1782

1782
 * //The London Gazette//**

//The London Gazette// began in 1665 as a bi-weekly publication under the name of //The Oxford Gazette//. During this time, King Charles II had fled London and relocated to Oxford to avoid the Great Plague, which quickly spread through London. During this time of overwhelming sickness and death, courtiers were so afraid of falling ill that they were unwilling to touch London newspapers in fear of contagion. Upon the King’s return to London, the Oxford Gazette was renamed //The London Gazette//. At the time, it was the only published newspaper, for all others were suppressed. Some consider //The London Gazette// to be the first English newspaper. It originally was published as a sole sheet of paper with print on both sides and was distributed as one would consider a newspaper to be distributed. Further, this publication is considered to be the oldest surviving and continuously published newspapers in the United Kingdom. Today, //The London Gazette// is published every weekday and is one of the three publications that comprise the UK’s official public record, along with //The Belfast Gazette// and //The Edinburgh Gazette//.

//The London Gazette// was the first European newspaper to announce the proclamation of American Independence in its issue on August 6, 1776. In the coming years, the publication would closely follow the story of the Revolutionary War, until its end in the fall of 1783. In reading //The London Gazette// in the winter and spring of 1782, it seemed as though not an issue went by without an update on the battles across the pond. The war coverage included vivid descriptions of battles that had taken place, often in the form of a letter from someone on the colony’s soil. These letters would name and praise the Lieutenants, Commanders, Generals, and Captains that proved exceptional valor in leadership or combat, as well as list the names of those killed and wounded in fighting the Rebels. Further, the political agenda of the country was highlighted and the news was presented with a clear and understandable bias in support of the goals of England.

Even though the coverage of the Revolutionary War was extensive in the paper, it was not its sole focus. //The London Gazette// also details matters of the state and monarchy. For example, Issue 12266 published on January 29, 1782 detailed the King’s appointments of Sheriffs for the year, taking over almost a full page of the publication. Issue 12297 published in mid May 1782 appears to have included letters to the King from political leaders of different regions of the country, pledging their loyalty and devotion to “His Majesty”. Issues also included the average prices of corn in each county as well as the corn-exchange in London, along with other information about the economy. Details of bankruptcy filings were also published formally in the newspaper. Information about the congregating of social groups and societies were listed, along with occasional stories about the happenings of society’s elite. Obituaries of notable persons were published as well. Ultimately, //The London Gazette// seemed to cover it all—painting a picture of life in England in the year 1782. Even over two hundred years later, one can review the issues of //The London Gazette// and gain an understanding of what was important and newsworthy to the people.

One aspect of life that did not have a strong presence in the London Gazette was the theater. //The London Gazette// noted plays that were performed for the King specifically, but did not follow the general theater news. //The London Stage//, however, provides a detailed chronology of the plays performed in London over hundreds of years. In its summary provided of the theater season of 1781-1782, //The London Stage// states that “this season proceeded to its close in a routine fashion” (451). The summary also references the rivalry that went on between theater companies, specifically Drury Lane and Covent Garden. Drury Lane reports 188 nights of plays; Covent Garden, 185; Haymarket, 103. In aggregate, the number of productions in the city seems staggering—over four hundred performances graced the stages of London between the three companies in a single season. As one reads the lists of all of the plays performed in the 1781-1782 season, he finds that many of the productions are of plays written centuries before the present time. A fair number of Shakespearean plays such as //Romeo and Juliet//, //As You Like It//, and //Macbeth// were produced almost two hundred years after they were written. Further, comedies of manners like //The Conscious Lovers// and //The Beggar’s Opera// were also performed—the popularity of these plays resulted in their continued production, almost a century after their original debut.
 * //The London Stage//**


 * //The Belle's Stratagem//**

The Covent Garden performs Hannah Cowley’s //The Belle’s Stratagem// seven times over the course of the 1781-1782 theater season. Though the play truly debuted at Drury Lane the previous season, its success resulted in various adaptations on the stage for years to come. Many successful Restoration plays tend to be comedies of manners—this style of playwriting peaked during this time of political and social chaos in England between 1660 and 1710. Yet this genre proves so popular that it transcends any one particular time period or era, as supported by Hannah Cowley’s creation of //The Belle’s Stratagem//, which mirrors Restoration comedy, about a century after Restoration comedy took the forefront.

In //The Belle’s Stratagem// Doricourt and Lettitia, childhood friends, find themselves arranged to be married by their parents after years of not seeing each other. Lettitia is enamored with Doricourt upon seeing him again; he finds her beautiful and modest, yet she does not compare to the Italian and French women that he has had relations with during his time out of London. Lettitia realizes that Doricourt is not very interested her, so she creates a plan to win over his heart. Her plan is to irritate Doricourt at their next encounter, so that he becomes even more displeased that the two will be wed. Then, at the upcoming masquerade ball, Lettitia will seduce Doricourt with her charms while her mask hides her identity. She believes that doing this will make Doricourt excited when he later finds out her true identity and realizes that Lettitia is the kind of woman that he could fall in love with. Lettitia acts out her plan, yet faces some obstacles by the end of her scheme. One of Doricourt’s companions suggests that his mystery woman is a mistress of many men in the town, which enrages Doricourt. Lettitia’s father reveals that the mystery woman is in fact his daughter, and Doricourt believes this is impossible. The following day, Doricourt pretends to be going mad in order to put off his wedding to Lettitia—meanwhile, Lettitia’s father pretends to be on his death bed and demands that he see his daughter wed before he passes. Doricourt agrees to marry Lettitia, and ultimately finds out that she is the mystery woman that he loves after all. Doricourt is excited for their life together and praises the virtue of modesty of English women.

Meanwhile, a second plot develops in the play. This subsidiary plot includes Sir George Touchwood and Lady Frances. Sir Touchwood has elected to marry a young country wife, and finds himself overcome with paranoia and jealousy in his relationship. Other male characters in the play attempt to pursue Lady Frances and choose the masquerade ball as the setting of their scheme. One suitor Courtall plans to dress in a matching costume as Sir George; Villers combats this scheme by having Kitty dress in the same costume as Lady Frances in order to distract Courtall. Ultimately, Courtall falls for the trick and is disappointed to find that he ends up with Kitty and not Lady Frances.

Many aspects of //The Belle’s Stratagem// are reminiscent of other comedies of manners—it features schemes, subplots, disguises, city vs. country life, cuckolding, the character of the rake, deception, love, and humor. Overall, the play is lighthearted and not too serious. Both an audience in 1782 and an audience today would find this work entertaining!


 * Closing Comments**

//The London Gazette// in conjunction with //The London Stage// and //The Belle’s Stratagem// offers a better understanding of life in London in 1782. While //The London Gazette// offers historical context, //The London Stage// explains the institution of the theater in the eighteenth century and what the people found entertaining. On the surface, //The Belle’s Stratagem// does not seem to tie into the historical context of the time period—the play is not riddled with war or battles, nor does it comment on the struggles the majority of society faces on a daily basis. It does, however, provide social commentary about men, women, and their relationships. The power struggle between the sexes is illuminated, and honesty in relationships is celebrated. Perhaps the comedic way of presenting this story provides a distraction for the audience, allowing them to escape from their thoughts about the Revolutionary War.

Work Cited.

Avery, Emmett L. //The London Stage: A Critical Introduction//. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1968. Print.

Baker, Henry B. //The London Stage: Its History and Traditions from 1576 to 1888//. London: W.H. Allen & Co, 1889. Print.

//The London Stage, 1660-1800: A Calendar of Plays, Entertainments & Afterpieces, Together with Casts, Box-Receipts and Contemporary Comment//. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1960. Print.

Winter, William. Preface to "Two Old Comedies: The Belle's Stratagem and The Wonder. Reduced and Re-arranged by Augustin Daly." pp. 11-14. Privately printed from the prompt books at Daly's Theatre, 1893.