1734

Bee revived; or The Universal Weekly Pamphlet
//Bee revived; or The Universal Weekly Pamphlet// touted “Something to hit Every Person’s Taste and Principles, and laying before the reader, at one View, (for an Expense which does not amount to a Penny a Day) a Weekly State of Wit, Learning, Politicks, News, and Business.” It ran from February 1733 to May 1735, and most months produced 4 issues, sometimes 5, resulting in 118 issues total. The pamphlet was published by “A Society of Gentlemen.” It contained 11 usual sections, and some contents specific to each issue, such as poetry and individual death notices. Every issue included an "Extract from the Craftsman," "Extract from the Fog’s-Journal," "Extract from the Daily-Courant," "Extract from the London-Journal," "An exact List of all such Vessels as we are informed came into, and sailed from, any of our Home-Ports," "Foreign Affairs," "Domestick Occurrences," "The Bill of Mortality," "The State of Literature," and "The State of Literature in Foreign Parts." The pamphlet reads much like a copy of //People,// full of celebrity gossip, local interest news, as well as some international highlights.

Current Events
=Theater of the Day=

Of the eleven theaters, the most popular were Drury Lane Theater, Covent Garden Theater, New Haymarket Theater, and Goodman’s Fields. There were also limited appearances in Lincoln's Inn Fields, Temple Bar, Inner Temple, York Buildings, Mercer's Hall, and towards the end of the year, Pall Mall. Multiple plays were produced at the King’s Theater for royals such as “Their Majesties, Prince of Wales, and three eldest Princesses.”

The most commonly produced plays included //Ariadne, The Mother-in-Law,// and //The Island Princess.//

The production schedule included at least 68 different plays, several of which we read in our coursework, such as // The Plain Dealer, The Country Wife, The Way of the World, The Beggar’s Opera //, and // The Rover //.

Theaters performed older dramas that are still popular today as examples of British literature and drama, including Ben Johnson’s // The Alchemyst // and Aphra Behn’s // Oroonoko //.

Many of Shakespeare’s works were performed as well. At the start of the year, // Hamlet, Othello, Richard III, Macbeth, // and // King Lear // were put on, and by the end of the year // The Tempest // and // Julius Caesar // were performed. // Julius Caesar // in particular was hugely popular, given the number of productions in October, November, and December.

Dozens of plays centered around marriages and spouses. Interestingly, it can be inferred by their titles that at the start of the year those plays, and especially the popular ones, presented unhappy marriages or derogatory representation of the spouses. For example, popular titles included: // Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, The Distrest Wife, The Provok’d Husband, The Fatal Marriage; or The Innocent Adultery, The Careless Husband, The Silent Woman, A Woman’s Revenge, // and // The Lady’s Revenge; or The Rover Reclaim’d //. By the end of the year, however, the plays concerning marriage took on a much lighter tone with plays such as // The Fond Husband, Love Makes a Man, The Tender Husband, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Constant Couple, // and // A Bold Stroke for a Wife //.

There were also plays of political influence, such as // The Humorous Election, The Recruiting Officer, Duke and No Duke, The Confederacy, // and // The Rival Queens //.

Throughout the year there were several plays performed frequently that focused on or concerned Spanish culture, including // Don Carlos Prince of Spain, Pastor Fido, // and // The Spanish Fryar //. Towards the end of the year there was an influx of French plays produced, including: // Le Medecin Malgre Luy; or The Mock Doctor, Le Joueur; or The Gamester, L’Embarras des Richesses, Le Jeu D’Amour et du Hazard; ou, Arlequin Maitre et Valet, Le Tartuffe, La Foire de St. Germain, Arlequin Misantrope, Le DivorceLa Fille Capitaine, L’Avare, // and // Harlequin Sauvage //.

// Don Quixote in England //, April 4, 1734 by Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding Portrait

Performed in New Haymarket Theatre, //Don Quixote in England// is a comedy that represents a certain fascination with the story of Don Quixote in British theater and culture. The tale was produced throughout the year in its original form as well as in several adaptations including this play and //The Comical History of Don Quixote// (1733). This particular production was "At the particular Desire of several ladies of Quality" (Scouten).

The play opens at an inn or, according to Don Quixote, the “castle” where the innkeeper Guzzle pursues payment from Don Quixote and Sancho, which they fail to pay. Don Quixote has many delusions, and one of them is that they have money from the defeat of and plundering of giants. He also sees giants where there are none and an enchanter where a man is walking his dogs. Don Quixote maintains that since there is no money, Sancho must have taken it and he orders his squire to present himself to the court of Dulcinea del Toboso. Don Quixote then hears a woman named Dorothea singing and, thinking she is a captive princess, tries to save her but only ends up damaging the inn. The incident proceeds with a mob laughing at Don Quixote’s madness.
 * Act I **

We now see Dorothea in her room speaking to her maid, lamenting her lover’s tardiness in seeing her. Sancho enters her room at Don Quixote’s behest to see if the captive princess is alright, and she presents herself as Princess Indoccalambria. She seeks Don Quixote and Sancho encourages her, asking that she distract him from his lady Dulcinea in Spain because she does not exist and Sancho does not want to leave England’s food and beer behind. Dorothea dresses up her maid as Dulcinea and tells Sancho to alert Don Quixote of her presence.

In the meantime, the Mayor of the town picks Don Quixote as a candidate for the town’s parliament to keep the town from being sold to a corporation, maintaining that his madness is not a problem, especially because although he has no money he supposedly has a large estate. The Mayor then joins Guzzle, who lives up to his name, and they drink a bottle of wine to celebrate the upcoming election.

Sancho begs Don Quixote to make him a landlord and therefore a member of a thriving English trade, saying that he is a plain man who does not seek virtue and honor as Don Quixote does and that he would rather give it up than be thought a mad man. His master replies with a rebuke that could also be a piece of social commentary on England (along the vein of honesty in madness): “I am not concern'd at the evil Opinion of Men. Indeed, if we consider who are their Favourites, we shall have no reason to be so fond of their Applause. Virtue, //Sancho,// is too bright for their Eyes, and they dare not behold her. Hypocrisy is the Deity they worship. Is not the Lawyer often call'd an honest Man, when for a sneaking Fee he pleads the Villain's Cause, or attempts to extort Evidence to the Conviction of the Innocent?” (2.1)
 * Act II **

Guzzle facilitates a meeting between the Don and the Mayor. The Mayor asks him to enter the election for the town’s honor, and presents Sir Thomas Loveland, Dorothea’s father, as his opponent. Don Quixote thinks that he will be dueling a knight and goes on a tirade about his opponent’s debauchery. The Mayor corrects him, saying that Loveland is a good man and that victory in the election will come down to who spends more money. Don Quixote becomes enraged that the Mayor lied to him and tells him to leave, threatening to take his life in the name of Dulcinea. Squire Badger and his huntsman Scut come to the inn and ask for company, a demand Guzzle says he cannot meet because his current guests are only a lady and a madman. Squire is amused and wants to see Don Quixote. They meet and Squire Badger confides that he has discovered a princess in the castle. Squire Badger then has Scut sing a song, and Dorothea enters upon hearing it. She and Don Quixote are introduced. Squire Badger then calls her the finest woman in the world, to which Don Quixote takes offense on behalf of Dulcinea, and a contest results. Sancho prevents this by coming to get his master. Dorothea’s lover Fairlove arrives and asks Squire Badger about his argument with Don Quixote. Don Quixote has another episode of madness at the gate, which is resolved by Guzzle.

A coach is allowed to enter and Don Quixote greets a physician named Drench, a lawyer named Brief, and other members of the party (such as Sneak) as high lords and speaks of Dulcinea. They see that he is mad and discuss curing him. Sancho reveals that he would leave his master were it not for the reward of an island Don Quixote had promised him.

Fairlove, Dorothea, Mrs. Guzzle, Sancho, and Jezebel admire a dress that “Dulcinea” will be wearing, and they anticipate Don Quixote’s meeting her. Sir Loveland then comes to speak to Squire Badger because Loveland would like him to marry Dorothea. It’s implied that Squire Badger has a generous estate. They drink. Sancho tells Don Quixote a false description of the train of coaches that arrived baring his Dulcinea. She approaches and Don Quixote falls to his knees, praising her, and Jezebel convincingly plays Dulcinea, at which moment Dorothea runs out crying for protection from a giant. Sancho slinks away to avoid the conflict, and Sir Loveland comes out. Thinking he is the giant, Don Quixote attacks, but Dorothea persuades him to leave her father alone. Sancho is gourging himself in the pantry, and says that he would leave even the food if he could just get away from England. Mrs. Guzzle bemoans the damage Don Quixote is doing to her husband’s business.
 * Act III **

A drunk Squire Badger appears, insulting Sir Thomas and trying to kiss Dorothea. Don Quixote protects her and beseeches Sir Thomas not to make his daughter marry him. Dorothea admits that she could never love Squire Badger despite his wealth. Sir Badger leaves and Sir Thomas endorses Fairlove and Dorothea’s union. Drench, Sneak, and Brief cause a scene, and Sancho is brought out by the angry cook. Sir Thomas mildly defends Sancho, and Fairlove offers to pay for the cost of the damage he and Don Quixote have caused to the inn. Sir Thomas invites Don Quixote to his daughter’s wedding, despite Drench’s objections to having a madman in Loveland’s home. Don Quixote calls Drench and his cohorts as mad as he is for extorting the innocent. The play ends on a song calling all of mankind, including poets, lawyers, and women, mad.

"Don Quixote and Sancho" by Alexandre Gabriel Decamps

=Conclusion=


 * Works Cited **

"Cover." //Bee revived : or, The universal weekly pamphlet// 5.62 (1734): 395]. //ProQuest.// Web. 21 Aug. 2013.

“DOMESTICK OCCURRENCES.” (1734). //Bee Revived : Or, the Universal Weekly Pamphlet//, 6(71), 243-245.Retrieved from []

// Don Quixote and Sancho //. Digital Image. ArtClon. []

Leal, José Luis. //Henry Fielding Portrait//. Digital image. //Departamento De Filología Inglesa Y Nortemaricana//. Un iversity of Sevilla, n.d. Web. 19 Aug. 2013. .

Scouten, Arthur H., ed. //The London Stage 1600-1800 Part 3: 1729-1747//. First ed. Vol. 1. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 1965. p355-446. Print.