1730-+The+British+Journal

 The //British Journal// was a weekly newspaper published in London from 1722 to 1731. Each issue contains a letter to the author of the paper, a Foreign Affairs section, a London section (including information on the changes in stocks and burials), and advertisements (usually for books). One of the main focuses of this part of the year was the development of relations between various nations throughout Europe as a result of the Treaty of Seville at the end of 1729. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of what readers in 1730 were concerned with and how they interacted with the news.
 * 1730- British Journal **

The audience of this paper was the general public of London, and the paper sought to create a dialogue with the audience. This was done through the inclusion of opinion letters in the paper, which not only allowed for interest and expression, but also a stimulant for these people to think critically about current events. Changes in print culture–in that regular people now had access to information and news–also allowed for this dialogue. Additionally, the paper was meant to inform the public of affairs both abroad and within in England, specifically in London. This paper, therefore, was the most relevant to an engaged London citizen.

**The Treaty of Seville **  On November 9 1729, England, France, and Spain signed the Treaty of Seville (also called the Treaty of Peace), ushering the mindset of the English into a fresh perspective on the world. (British, 10 January; 31 January) This was one of peace and the bounties of trade–a rather optimistic perspective. During the earlier months of 1730, the //British Journal// was filled with letters to the author describing the benefits of trade and peace, contrasting the loss that war necessitated. Without fail, the Treaty of Seville found its way into most issues of the //British Journal// from January 1730 through June that year. It was one of three major topics at the time that “the Eyes of all of Europe are at present turn’d [to].” (25 April)

 Most significantly, the idea of trade and expansion outward through trade rather than conquest defined perspectives of cosmopolitanism. For many people at this time, increased trade was the most positive result of the Treaty of Seville. One letter to the author of the British Journal in the January 31, 1730 issue declared that, “All the perplexing Difficulties, which formerly embodied trade, are at once Taken away.” This was particularly important for the people of England as this new era of trade and prosperity was following a time of war. (31 January). Trade offered countless benefits with no loss. Instead of expansion with war, powers were turning to more benevolent actions, understanding the mutually beneficial results of trade. In this time of positivity, the people were viewing their nation as a nation of trade and not war. (7 February)

 However, as time went on, the perspectives changed and with more conflict between nations, war became more present in the papers. Early on in 1730, the nations involved in the treaty (Spain, France, England) gave other countries in Europe until May to agree with the treaty. Despite past praises of peace, in February, England was prepared to employ troops if Don Carols’ (The Spanish King) presence in Italy if the Italian Emperor opposed his presence. (21 February) Though Spanish land in Italy had been a concern since the beginning of the year, by April, Don Carlos was sending 4000 Spanish soldiers to Italy to protect his interests (4 April). The entirety of Spain was preparing for war in the “Case of a Rupture” (9 May). Later in April, England and France doubted if the Emperor of Italy would recognize the Treaty of Seville, and so both nations took further precautions and removed their goods and merchants from Italy (11 April). Then, the Italian Emperor announced complaints of the Alliance formed by the Treaty of Seville, further establishing conflict (2 May). By June of 1730, Spain and England were planning to put a larger amount of forces in Italy to protect the Spanish presence in this land, though they would not depart until July (16 May; 13 June). Don Carlos’ transportation to Italy, however, would wait until January (13 June). Response to these intentions was not necessarily positive, as some people believed war would be against the peaceful goals of the Treaty of Seville (23 May).

**Perspectives on Trade **  Related to the Treaty of Seville with Spain, English trade with nations within and outside of Europe was expanding during this year. Many citizens of England were in favor of open trade, especially with India and the East India Company, and freely expressed their own opinions on the subject. However, this subject was still under debate and had many different sides to it–ranging from questions if trade with the East India Company should continue, to where trade would be managed. Regardless, the general response of the population was that open trade was beneficial to the nation and to individuals. (4 April) Ultimately, the British Government and the East India Company agreed on open trade between them, so that “all the Merchants of England will be fully at Liberty to trade thither” (18 April).

