrm obey your Parentt m the Lord, Inrthis is right, teh. far him? Notwitlillanding they ' Hofhm ;ind Vbtaehai \ hcaikncd not unro the
6. i. A certain man t»«l two Sons; and he same to tlic bird, and laid, Son, go Voice of thur Father; becaulc tile Lord would flay them, j Sam. 2. 25. If a
work to day iiTmy Vrnyard, He anlivcrd and la/d,l u ill not: But afterward he j \ial, |uvc a Sinhkorn and Rebellions Son, u lio will not Obey the Voice of bis Fa.
repented and went. And he came to the foxond.and laid Irkew iic. And he aulwered \ther, or die Voice of Ins Mother, and yet when they have Chajftned him, wiU not
andfaul, I go. Sir; :ind wentnot. Whether ot them twain did the will ol hi» fa- J hearken unto them; Then lhall hu Father and tm Mother lay hold on lum, and
t her! They fay unto him die lint, St. Math, at. »S,2), jc. And fej*t, went do\vn| bring him out unto the FJdart of Ins City, and unto the Gate of Ins place; and
with Ins Pt’entr, and came to t\a:areth, and w,i\ ,'inhjtii unto them, St. Lake, a, they (hall lay unto the FJdcrs of Jus City, tins our Son is Stahhotn and RtkcCiom,
Ji. Tho lie [ Cliritk ] were a Son, yet lie learnt 01-dunce by the things which he hle W||| not Ote 1 our Voice: He ha Glntton and a Dr-nkard. And all die Men
luffered, Hrk 8. of the City (liall Stone linn with Stones, that he dvc, 0;«r. at. 18, 19,20.
V. To Snbmit to the Cemtfifl* of their Patent t. W e hat-chad Fathers of our llefh, vi. To Marry wifhout the Parent: Ccnfeat. And Bfi* was 40 Years Old when
who Ccrrelltd US, and we gave them reverence. Her. 1.’. 9. He that refoUth Cor- |,c t0 Wife Judith, ibv Dau^litcr qi Breri the Hnteie, and Baihfbemah the
reaten delpil'crh 1m own Soul, Prov. 1 y. i. But he that licarcth reproot getivth un-l l>3UrlitLT ct lien the Hittite , vt Inch were a Grsef of Mind unto tfaac and to Rt-
de/llanding. 'hKji/,Cen.«'>. 14, *5. Ifa Vrosv a Vow unto the Jjani, and bind hcrlehby
VI. To follow the advice of their Parents in Marrying. And Ifaae caliul juroi, a Bund, being m lisr father's Hoafe m her yontb--------and her father dilallow her
and laid untu him, I hou (hall not take of the D^ugbiers of C ■kmb. .V. lie goto Pa- m the day that he .1. troth; not any of her Vows, or ft her Boods, wherewith (he
ian-Atam, to the lioulc of Brth.el tiiy Mother s FarJw,and take tiiec a Wife from had hound her S j!, ihalllland; and the Lord (lull i -rgive her, bccaufe her father
thence; and ohtyti Ills Far Air ,tnd Ins Mother, Carta. 21 ,1, j, 7. da/a&nndler Nuiiili 30. J, ^
VII. To follow the advice ol'Caard/ant. Ether did the Coninsn.^-oit of M.rdeeat-, Vll. To Dtlh.lp.c't' Cta.erAun,, for they are in tie place, Of Parents.
brought up HatUiiah (t li.it is, f fiber) lus Uncle s Daughter, for (he ha1 neither Tartar I
tior Mother, Effhtr, 2. Reward of Obedience, |1t.J^Is Blood (lull be upPoun nhiijmbn, teLnetv .o sf oD. 9if.cbedient.
HOnonr thy Father and thy Mother nodi in word and deed, ilm a RUffin* may' ^ His Lamp Iiull be pvt our in oblcucc DarkneSs, Prov. 2. 2.
come upon lhce tiointhcm, But.,/. 3. S, My Son >1 then w,!t receive my 3. He Ihalllua-iy be put to Death, Fared. 21. 17. Mat. 15, 4.
woros, and hide my Commandments w ith thee, Tlivr. (If all thoi: nniforfland the tea4r. lie (bait be lln,led that he dye, Deat. 31. 21.
of the Lord, and lind the Imswlcdg of Got!, iVor-, r. j, 9,. ...H..o..n..o..u..r. .t.h..y.. .F..a..t.h...e.r.. ..... 5. '] he Ravens ot the Yalty ill-ft pick out his Eyes, and the young Eaglet Eat
Mother, tbit it ttttt be trell iet;h tht\, and ' <’j"l f' ife tong on th't Fatih, i'pii. <>. them, Ptov. p. 17.
2, 3. Lxo. to. 12. 6. Heiluildie tlic death, St. Matth. >5. 4.
