Although scholars of the British 18th century have become increasingly attuned to questions of sexuality, corporeality, and legalism, they have not heretofore had easy access to one of the period's richest funds of data: the erotica and pornography that permeated the culture. This set reprints many of the period's most notorious works, including eight from The Fifteen Plagues of a Maiden-Head (1707) to Harris's List of Covent-Garden Ladies (1786(?)-93) that resulted in highly publicized court battles and in some instances helped shape laws on censorship that survived into modernity. As they did in the 18th-century bookshop, homosexual and heterosexual works intermingle, alongside of works that claim legal, medical, or political legitimacy, and works that pretend to nothing but prurience. Virtually all the works have been out of print since the 18th century. Each volume includes an introduction, individual headnotes, facsimiles of the texts, and annotations, and the first volume includes a general introduction.
Edited by:
Alexander Pettit,
Patrick Spedding
Volume editor:
Kevin L. Cope,
Chris Mounsey
General editor:
Patrick Spedding
Imprint: Pickering & Chatto (Publishers) Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Weight: 3.946kg
ISBN: 9781851967421
ISBN 10: 1851967427
Pages: 2136
Publication Date: 25 July 2002
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Mixed media product
Publisher's Status: Active
Part I Volume 1: Pleasures, Comforts and Plagues of the early eighteenth century Edward Ward, The Pleasures of a Single Life (1709); Anon, An Answer to The Pleasures of a Single Life (1701); Anon, The Ladies Choice: A Poem (1702); Anon, The Fifteen Comforts of Matrimony (1706); Anon, The Batchelors and Maids Answer to The Fifteen Comforts of Matrimony (c. 1706); Anon, The Fifteen Comforts of Whoring (1706); Anon, The Whores and Bawd's Answer to The Fifteen Comforts of Whoring (1706); Anon, The Fifteen Comforts of Cuckoldom (1706); Anon, The Fifteen Comforts of a Wanton Wife (1707); Anon, The Fifteen Plagues of a Maiden-head (1707); Anon, The Maids Vindication: or, The Fifteen Comforts of Living a Single Life (1707); Anon, The Fifteen Pleasures of a Virgin (1709); Edward Ward, The Insinuating Bawd: and the Repenting Harlot (c. 1701); Anon, The Constables Hue and Cry after Whores and Bawds (c. 1701); Anon, The London-Bawd: with her Character and Life (1705); Anon, A Full and True Account of a Dreadful Fire that Lately Broke Out in the Pope's Breeches (1713) Volume 2: Edmund Curll and Grub-Street highlights Giles Jacob, A Treatise of Hermaphrodites (1718); Jean Bonnefons, The Pleasures of Coition; or, The Nightly Sports of Venus: A Poem (1721); Anon, Venus in the Cloister: or, The Nun in her Smock (1725); Nicolas Chorier, A Dialogue Between a Married Lady and a Maid (1740); Anon, The Sappho-an. An Heroic Poem, of Three Cantos (1749) Volume 3: The geography and natural history of mid-eighteenth century erotica Anon, The Ladies Delight (1732); Thomas Stretzer, The Natural History of the Frutex Vulvaria, or Flowering Shrub (1732); Anon, Little Merlin's Cave. As it was Lately Discover'd, by a Gentleman's Gardener, in Maidenhead-Thicket (1737); Thomas Stretzer, A New Description of Merryland. Containing a Topographical, Geographical and Natural History of that Country, fourth edition (1741); Anon, A Short Description of the Roads which Lead to that Delightful Country Called Merryland (1742); Anon, The Potent Ally: or, Succours from Merryland (1741); Anon, Teague-root Display d: Being Some Useful and Important Discoveries Tending to Illustrate the Doctrine of Electricity (1746); Anon, Wisdom Revealed; or, The Tree of Life Discover'd and Describ'd, a Tale (c. 1750); Anon, The Machine, or Love's Preservative (1744) Volume 4: Wilkes and the late eighteenth century John Wilkes, An Essay on Woman (1763); Anon, Harris's List of Covent Garden Ladies (1773); Anon, The Only True and Exact Calendar of All the Ladies of Pleasure, which are to be Entered at these Races (c. 1775); Anon, The Temple of Prostitution: A Poem (1779); Anon, The Bawd: A Poem (c. 1782); Anon, The Whore: A Poem (c. 1782); Anon, Nunnery Amusements; or, The Amorous Adventures of a Monk and Nun (1786); The Bon-Ton Magazine, or, Microscope of Fashion and Folly, no.1 (1792) Volume 5: Sex Doctors and Sex Crimes Anon, An Apology for a Latin Verse in Commendation of Mr Marten's Gonosologium Novum (1709); Anon, The Man-Midwife Unmasqu[e]d (1738); Nathaniel St Andre, A Short Narrative of an Extraordinary Delivery of Rabbets (1727); Anon, The Discovery, or The Squire Turned Ferret (1727); William Hogarth, The Cunicularii (1727); Anon, The Trial of Lady Ann Foley (1778); Anon, The History of Colonel Francis Ch[a]rt[e]ris (1730); Anon, Modern Propensities; or, An Essay on the Art of Strangling (c. 1791); Anon, A Genuine Narrative of all the Street Robberies Committed since October Last, by James Dalton, and his Accomplices (1728); Anon, A Faithful Narrative of the Proceedings in a Late Affair Between the Rev. John Swinton, and Mr George Baker (1739); Henry Fielding, The Female Husband, or, The Surprising History of Mrs Mary, alias Mr George Hamilton (1746)
Alex Pettit is at the University of North Texas Patrick Spedding is at Monash University, Melbourne
Reviews for Eighteenth-Century British Erotica, Part I
'Little of this so-called erotica is actually erotic; bawdy might be a more appropriate term. Pettit and Spedding have gathered here and reproduced in facsimile several dozen rare 18th-century works in verse and prose dealing with sex, adultery, and prostitution. A few of the titles are famous (such as John Wilkes An Essay on Woman), but most will be known only to specialists, and some survive only in unique copies. Few have been reprinted in any form, so their appearance in this uniform edition is very welcome. Each of the five volumes treats a different topic, and each comes with its own introduction. One- or two-page head notes precede each selection, and endnotes (keyed to page and line numbers) provide historical background, explain allusions, and correct typographical errors. This additional material is usually helpful but often cursory; it would have been more useful had it come with bibliographical references. The facsimile reproductions are as good as the poorly printed originals allow. At least one more similar set is promised. This is an important work, not only for literary scholars but also for historians of sexuality. Despite its price, this set should find a place in every research library supporting graduate students and faculty.' - J T Lynch, CHOICE