This discussion of trade extended beyond the East India Company, as readers were also analyzing the merits of trade with other nations in Europe. This included the French, Dutch, and Portuguese. Again, this reflects the period of a positive outlook on trade and relationships with other nations, specifically after the Treaty of Seville. (April 4) After the Treaty of Seville, the major trading powers in Europe entered an era of “[complete] Tranquility” (Jan 31). By June of 1730, however, the tone on trade changed slightly with the presence of Turkish Rovers in the English seas. The British people were weary of this presence, and many debated whether or not the Turkish were justified in being there. (June 6).

 The topic of trade was pervasive in any discussion on foreign affairs at the time. One example of this is with the issue of Dunkirk–a city, which according to a treaty, “was to be demolished.” The issue surrounding this was the interpretation of “demolished,” and one understanding of it was in the context of trade. To some people at the time, trade was considered “a natural Right. . .especially in Times of Peace, to the Merchants of all Nations,” reflecting this positive attitude towards trade. The notion that blocking trade from a city would “demolish” it further shows the increasing importance of trade in this year. (11 April)

**Crime **  With little official law enforcement, robberies were rampant in 1730. A few articles in the //British Journal// mentioned the “Watch,” which was a volunteer citizen enforcement and held no true authority over the population. As a result of this lack of enforcement, the roads could be very dangerous–especially for those travelling alone–and it was not uncommon to read upwards of five cases in the British Journal of Highwaymen robbing gentlemen of their possessions, ranging from watches, to coins and any other valuables. However, Highwaymen were not the only culprits, as the robbers ranged from common “Rouges” or “Villains,” to Highwaymen and Foot-pads. (25 April) Arrests were typically made after the crime, and rarely were robberies or murders stopped before or during the act. (17 January) Highwaymen tended to rob wealthier individuals.

 Some of the prominent jails at this time were the New Jayle, Newgate, and Dunchurch. Felonies that permitted admittance to the jails included murder, robbery, and beating one’s child. (21 February) Fleet Prison provided a list of their fees, showing that the system was unequal to its inmates. At this time, inmates had to pay for the time they stayed in the jails. Wealthier inmates could pay more money to have a bed to themselves, while poorer individuals would have to stay in worse conditions in the “Poor’s Box” for little or no extra fee. (7 March)

**Religion **  On February 21, 1730, Pope Benedict XIII passed away. (28 February) Despite English anti-Catholic sentiment, the news relating to the pope’s death and the subsequent updates on picking a new pope were objective. The Cardinals in Rome had not chosen a new pope by April 4, because French Cardinals were still in route to Rome. The British Journal doubted that “a new Pope will be elected before the foreign Cardinals arrive.” (4 April) In early May, if courts in France and Spain agreed, the people expected Cardinal Zonzedali to be the next Pope. (2 May)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Still, the //British Journal// did include articles that reflected the anti-Catholic sentiment at the time. In particular at this time, the English government was intolerant of Catholic behavior in Ireland. This included practicing Catholicism, establishing Convents, and “insulting the Protestants.” This was stated in the Lords Resolution, published in The //British Journal// on January 17th. (17 January) Roman Catholics, too, were discontent with the relationship between Ireland and England, as in one case on January 24th, “The Roman Catholicks. . .were robbing one of the Bench of Bishops, and flinging Stones and Dirt at him.” This article included a note that “the Lords Resolutions were founded,” proving this English bias against Catholics at the time and rift between Catholics and Protestants. (24 January).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Christianity, however, was still a deep part of English society in 1730. One letter to the author in the //British Journal// ultimately states that the Love for God “is different from the Love we express to any other Being,” and that God requires individuals to have a “Universal Love of Mankind.” (Jan 3) Christianity was a framework for many aspects of British society: the government, interactions between people, and the beliefs and actions of individuals. Religion provided the purpose of life, while the Government’s role was to secure and protect individuals on Earth. (17 January)

