1750


 * The Rambler**

The Rambler was a biweekly periodical published from 1750-1752 by Samuel Johnson, a writer previously known for being a part of the periodical The Spectator. A unique feature of this periodical was its attempt to set itself apart from periodicals such as the Spectator and the Tattler. Those periodicals were recognized for their witty language and humorous take on situations. The Rambler took a more serious approach to situations and was noted for its use of elevated prose in essay style. The primary purpose of the Rambler was a focus on moral issues rather than on social issues. Johnson was dedicated to raising the moral standards of his readers rather than use his platform to discuss matters such as literature, religion, politics, and the theater. However, he does make mention of these issues from time to time throughout the publication’s existence. In particular, Johnson enjoys discussing the topic of death. At one instance he begins his musings by stating that a man should begin every day “with a serious reflection that he is born to die”. Johnson frequently gives his opinions on social injustice such as prostitution and theft, while he also urges people to fight against poverty. This will prevent man from “that vehemence of eagerness” of wanting to acquire possessions and give in to our material desires. The readership was aimed at the middle class who found themselves frequently in the company of people in higher social classes and needed guidance on how to become more like the wealthier class they were surrounded by. In a way, it could be said that Johnson’s readership were for those who were on their way up the social ladder and needed moral guidance for their journey.The statement “The man to whom the extent of his knowledge, or the sprightliness of his imagination has, in his own opinion, already secured the praises of the world…” gives evidence for whom Johnson expected his audience to be.

 Johnson states the intention of the Rambler in the first issue. He claims that “the world supposes every man that writes ambitious of applause” and admits he does expect to have some admiration for his work. Those who read his periodical were meant to be those who wanted to expand their minds and opinions and grow as people. In comparison to the Spectator, the Rambler does not want to provoke discussion or thoughts from an entertaining tone. The Rambler chooses to be much more serious in its approach. For the Rambler, the issues it addresses are serious and should not be taken lightly. It was not written for the sake of being enjoyable to read through its language but to gets important points across that Johnson felt were necessary for his audience to understand and form opinions about.

In the Rambler No. 47 greed and the evil of material desire is addressed. For many people, the Rambler says that they hold great significance in material wealth. It states “The miser always imagines that there is a certain sum that will fill his heart to the brim…” People want to acquire material wealth to prevent sorrow. However, material gain is not the way to eliminate sorrow, instead it can be found in giving one’s self to the community to find happiness. Yet sadness is something that cannot be shaken easily and since it can turn into a habitual feeling, it can be all too easy to want to turn to material wealth.

In the Rambler No.37 the Rambler delves into the issues females face within society. Whether women decide to marry or choose to be single they are still subject to “sickness, misery, and death”. Despite the beauty and tenderness of women there is still a conspiracy against women. Women who wish to be married do not seem to understand that they are being forced into a societal slavery where they will have to relinquish their power. Those women who are married talk about married life as if it is not the instituted slavery it is and brag about how well their condition is. Women who do not wish to be married are viewed upon by some as being virginal creatures that are in need of being placed into the bondage of marriage but often times they are viewed as being more like damaged goods. They are “like barren countries they are free, only because they were never thought to deserve the trouble of a conquest.” Women who do not wish to be married and express their contempt for men do so with unease and are persuaded to at least try the married life despite their contempt for it.

The theater season in 1750 was filled with Shakespeare productions as well as plays filled with pantomime and dance. The year began with The Tempest starring Garrick. Garrick would prove to be a popular actor during the year. Theater company Drury Lane put on a performance of Shakespeare’s Othello which was second in popularity only to the twelve night Romeo and Juliet competition that took place. The company also took performed two main pieces, Edward Moore’s Gil Blas and Thomas-Mallet’s Alfred both which featured Garrick along with fifty one actors and actresses, twenty three dancers, and eight singers. Drury Lane continued on to put on three afterpieces. They included Robin Hood, Queen Mab, and Lick at the Town (The London Stage 203). Garrick became very focused on utilizing dance and pantomime in these plays. His hard work earned him to perform in major roles ninety seven times. In Convent Garden they were having similar success. Convent Garden produced sixty two different plays during the year. They included two Shakespeare rivals of King John and Henry VIII. They also produced some of Shakespeare’s earlier comedies including She Would and She Wou’d Not and the Confederacy.
 * Theater in 1750**

In 1750 William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” was in the middle of a feud between two rival theaters. The feud became known as the “Battle of the Romeos”. Actors Spranger Barry and Susanna Cibber left the Drury Lane theater company to become a part of a production of Romeo and Juliet shown at the Royal Opera House in Convent Garden. During the same time, actors David Garrick, a good friend of Johnson, and George Ann Bellamy were performing the play at the Theatre Royale, Drury Lane. The result was a non stop showing of Romeo and Juliet in both theaters from September 28th-October 12th when Convent Garden switched to showing a production of The Beggar’s Opera (Branam 170). Garrick’s approach to playing Romeo was one that strayed away from the conventional story written by Shakespeare and Garrick took many liberties with his role, especially when acting during the death scene. Despite, these changes to the original story critics widely voiced that of the two Romeo roles, they preferred David Garrick’s interpretation. He was praised for bringing freshness to the play and awakening new interest in the story for the 18th century audience.

During the year author William Collins released a poem titled “The Passions: An Ode for Music”. The poem was popular and performed at Oxford in the Sheldonian Theater. It was accompanied by an orchestra, chorus, and soloists for the 1750 commemoration. The premise is a group of passions surrounding the figure of music and stripping her of her sound. The passions are Fear, Anger, Despair, Hope, Revenge Jealousy, Melancholy, Cheerfulness, and Joy. The figure of music is given a human description and said to be a “Heav’nly Maid”. It’s interesting to compare this poem to No. 37 in the Rambler. No. 37 discusses in depth how the happiness of a woman can be taken away from herself because she does not know how to separate her emotions from making a rational marriage decision. In a similar way, music is being stripped from what makes her happy from her own passion. Music’s own emotions are coming into play and removing her instruments of sound so that she can no longer continue to play. Even though it is through the use of allegory, Collins is clearly making a statement about how women are able to control their own lives in the same way that No.37 made commentary about women controlling their lives to create their own happiness as well. The bottom line for both seem to be that women should not be in control of their own lives because they are too emotional to make good decisions. They become too engrossed in their emotions to make any kind of rational decision that makes sense. During this year the ability of a woman to think for herself and to be trusted to make her own decisions was an item for thought in the community.


 * Conclusion **

In the year 1750 London was faced with a lot of inner conflict from the theater to social class. The importance of the time was creating a stable financial background to live from, and that is what would ensure happiness in the long run. The Rambler held up to these notions by frequently discussing the importance of being morally sound while still being financially secure. Johnson’s advice was meant to aid those middle class men who were advancing up the social ladder, so it was a little ironic that he frowned upon placing so much emphasis on material value. There was also much discussion about women and whether they had the emotional capacity to make their own decisions. The consensus appeared to be that they were too emotional to handle their own future and happiness and needed as much help, from a more emotionally stable male, to give them help when it came to their future especially marriage. In the theater Shakespeare was widely popular and many revivals of famous Shakespeare plays were being redone by theater companies. The Battle of the Romeos showed a renewed interest in Shakespeare that had not been present for a while for both actors and audience members. The adaptations to the play allowed for a fresh feel and rejuvenated audiences to appreciate Shakespeare in a new light like never before. There was an increased number of Shakespearean plays put into production that year which leads to believe they were in high demand. Other than Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest was another Shakespeare play that frequently was shown throughout the year, also starring Garrick. David Garrick was also a very significant actor during this year and gained a lot of recognition and praise for his acting abilities and his new ideas for Shakespearean theater which led to so much of the renewed interest in Shakespeare.

Branam, George C. //Shakespeare Quarterly//, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Summer, 1984), pp. 170-179

“The London stage, 1660-1800; a calendar of plays, entertainments & afterpieces, together with casts, box-receipts and contemporary comment.” Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Press, 1960-1968.

O'Flaherty, Patrick. "Towards An Understanding Of Johnson's Rambler." Studies In English Literature (Rice) 18.3 (1978): 523. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Dec. 2012

The Rambler 1750. ProQuest British Periodicals. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.