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Il furfante inglese
When it first appeared, The English Rogue was declared a forbidden book on account of its gross indecency. Copies were printed secretly and sold furtively at alehouses until 1665 when it was properly licensed. When requested, the author, Richard Head, declined to produce a second volume as it was his belief that the text had been interpreted as autobiographical and his reputation had suffered as a consequence. Francis Kirkman, who had acquired the rights to the work, set about the endeavour himself and wrote the remaining volumes, publishing them in 1671.
This is a reprint of the 1928 reissue containing Head's original book and two of Kirkman's added volumes.
This is a reprint of the 1928 reissue containing Head's original book and two of Kirkman's added volumes.
458 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1961
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June 10, 2017
Picaresque misdemeanours of a 17th century rogue, written by a Dick Head.
Richard Head to be precise, a poet and bookseller who imitated famous continental novels about rogues such as The Life and Adventures of Guzman D'Alfarache, the Spanish Rogue. I wanted to read this book because it is widely recognised to be the first work of English prose fiction to be translated into a continental language.
I guess that some are born rogues while others have their roguery thrust upon them. Meriton Latroon is certainly one of the former as his mother 'having conceiv’d me in England, but not conceiving, she thus should drop me in an Irish Bog.' So he was rolling around in the muck from day one.
I don't know if they studied Chaucer back then at school, though the revenge the rogue exacts on his abusive tutor suggests that they may have for during a canning he 'was shown by me a very Shitten trick, which put him into a stinking condition, for having made my self laxative on purpose squirted into his face upon the first lash given.'
Early in life young Meriton displayed 'Lecherous inclinations' from an early age and a natural inclination for 'the simple sin of Fornication.' He spends a great deal of time in various brothels, or the 'Bubbing-house' as he memorably calls them on one occasion.
When his career proper begins he becomes a gypsy, a thief, a beggar, an apprentice, a highwayman, fathers a number of illegitimate children and fouls his breeches on more than one occasion. He also likes to leave verses of doggerel behind to rub salt into his victims wounds.
Along the way he is beaten, whipped, shot, stabbed, spending some time in and out of Newgate prison. He suffers for his sordid crimes. He has a great time too, especially when he falls in with two saucy sisters masquerading as highwaymen.
Eventually he is condemned to exile and after a shipwreck ends as a sailor with a tour of India and the Far East. He sees a dodo in Mauritius, sleeps with a seven year old in Ceylon, castrates a randy priest in Siam, and witnesses this curious ceremony in Lugor (near Goa?):
'The female sex, against the appearance of the new-Moon, assemble upon a Mountain, where turning up their bare bums, they contemptuously defie the Queen of Heaven, who hath this despight shewn her, because they suppose her the causer of their monthly courses.'
Much is made of the moral purposes behind this book, to present the behaviour and subsequent punishment of a rogue so that others may learn from his example. I know that this was the intention with the French and Spanish versions which acted as a model. For the most part, however, our English rogue appeared to be having far too much fun to truly repent of anything.
At least, he was in the first twenty-five chapters or so (out of seventy six!), after which some narrative momentum was lost, repitition began to render his exploits a little tedious. A digression involving the some very different rogueries of a legal nature by an acquittance of the narrator didn't help.
The unevenness of the second half made sense in light of the fact that it may have had a different author. The version I read wasn't split into four parts, but apparently Head wrote the first part, a man named Francis Kirkman the second, and there is doubt over who wrote parts three and four (Kirkman says they both wrote it in collaboration, Head disowned all responsibility.)
If you fancy reading it yourself after this review I would recommend trying to get hold of a copy which distinguishes between the four parts and just try part one, which was a splendid link between Chaucer and Fielding. It ran out of steam thereafter.
But that first part was worthy of the praise offered in this verse by an unknown hand:
What Gusman, Buscon, Francion, Rablais writ,
I once applauded for most excellent wit:
But reading Thee, and thy rich Fancies store,
I now condemne, what I admir’d before.
Henceforth Translations pack away, be gone;
No Rogue so well writ, as our English one.
Richard Head to be precise, a poet and bookseller who imitated famous continental novels about rogues such as The Life and Adventures of Guzman D'Alfarache, the Spanish Rogue. I wanted to read this book because it is widely recognised to be the first work of English prose fiction to be translated into a continental language.
I guess that some are born rogues while others have their roguery thrust upon them. Meriton Latroon is certainly one of the former as his mother 'having conceiv’d me in England, but not conceiving, she thus should drop me in an Irish Bog.' So he was rolling around in the muck from day one.
I don't know if they studied Chaucer back then at school, though the revenge the rogue exacts on his abusive tutor suggests that they may have for during a canning he 'was shown by me a very Shitten trick, which put him into a stinking condition, for having made my self laxative on purpose squirted into his face upon the first lash given.'
Early in life young Meriton displayed 'Lecherous inclinations' from an early age and a natural inclination for 'the simple sin of Fornication.' He spends a great deal of time in various brothels, or the 'Bubbing-house' as he memorably calls them on one occasion.
When his career proper begins he becomes a gypsy, a thief, a beggar, an apprentice, a highwayman, fathers a number of illegitimate children and fouls his breeches on more than one occasion. He also likes to leave verses of doggerel behind to rub salt into his victims wounds.
Along the way he is beaten, whipped, shot, stabbed, spending some time in and out of Newgate prison. He suffers for his sordid crimes. He has a great time too, especially when he falls in with two saucy sisters masquerading as highwaymen.
Eventually he is condemned to exile and after a shipwreck ends as a sailor with a tour of India and the Far East. He sees a dodo in Mauritius, sleeps with a seven year old in Ceylon, castrates a randy priest in Siam, and witnesses this curious ceremony in Lugor (near Goa?):
'The female sex, against the appearance of the new-Moon, assemble upon a Mountain, where turning up their bare bums, they contemptuously defie the Queen of Heaven, who hath this despight shewn her, because they suppose her the causer of their monthly courses.'
Much is made of the moral purposes behind this book, to present the behaviour and subsequent punishment of a rogue so that others may learn from his example. I know that this was the intention with the French and Spanish versions which acted as a model. For the most part, however, our English rogue appeared to be having far too much fun to truly repent of anything.
At least, he was in the first twenty-five chapters or so (out of seventy six!), after which some narrative momentum was lost, repitition began to render his exploits a little tedious. A digression involving the some very different rogueries of a legal nature by an acquittance of the narrator didn't help.
The unevenness of the second half made sense in light of the fact that it may have had a different author. The version I read wasn't split into four parts, but apparently Head wrote the first part, a man named Francis Kirkman the second, and there is doubt over who wrote parts three and four (Kirkman says they both wrote it in collaboration, Head disowned all responsibility.)
If you fancy reading it yourself after this review I would recommend trying to get hold of a copy which distinguishes between the four parts and just try part one, which was a splendid link between Chaucer and Fielding. It ran out of steam thereafter.
But that first part was worthy of the praise offered in this verse by an unknown hand:
What Gusman, Buscon, Francion, Rablais writ,
I once applauded for most excellent wit:
But reading Thee, and thy rich Fancies store,
I now condemne, what I admir’d before.
Henceforth Translations pack away, be gone;
No Rogue so well writ, as our English one.
February 12, 2020
C'è un motivo se è finito nel dimenticatoio per secoli, e non aggiungerò altro
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews