1709+-+Gaviola

=**BACKGROUND**=

//Post Boy// was the creation of Abel Roper, an English journalist who wrote in favor ofTory interests.In 1695, //Post Boy// began under the publisher name A. Roper, and later Abel Boyer took over as editor. //Post Boy// circulated on a tri-weekly schedule to feed the public’s appetite for news and comment. //Post Boy// was the print news rival of Whig //Flying Post//, by George Ridpath. //Post Boy// resided within the realm of Restoration Newspapers. Following King Charles II’s restoration to his throne in 1660, press censorship via King’s authority was reinstated; The Printing Act of 1662 specified that every work must be licensed before it could be printed. Compared to the //London Gazette,// the official government-endorsed newspaper that “automatically carried weight and was respected as an important source of information” (Studer 2008:65), //Post Boy// was considered one of the three high-performance newspapers, indicating its high success in public use for news acquisition.

Throughout the //Post Boy’s// circulation, a major topic of discussion was the War of the Spanish Succession. Reigning between 1701 and 1714, this major European conflict of the early 18th century was triggered by the death of the heirless and last Spanish Hapsburg King, Charles II, in 1700. In response to his death, being that he ruled a vast global empire, succession was a major point of contention between Europe’s major powers. Upon his deathbed, Charles II fixed his entire inheritance on Philip, Duke of Anjou, second-eldest grandson to French King Louis XIV, and this familial connection resulted in a threat of power imbalance for Europe. The prominent claimants of this war were the following: England, the Dutch Republic, and France.

In 1709, the War of the Spanish Succession was in its midway, and much of the news within //Post Boy// at this time concerned itself with daily updates on the progression of the war, complete with intercepted letters from enemy French. In the July 2, 1709, installment of //Post Boy,// the issue opened with “The Commission of Idiotism,” a section that provided critique on French progress and strategy, and it commented on the inferiority of the nation’s army within the war, clearly indicating the English view on their enemy. Excerpts from the //French// //Mercure-Galant// were positioned within the newspaper to provide readers with the perspective of the war from the opposition’s viewpoint, furthering the availability of material to criticize for entertainment.

Alongside war updates, //Post Boy// posted advertisements: green tea, necklaces, and inns were regular commodities; “the most excellent spirit of ground-ivy, distilled” was also advertised.

=**WAR OF SPANISH SUCCESSION**=

After the death of Spanish Habsburg King Charles II on November 1, 1700, Louis XIV's second grandson Philip Duc d'Anjou was appointed as this heirless king’s successor, in accordance to his will. Despite protests regarding this change of power, the transition of reign proceeded smoothly at first. In September 1701 the Grand Alliance of Hague was formed between the United Provinces, England, and Emperor Leopold I. Upon Emperor Leopold I’s declaration of war, the War of Spanish Succession officially began.

The Grand Alliance (Dutch, English, Austrian Hapsburg armies) and the Two Crowns (Spanish and French armies) were evenly matched in soldier count. The brute force and historical army victories of the French made them a formidable opponent, and within //Post Boy,// a day to day rundown of battle statistics helped to quell and stir anxieties about the outcome of the war during 1709.

In 1708, the Grand Alliance acquired a victory in Oudenaarde, as well as in the siege of Lille. In 1709, the French gained a victory at Malplaquet, and the war began to settle down in the French lines of defense. The advent of cease-fire arrived when England selfishly desserted the Grand Alliance and individually made a peace treaty with the opposition that was very profitable for England. From 1706 peace and the grounds for a peace treaty were heavy points of contention. Although Louis XIV scored a final victory at the negotiation table when peace was made in Utrecht in 1713, the settlement overall and the situation of the war 1708 aligned with the objectives of the Grand Alliance originally. However, as stated, England reaped the biggest benefit.

=**SUMMARY OF THE THEATER SEASON OF 1709**=

Between January 1709 and August 1709, the theater was dominated by Drury Lane’s monopoly on plays and Queen’s exclusive production of operas. In Season 1709-1710, however, Queen’s began to produce a competitive assortment of dramas, battling Drury Lane, the theater behemoth of the time. //Post Boy// did not concern itself with theater coverage, as the War of Spanish Succession was the primary concern.

A variety of plays were enjoyed within the 1709 season, from Drury Lane’s //The Man of Mode// to the revival of Shakespeare’s //Macbeth//. Popular plays, like //The Country Wife// and //The Rover,// were produced by behemoth Drury Lane as well. Ben Johnson, Shakespeare’s contemporary and peer, had his play //Volpone (1606)// performed in February 1709//.// Queen’s Opera provided entertainment alongside plays. //Pyrrhus and Demetrius// was a recurring production, as well as Camilla. July and August of 1709 was a strictly musical concert season, where neither operas nor plays were performed in the theater. Greenwich surfaced as a competitor in the 1709-1710 theater season, and thus, Queen’s, Drury Lane, and Greenwich provided magical performances to satiate the people’s itch for visual entertainment.

=**SUMMARY OF //VOLPONE:// or //THE FOX//**=

//Volpone// was written at the end of this extremely trying period for Ben Johnson during the early months of 1606. As one of Johnson’s biggest hits in the theater, he gained gradual fame and merit as a renown playwright and reputable literary figure. Johnson idealized the countryside and saw much of the city life to be grasping, brutish, and nasty; Johnson’s plays and art were social commentary, acting as moral corrective to the public he disliked. Scholars have analyzed //Volpone//, and there is a consensus that Volpone the character symbolizes Johnson’s essence: rambunctious with a reckless side that had endangered his marriage, his merit, and his reputation. //Volpone// is crafted with quick-witted dialogue and complexities within characters and conditions, and in this manner. The relatability of characters within //Volpone// marks it as a comedy of sentiments, and a prevalent conflict of the play is between Christian morality and avarice. Ben Jonson's //Volpone// is a play about avarice and the consequences for succumbing to it. Volpone, by virtue of name etymology, literally means “fox;” like many plays such as Gay’s //The Beggar’s Opera// and Sheridan’s //The School for Scandal//, the names of characters provide insight into their nature, personifying attributes of the human condition to comment on and satirize the norms and routines of daily life.

Volpone wealthy and childless, is a con artist who attracts legacy hunters by pretending to be terminally ill/dying. Volpone's "clients”, including Corvino, Corbaccio, Voltore, and Lady Would-be, routinely bring him gifts during their visits, hoping that Volpone will be so gracious to include them as benefactors in his written will. Within the opening of the play,Volpone delivers a soliloquy to worship his gold, while his “parasitic servant” Mosca (referenced as his “Parasite” within the play) darts and paces about. Volpone is given intervals of flattery from Mosca as well, further indicating Volpone’s greed for wealth and attention. Volpone is treated like a king, and those around him tread lightly to avoid foul humor. Voltore informs Volpone that he will be the sole heir, brining with him an antique offering. Voltore believes he this action will make Volpone dictate him to be his sole heir. Corbaccio and Corvino enter in succession, bringinga bag of gold coins and a pearl, respectively. In doing so, Corbaccio and Corvino believe they will be the heir to Volpone’s fortunes. Lady Would-be also comes to pay a visit, but is turned away. When Mosca tells Volpone about Celia, Corvino’s wife, Volpone becomes determined to meet her with his own eyes. The two disguise themselves and head to their house.