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leisure ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> As leisure was becoming increasingly more accessible, the news reflected this change in activity. Many notices of events in London discussed horse races: the results, the winnings, and the chances of future races. Winnings typically ranged from 100 to 300 Guineas. (21 February; 11 April) The British Journal also included an Advertisements section that often promoted new books, mostly scholarly texts. Average people were beginning to have time and desire to read books, and also had access to them with the expansion of print during the eighteenth century.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Additional news included in the London section followed the day-to-day business of members of the upper-class. One such piece of ‘news’ appeared in the April 11th issue of the //British Journal//. This was that The Duke of Richmond and other high-class citizens, “began to divert themselves each Morning, at the Play of Cricket. . . and design to pursue that wholesome Exercise” (11 April). As this information bears little relevance to the daily lives of may Londoners, it reflects the new interest in leisure activities of this century.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Theatre Scene ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> As declared by The London Stage, the opening of the Goodman’s Field Theatre defined the 1729-1730 London season. While this theatre opened at in October of 1729, the first original play at the theatre (//The Temple Beau// by Henry Fielding) was performed on January 26, 1730. This theatre faced struggles due to its disliked location in London. (Scouten 3) Additionally, response was not all positive about the theatre, as the Court of Aldermen opposed the Goodman’s Fields playhouse in a petition to the king. His Majesty responded positively to the petition, saying “you may depend on my complying with what you. . .desire of me” (//British//, 2 May) Many of the complaints were that the theatre was too close to the city and these “moralists” “feared its influence upon young clerks and apprentices.” Despite these setbacks, Goodman’s Field was able to have a full and successful full season. (Scouten 3)

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Other prominent theatres at this time were Haymarket, Drury Lane, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and the King’s Theatre. There were many leading eighteenth century actors active during the time, such as Cibber and Cibber Jr. at Drury Lane (4). In addition to regular theatre and music, the King’s Theatre showed operas twice a week. This theatre season included successful plays by Henry Fielding (//The Author’s Farce// and //Tom Thumb//), many performances of //The Beggar’s Opera//, and a high representation of Shakespeare plays. (3; 5-76) In particular, //Hamlet, Othello//, and //Julius Caesar// were performed frequently during this year, appearing at many of the theaters in London (5-76).


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//The Temple Beau// **

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">//The Temple Beau// by Henry Fielding was the first original play performed at Goodman’s Field, premiering on Monday, January 26, 1730 (Scouten 34). The play was performed eleven times during 1730 (34-40). It was performed on February 10 and March 2 “At the Desire of several Persons of Quality” (37; 40). Three of its performances were to the benefit of the author. (34-40) On Wednesday, January 28th, a song was added to the second act (34).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The premise of //The Temple Beau// follows four men’s courtship of Bellarina– a woman with a 20,000-pound dowry. Wilding, a former law student, abandoned his studies for women and other pleasures and wants to marry Bellarina for her money. The play is filled with schemes by different groups of characters to break up and create pairings–all involving Bellarina. Sir Avarice wants his son, Pedant, to marry Bellarina, as his finances are suffering. Young Pedant however, has no desire for women, bur rather only his books and is too scholarly to be concerned with such trifle matters. Sir Avarice threatens to disinherit his son if he does not pursue Bellarina. Sir Harry describes his plot to marry his son, Wilding, to Bellarina as well. Additionally, Valentine and Veromil both have their own intentions with Bellarina. Over time, Bellarina’s aunts, Lady Lucy and Lady Gravely, each fall for Wilding and try to convince him to not marry Bellarina. In the end, Bellarina marries Veromil, whom she loves, Valentine marries Clarissa, and the other characters end up unmarried. Other conflicts throughout the play are Sir Harry’s discovery that his son gave up his studies, the conflict between Veromil and Valentine both having intentions for Bellarina despite their deep friendship, and Young Pedant’s refusal of his father’s wishes.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">List of Characters:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Bellarina: Young woman at her prime for marriage; in love with Veromil
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wilding: Former law student who acts on his desires for worldly pleasures; pursuing Bellarina for her money
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Veromil: In love with Bellarina; friend of Valentine, though is the more reasonable and righteous of the two
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Valentine: Desires Bellarina and pursues her for passion; friends with Veromil, though acts on desires rather than honor and morality
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Young Pedant: Student of law; His father, Sir Avarice Pedant pressures him to marry Bellarina though he has no desire to
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sir Avarice Pedant: Father to Young Pedant, wife of Lady Lucy, sister of Lady Gravely; wants his son to marry Bellarina
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lady Gravely: Sister of Sir Avarice; very conservative, judges flirtatious behavior; considers herself on a higher moral level than others
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Lady Lucy Pedant: Wife of Sir Avarice; freer and looser morals than Lady Gravely; has a reputation of being immodest
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Clarissa: friend of Bellarina
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sir Harry Wilding: Father of Wilding; expects that his son is a law student

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This comedy is meant to satirize some of the attitudes towards marriage, doing so through exaggerated characters and ridiculous–and hilarious–situations. Like many plays at this time, such as the popular //The Beggar’s Opera//, satire is used to comment on the deeper societal issues. This play focused on the conventions of marriage during this era. For example, many of the characters (Wilding and Sir Harry) only care about Bellarina for her money, which was a common incentive for marriage at the time, as also seen in the novel //Roxana// by Daniel Defoe. In //Roxana//, Roxana–who built her own wealth–avoids marriage because of the fear that a man would only marry her for her money and that she could lose her fortune. In //Love in Excess// by Eliza Haywood, the Count marries Alovya for her money, while she marries him out of love, again drawing on this contrast of different motives for marriage. Additionally, characters in //The Temple Beau//, such as Lady Gravely and Lady Lucy serve as foils for one another–each showing an extreme perspective of marriage. Lady Lucy has much looser morals, showing the perspective of pursuing marriage for pleasure. Lady Gravely, however, is much more cynical and is suspicious of any relations between men and women. Neither extreme is meant to be desirable, as both end the play in the same position they started: Lady Lucy is simply the wife of Sir Avarice, and Lady Gravely is just a widow.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Conclusions ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The //British Journal// throughout 1730 most notably showed the focus on news–especially foreign affairs–over the demands of everyday life. Often, the foreign affairs section was longer than the London news, and was positioned before the London news. This positioning shows that foreign news was more desirable to readers. Additionally, almost all of the letters to the author focused on foreign affairs and rarely a subject that was an immediate concern for the readers. Essays in //The Tatler// and //The Spectator// discuss this desire for news, but look down on it. For the authors of these papers, average readers (particularly workers of a trade) have no need for foreign news as it distracts from daily life, disrupting the class system. However, one letter to the author in the //British Journal// shows the awareness of this perspective: “In short, the World is so wrapt up in Politicks, that Men think they may safely be as ridiculous as they please” (24 January).

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> As previously mentioned, the most prominent topics in this paper were the state of trade (outside and within Europe) and the Treaty of Seville. During the 1700s, the world and trade was greatly expanding, as trade became an alternative to war for a method to build an empire. English society, therefore, was becoming more cosmopolitan with the presence of foreigners and newfound access to wider information. It was natural, then, for people to be more curious about the world as England was now a center for trade. More common people were also becoming involved in these affairs, as merchants had a larger role than ever before, and so, it was natural that these people would want access to the news and to become more involved with it.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> In contrast, however, is //The Temple Beau//. This play is concerned with the English society and norms at the time and does not speak of any political or foreign issues. This shows that the population was not single-minded in its interest in politics. Combined with the prevalence of Shakespeare plays and the long run of //The Beggar’s Opera// in 1730, popular theatre at this time did not necessarily reflect the new cosmopolitanism. English culture was still relevant to the population. **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Works Cited ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">British Journal. London, January-June 1730. 17th-18th Century Burney Collection Newspapers. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fielding, Henry. The Temple Beau a Comedy ; as It Is Acted at the Theatre in Goodman's-Fields. London: Printed for J. Watts, 1730. Eighteenth Century Collections Online. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Scouten, Arthur H. "Season of 1729-1730." The London Stage,1660-1800, Part 2,1700-1729. 1st ed. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois U Pr., 1962. 3-76. Hathi Trust Digital Library. Web. 10 Apr. 2016.