PRAYER or COLLECT.
o Lord CoA ‘. Heavenly Father, ft cm rrbent every good and ferfen tie ft tvSteih, font into my He tit f-th unfeigned Alreflion 10 my Father and Mother, [ or Tntcri and Gaar-
„ dian i i that I tnai ivtr Une, Fear ar.i I Ii'.nouc them, th.it l b'.u SuppO’t, Cherilh S«tC.mr th w mall tUnr Wants-, that I mar nilhngly fWmtt to all their Chaftife-
nts and Con tciiom , that / w, t> dilig-ntiy okfervt all then goad Inlfrccliuns, and theerfnliy ye/fi,. m at l their Law/s/Commands, far his fake, nhon-at Sublet! to his Parents
here on hanh , and Obedient t l-st,'ic Inch art in lier.-in, even Jtjas Cbriji thy ouly hou, our Saviour and Redeemer, Amen,
London, Printed lor Sam. and ffyb.’e at the 3 arf ,-Htad in fleet-fir eel.
ct ikrji. T^JUrOa-
upsn fcs-ersl Sab-
Fig. I. The Duty of Children to Parents [1680}. Reproduced by permission of
the British Library.
Copyright © 1993 by The University ofTennessee Press/Knoxville.
All Rights Reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America.
First Edition.
The paper in this book meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials. © The binding materials have been chosen
for strength and durability.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Demers, Patricia, 1946-
Heaven upon earth : the form of moral and religious children’s
literature, to 1850 / Patricia Demers. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-87049-786-3 (cloth: alk. paper)
1. Children’s literature, English—History and criticism.
2. Religious literature, English—History and criticism.
3. Didactic literature, English—History and criticism.
4. Children—Great Britain—Books and reading—History. 5. Ethics
in literature. 6. Literary form. I. Title.
PR990.D46 1993 ■
8 20.9'9282—dc20 92-30408
CIP
------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
* !• -
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
1. Humble Instruments or Blights and Blasts? i
2. Heaven upon Earth 8
3. Generations for the Lord 29
4. The Catechism: “Whatsoever a Christian
Ought to Know” 52
5. The Alphabet: Moral Primer 76
6. Poetry: “The Tutor of the Soul” 93
7. Emblems and Allegories: Silent Parables
and Speaking Pictures 113
8. Stories and Novels: Precept via Example 128
9. Drama: Biblical Vignettes and Moral Interludes 142
10. The Fading of Heavenly Splendor? 152
Works Cited 157
Index 175

*
Table
Laurence Vaux Departs from His Tridentine Source,
Peter Canisius 72
Figures
1. Broadsheet, The Duty of Children to Parents, {1680} ii
2. From Frances Trollope, Life and Adventures
of Michael Armstrong, 1840 49
3. From Cardinal Bellarmine, A Briefe Christian Doctrine
to be learned by heart, 1614 55
4. From Rowland Hill, Instructions for Children, 179° 56
5. Woodcuts from B. Keach, The Child’s Delight, [1702} 65
6. Frontispiece from Mrs. Dalby, Dutch Tiles, 1842 67
From [Mrs. Cameron,} The Sunday-School Teachers, [1825} 68
From Tobias Ellis, The English School, 1680 8i
FromJ. Hart, A Methode or comfortable beginning for all
unlearned whereby they may bee taught to read English, 157° 84
From A Curious Hieroglyphic Bible, 1785 85
“The Definition Alphabet,” from “How to Teach
the Alphabet in Six Hours,” 1842 89
From The Child’s Delight, [c. 1790] 90
From The Good Child’s Reward, c. 1815 9i
From Nathaniel Crouch, Delights for the Ingenious, 1684 103
From George Burder, Early Piety, 1777 119
From George Burder, Early Piety, 1777 121
From [Lady Eleanor Fenn}, Cobwebs to Catch Flies,
vol. 1 [1783] 133
A cknowledgments
FOR their helpfulness, patience, and generosity, I wish to thank the staffs
of the Bruce Peel Special Collections and the Inter-Library Loan Office at
the University of Alberta. For allowing me access to their wonderful
treasure troves and for all their sleuthing, I am grateful to the librarians
at the Osborne Collection and the British Library, and to Clive Hurst of
the Opie Collection at the Bodleian. A travel grant from the Faculty of
Arts helped to start this project, and a grant from the Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council of Canada kept it going.

C HA P TE R ONE
* *
Humble Instruments or
Blights and Blasts?
Except a walk, devoted the day to writing—find amusement as well as profit in
the employment and hope to be a humble instrument in conveying instruction to
others.
Priscilla Wakefield, journal entry, 1799
Mrs. Bfarbauld]’s and Mrs. Trimmer’s nonsense lfies] in piles about. . .. Is
there no possibility of averting this sore evil? . . . Damn them!— I mean the
cursed Barbauld crew, those Blights and Blasts of all that is human in man and
child.
Charles Lamb, letter, 1802
*
DEFINING the intricate and once incontestable linkage of religion and
morality was the least problematic task for most early writers of chil­
dren’s literature. They were actually keen to explain this basic relation­
ship. Schoolmaster John Entick’s Spelling Dictionary (1764), which went
through several editions of twenty thousand copies each in his lifetime
(1703c?]—73) and was repeatedly reprinted until 1836, glossed morality
as “the doctrine of the duties of life” (247) and religion as “a system of
faith and worship” (310), assuming the connections between the two to
be obvious. Although Sarah Trimmer, promoter of Sunday Schools and
self-appointed monitor of writing for the young, perorated in her Reflec­
tions Upon the Education of Children in Charity Schools (1792) with a state­
ment ostensibly differentiating her two main concerns, she distinguished
religion from morality by showing their inextricable interrelation. “Re­
ligion . . . is a studious conformity of our actions, our wills, and our
1