Act Two begins at the public square outside of Corvino’s house. Sir Politic Would-be and Peregrine discuss rumors involving animals, and Sir Politic Would-be remarks that this is an omen. Volpone, dressed like a charlatan, steps up on a stage set up by Mosca and Nano, and he offers a sales pitch for an elixir. When he asks for a handkerchief from the audience, Celia throws hers down to him; Corvino sees this and angrily disperses the crowd, upset that his wife had shown intrigue in a charlatan. Volpone is now swooning over Celia—he instructs Mosca to do whatever it takes and use his fortune in any way that would make Celia reciprocate his feelings. At his house, Corvino reprimands his wife, and if Mosca had not interrupted by knocking at the door, Corvino may have physically abused Celia with his sword. Mosca performs what Volpone had asked of him: Mosca makes up a lie—saying that Volpone is in need of a female companion in this time in his sickness. Despite Corvino’s anger and because he does not know the identity of the charalnt in the public square, he allows Celia to be the female comfort for Volpone, telling her to make a feast for him.

Mosca is seen delivering a soliloquy at the start of Act Three. Because he regularly viewed as Volpone’s parasite, he speaks about the superiority of natural-born parasites compared to learned parasites. Bonario enters and ridicules Mosca for his speech, which causes Mosca to cry. In spite, Mosca then tells Bonario of Corbaccio plans to disinherit him. Mosca suggests for Bonario to hear this news for himself. The scene switches to Volpone’s house, where Nano, Castrone, and Androgyno are, once again, playing buffoons for Volpone, entertaining him. Lady Would-be arrives, interrupting the show and refusing to be turned away a second time. In an effort to save Volpone from the chatterbox’s presence, Mosca tells Lady Would-be that he had seen Sir Politic Would-be on a gondola enjoying another woman; Lady Would be is dispatched successfully. Mosca hides Bonario so that Bonario can overhear the conversation regarding his disinheritance from Corbaccio. Upon late arrival, Celia and her husband force Mosca to move Bonario’s hiding spot to the gallery. Celia, eventually, is forced to be alone with Volpone. In privacy with Celia, Volpone confesses that he is not actually ailing. Volpone offers her his fortune, but she vehemently rejects him and his wealth. Just as he begins to force himself on her, Bonario leaps out of hiding, rescues Celia, and prevents the situation from escalating further as he and Celia exit via a window Mosca was hurt by Bonario, yet he quickly attends to Volpone, further justifying his “parasitic servant” label. Corbaccio and Voltore go after Bonario.

Sir Politic Would-be and Peregrine discuss a gentleman’s ways at the start of Act Four. Sir Politic Would-be details his many schemes on getting rich quickly, including a plan to sell the Venetian state to the Turks. Lady Would-be enters the scene, and with the false lie of Mosca driving her, she accuses Peregrine of being the woman from the gondola, secuding her husband. Mosca enters to make matters worse: somehow, he convinces Lady Would-be that the seducer in question is Celia, Corvino’s wife. Lady Would-be apologizes to Peregrine, but Peregrine, red with humiliation, vows to take revenge on Sir Politic Would-be for his wife’s humiliating accusation. At the Scrutineo, Voltore, Corbaccio, Corvino, and Mosca discuss the series of events to this point, including Bonario’s rescue of Celia. Though the group originally sides with Bonario and Celia, the Avocatori eventually align themselves with Voltore, who argues that Bonario had sexual relations with Celia (adultery) and attempted to kill his father. Lady Would-be testifies against Celia with the (mis)information she received from the devious Mosca: she accuses Celia for seducing Sir Politic Would-be. Without witnesses to defend themselves, Bonario and Celia lose the case against them despite the inherent falsity of the accusation.

Volpone's soliloquy at the beginning of Act Five foreshadows his punishment at the end of Act Five: Volpone complains that he is now feeling that pains he was feigning for attention and wealth. He downs a glass of wine to "shake it off" (5.1.8), and Mosca enters to celebrate their unsurpassable masterpiece. Mosca persuades Volpone to begin cozening his "clients.” Volpone writes a fake will: Mosca is to be his sole heir; Mosca begins to spread the word of Volpone’s death. When the "clients" enter and discover the ruse of everything, Mosca rebukes them individually while Volpone looks on from behind a curtain, safe and protected from the anger. Volpone and Mosca decide to disguise themselves and continue tormenting the "clients" in the public streets. Peregrine keeps his word to get revenge for his humiliation by playing a practical joke on Sir Politic Would-be. Disguised as a messenger, Peregrine tells Sir Politic Would be that he has been found out in his plan to sell the Venetian state to the Turks; Sir Politic Would be is struck with immense panic: he instructs his servants to burn records of his plots, and he takes refuge under a large tortoise shell as three merchants, disguised as statesman, enter his home. One of the disguised merchants finds Sir Politic Would-be hiding under the tortoise shell, Peregrine reveals that he had played a joke on the man as a consequence of his wife’s actions. Sir Politic Would-be leaves Venice forever since his reputation has been destroyed.

