1714.1

Anon. The Court of Atalantis. Containing a Four Years History of that Famous Island, Political and Gallant; Intermixt with Fables and Epistles in Verse and Prose. By Several Hands. London: Printed and Sold by J. Robertss in Warwick Lane. 1714 [Edtions in 1714 (2), 1717, 1732]

-Dedication to Sir Richard Temple, Bart.

"...your own Judgment will soon determine their Merit. There was certainly a great deal in the Author of one of them, the last Earl of Dorset. The rest are Part Translations, and Part built on Adventuress, that are pretty well known to the Beau Monde. If the Subject is almost every where Gay and Light, it is how ever no where Indecent and Offensive. And as it is intended for Pleasure and not Instruction, those who want more to be instructed than pleas'd, will do well to have Recourse to more serious Discourses. Neither my self, nor those Gentlemen that have assisted me, set up for Teachers: Our Ends will be abundantly answer'd, if what is offer'd here will keep the Reader so long in a good Humour with the Design." (pp. v- vi)

-Julio (Gambol [says the 1717 key]) --"In a word, he was a perfect Composition of Affectation and Hypocricy; for amidst all his pretended Inclination to Business, and Zeal to Religion, he was the most profligate Debauchee, and abandon'd Atheist in the Country. It was not a Century ago, that one Evening he was observ'd to pass secretly from an Apartment in the Palace where his Office was kept, to an House if Infamy; and there with Two stale Prostitutes, the Leavings of a frouzy Jew, he spent the whole Night in Riot and Debauchery; while his abus'd Wife and Family thought him waking about the Publick Caress, and busy'd in Affairs of the highest Importance to the State." (pp. 1-2)

-Hortensius and Drusa --Drusa gambles with H. and loses: "Drusa, having no ore Cash, was for Ticking; but Hortensius, who had all the while another Game in his Head, would not hear of it. If she wouold have more Play, she must do as other Gaming Ladies had done before, and pay with her Person what she wanted in her Purse... The Hundred Pieces were follow'd by so many, that his Wife and Children, whom he no more thought of, wanted Necessaries: while Drusa liv'd in all the Plenty and Splendor imaginable..." (p. 4) --He has a daughter by her: "All the World believ'd she was his Daughter; yet he cou'd not deny himself the Pleasure of her Company. But this Pleasure being heightened by Opportunity and Caresses, became at last so criminal that Drusilla herself, and the Son she was deliver'd of some time after, had the same Father." (p. 6)

-Hort. becomes "very Great and very Godly": "They all winking at one Failing, in a Person of such Exemplary Virtue; and could hardly think there was any Harm in his being both Father and Grandfather to all Drusilla's Children." (pp. 6-7)

-Portrait of a Woman: "Never did Creature shew so early as she a Disposition to Vice, nor so early put itin Practice. She us'd to steal from the Boarding-School at Nine Years old, to tipple in a House of ill Fame, and had lost her Reputation before she cou'd lose her Maiden-head. She never knew what Modesty was; Impudence being so familiar to her that she look'd on Decency as Impertinence; and wore Petticoats because it was the Fashion." (p. 86)

-Portrait of a Man: "...Nessus, a common Sharper, who to the Scandal of the Quality of the Island, was admitted into their Cabinets when he ought to have been sent to the Gibbet. The Fellow was an odd Composition of Cowardice and Impudence, of Pleasantry and Nonsense; and had he not been too much a Rascal would have made a finish'd Coxcomb. But a Rogue has something too horrible in him to make a Subject for Satyr, and instead of making a Jest of Nessus one cannot think of him without trembling: So many Bubbles has he reduc'd to Beggary, so many Heirs sent to the Armies, so many Heiresses to the Stews; yet in all Publick Places who but Nessus, for the Marshal of their Pleasures? Nessus is Treasurer to the Ball, and Banker to the Basset. Nessus raps at my Lady's Bed-chamber, and enters it as freely as if he was to dress her: Nessus calls for Chocolate, and cries Damn him, if it is not ready he'll vanish, for he has Fifty Visits to make, and the Ladies will all be stirring else. Nessus kisses the Wife and cocks at the Husband; lives with the Women as Horner did, because their Husbands are in hopes that he'll be contented with cheating them." (p. 93 --He is loved by Maura, the wife of Maurus: "This Man of Honour was Maura's Reigning Favourite, and to entertain him in the Cool Summer Evenings, she had an Arbor built over a River, about Half a Mile from her House, where she us'd to lock her self up to give a loose to Love and Wine, and that with so much Excess and Extravagance, that one dares not suffer it to live in Ones Memory. The Open Sashes, Joyous Airs, Amorous Toying, Flowing Glasses; the wild Mixture of Intemperance and Passion, the Glowing Cheeks, Humid Eyes, and all the Wanton Images of Riot and Lust, were there display'd, and with so much Licence at if they both were Proud of giving such Offence to the Blushing Spectators." (p. 94) --She even riots with her servants: "At other times she wou'd give them Wine and Money for Merry-Bouts, and amorous Assignations; and when they were in the Middle of their Jollity, the Candles must be put out, that she might come in for a share of the Pastime." (p. 98)

-Philosophical basis for conduct: "'Tis in Politicks as in Gallantry; when a Man's Credit is sunk, he thinks 'tis e'en as good to sin, as to have the Name of it; and like Women, whose Reputation is blown upon, they will not long have the Scandal without the Pleasure. This wicked Reflection has made many a Whore, and many a Zealot. They have done something they cou'd not justify, and therefore they will go all." (p. 141)

-Story of Bibulus shows class consciousness: "To satisfy this lust of his [for gambling], he [Bibulus] condescended to converse with Fellows of the meanest Condition and Fortune...caress them as much as if they had been his Equals, as long as they play'd with him, and when that was over, turn his Back upon them and treat them like Scoundrels as they deserv'd." (p. 144) -- He gambles with a cook: "When they met in Publick, Bibulus had a Hat, and sometimes a Hug for him, as his Hopes were more or less of the Cook's Pocket being full. This Trade was not likely to last long: And Bibulus happening to be advanc'd to an Office of Profit and Dignity, the Cook address'd him for an Employment under him in his own way. Bibulus had one in is Gift, but he had made a Penny of it. The Cook came the next Morning, but he came too late, all the Offices depending on Bibulus were dispos'd of before his own Patent was verify'd. The Cook put in Petitiion after Petition, and waited whole Days without seening Bibulus, or without hearing from him: At last he met him in his Court Yard attended by a Train of Servants and Dependants. He made up boldly to him, and demanded the Favour with an Assurance which he thought became him as one of Bibulus's Favouritess. But the Great Man put him off with his Hand saying, Fellow, I don't know you. The Cook in a rage cry'd out, You knew me well enough when you were getting my Money; but by Jupiter you shall have no more of it. Not long after Bibulus returns to his former Pleasure, or rather Business of Gaming; and the Cook meeting him at the Place of Rendezvouz, with a Look that promis'd a full Purse, Bibulus's Eye was immediately upon him; and the next time he had a good Lay, Ten Crowns, Friend, says he to the Cook on such a Bet. The Cook made as if he did not hear him. Ten Crowns, again cries Bibulus, and calls him by his Name. I don't know you, Sir replies the Cook, and turns about with an Air of Contempt; which put him in mind of what had past between them...had not Bibulus been insensible of Shame, he cou'd not have stood so many Reproaches. It had however this good Effect; the Cook forswore playing with him, went home as rich as he came out, minded his Cookery ever after, and was reclaim'd by the Insolence of a Man whose Complacency had been his Ruin." (pp. 145-46)

-Story of Caius makes sex subject to vanity: "Tho' Caius was a Maker of so many Cuckholds, it did not hinder but he was as much jilted himself; and as he never was true to one of his Mistresses, never was one of them true to him. Scandal pretended to give several Reasons for it. The most malicious of 'em was, that he was as impotent in his Body, as in his Mind, and intrigu'd as much out of Vanity as Lust." (p. 196)

-Story of Domitian --relations between nobility and merchant -- essence-maker has a beautiful wife: "However, she acted the Prude for some time, and would not suffer the best Men that came to his Shop to take Snuff out of her Box, or to touch her Petticoats. She set up for such an uncommon Pitch of Virtue, that no Body had Courage enough to put it to the Tryal; and she began to be afraid she had over-acted her Part, when Domitian sav'd her the Mortification of changing her Conduct to procure her Lovers. One would think he reckon'd every Thing that was the Essence Man's to be his own; for he no sooner saw his Wife but he form'd a Design to have Possession of her." (p. 210)

-Intermingling of passion and money: Erganthus loves Erganthe, but her father (a Navigator) offers a poor dowry --he secretly marries her and gets her pregnant --when she reveals this, her father is forced to pay up to get her married --the barganing: "Thirty Thousand Crowns, crys the Navigator, why you never mention'd above half that Sum. True, says the Silkman, but you know, Sir, Things are not as they were; and besides, I'm offer'd as much with another, as handsome a Lady as your Daughter, no Disparagment to her; and a Woman of a clear Reputation: But as for that, I say nothing, I wou'd act the fair Part as far as I can with her as I can have with Prudence; and if you'll give me as much with her as I can have with another, I will make her a kind Husband , and provide for her Child as much as if we had been marry'd." (p. 224) --When the wedding takes place, the same priest appears as married them before --Erganthus says he did it for her and her parents' reaction is interesting: "The old Man and Woman burst out into Tears of Joy, crying If he had not been worth a Farthing, he desrv'd her for his Ingenuity: And as for Erganthe, that was not all the wou'd come to her, for she might always expect to have a Child's portion." (p. 224)

-Delus secretly marries Daphne --his mother intends him for a rich older and ugly woman --he visits her and she gives him money--he is seduced by the money and tries to buy Daphne and her father (a clergyman who married them) off: "How might one here Moralize on the dreadful Power of Gold; neither Love, Duty, Friendship, nor Religion can stand before it. The Priest as soon as he saw the Bill of 500 Crowns was blinded by the Dazzleof it, and cou'd not see either the Falsity or Weakness of Delus's Pretences." (p. 296) --he does and marries Cloris, but continues to see Daphne--his mother gets money out of Cloris --in the midst of this Delus dies --Cloris' lesson: "...who liv'd to a good Old Age, convinc'd too late, that however Women of her Make may flatter themselves, Men Marry their Fortunes and not their Persons, and will take the one and quit the other as soon as they can." (p. 310)