In the street, Volpone, disguised as an officer (commendatore) within the Italian honorary order of chivalry, torments Corbaccio, Corvino, and Voltore by pretending that he has heard news that they inherited a fortune. Voltore cannot handle the pressure, and he goes to the Scrutineo to confess his perjury in the previous court. He gives his notes to the Avocatori, but Volpone, still disguised as a commendatore, tells him that Volpone is actually alive, Voltore retractshis confession. Voltore lies, saying that he was possessed into the confession. While debating over whether to turn himself in, Volpone discovers that Mosca has locked him out of his own house. After being summoned by the Avocatori, Mosca arrives at the Scrutineo and confirms that Volpone is, in fact, dead. Volpone, however, implores Mosca to reveal the truth, but Mosca demands half of his fortune in order to do so. Volpone vehemently rejects this agreement, and officers of the court then seize Volpone. Before being taken away, Volpone reveals his identity to the public; he takes Mosca down with him, and the two are seized for their con actions, hypocrisy, and deceit. The Avocatori then hand down punishments to Volpone, Mosca, and the rest of the "clients" for the events that transpired. Similar to the epilogue of Shakespeare’s //The Tempest,// Volpone breaks the Fourth Wall: he addresses the audience directly, requesting applause. In this fashion, Volpone continues to be the sly fox to the very end, revealing that his true con masterpiece was that involving the audience being forced into commending him for a performance well done. =**CONCLUSION**=

The //Post Boy’s// goal was to be a highly popular medium of news broadcasting for the public, concerning itself mainly with account of events abroad during. It ran many articles and advertisements that appealed to the local residents, including posts for green teas, inns, and luxurious commodities. Theater coverage was absent within //Post Boy.//

However, instead of focusing on frivolous entertainment, //Post Boy// provided quality daily updates on the War of Spanish Succession, complete with stories of battles abroad and with excerpts from French news //French// //Mercure-Galant.// English society’s satirized and ridiculed the actions of their enemy French throughout the newspaper, justifying the superiority of the Grand Alliance, and England, specifically, in wartime. With //Volpone//’s message against the dangers of avarice, perhaps Johnson was warning against England’s fascination in lavish extravagance. In England’s selfish treaty that ended the War of Spanish Succession, //Volpone//’s moral message permeating throughout the early and mid-18th century may be seen as a reminder to stray from defamation of character, deceit, and hypocrisy.


 * Works Cited**

Jonson, Ben. //Volpone: or, the fox. A comedy. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal, by Her Majesty's servants. Written by Ben. Johnson//. London, 1709. //Eighteenth Century Collections Online//. Gale. University of Maryland College Park. 1 July 2016.

//Post Boy.// June 1709 – September 1709. //17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers//. Gale. Web. 15 June 2016 – 25 June 2016.

“London, July 9.” //Post Boy//. 7-9 July 1709: 2208. //17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers.// Gale. University of Maryland College Park. Web. 15 June 2016.

“War of Spanish Succession.” //Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 20 June 2016. Web. 20 June 2016.

“The London Stage”. //The London Stage, 1660-1800, Part 2, 1700-1729: ‪A Calendar of Plays, Entertainment and Afterpieces Together with Casts, Box-Receipts and Contemporary Comment.// Ed. Emmett L. Avery. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois UP, MCMLX. Print.