Études anglaises - N°2/2013

Pierre LURBE: "Those Fabulous Dragons Teeth": invented beginnings, lost causes and new beginnings in John Toland's Amyntor (1699)

In the late 1690s, the Irish maverick John Toland (1670-1722) played a crucial role in the publication of a number of Republican works of the mid-seventeenth century. His editorial task led him to cast dangerous doubts on the authenticity of both the Biblical Canon, and of Eikon Basilike: in his view, both were typical instances of the kind of invented beginnings that were forged in order to reinforce victorious causes, however spurious they were, and to bury lost causes in oblivion. The success of the King's Book, however, provided evidence that the power of the written word could prove invaluable to allow an apparently lost cause to make a new, successful beginning. The lesson was not lost on Toland, whose editorial effort aimed at restoring the lost causes of alternative early Christianities and of English republicanism.

Dans les années 1690, le touche-à-tout irlandais John Toland (1670-1722) joua un rôle décisif dans la publication d'un certain nombre d'œuvres républicaines du milieu du siècle. Ce faisant, il fut conduit à mettre en doute l'authenticité du canon scripturaire, mais aussi d'Eikon Basilike: selon lui, il s'agissait dans les deux cas d'un exemple flagrant du type même d'origine fictive que l'on fabrique pour appuyer une cause victorieuse, aussi douteuse qu'elle soit, et pour précipiter dans l'oubli la cause des vaincus. Toutefois, le succès même d'Eikon Basilike venait démontrer que la puissance de la parole écrite était d'une valeur inestimable pour permettre à une cause apparemment perdue de renaître. La leçon ne fut pas perdue pour Toland, dont le travail éditorial visait à rendre vie à ces causes perdues qu'étaient d'une part les variétés hétérodoxes du christianisme primitif, et d'autre part le républicanisme anglais.

Alexis TADIÉ: The networks of quarrels:the strange case of Peter Anthony Motteux

This essay focuses on the modes of circulation of quarrels and disputes through the example of Peter Anthony Motteux, who is best remembered today as a translator of Rabelais into English but who was also a playwright, the founder of the first periodical in the English language and a seller of various goods. He provides an interesting case study for the analysis of quarrels and disputes—he was directly involved in the controversy around the immorality of the theatre, and he presented to the general public a long account of the “ancients and moderns.” At one level, quarrels are circumscribed arguments that deal with a specific issue, but they also involve a larger, public dimension, because they require the sanction of the public as the ultimate judge.

Cet article analyse les modes de circulation des querelles au travers de l'exemple de Peter Anthony Motteux, plus connu de nos jours pour ses traductions de Rabelais en anglais, mais qui fut aussi dramaturge et fondateur du premier périodique en langue anglaise ainsi que commerçant en diverses denrées. Il offre une étude de cas intéressante pour une analyse des disputes : d'une part, il se trouva directement impliqué dans la controverse sur le théâtre et il publia, d'autre part, un long compte rendu de la querelle des anciens et des modernes. Les querelles sont des débats circonscrits qui traitent d'une question particulière, mais elles ont également une dimension publique, parce qu'elles requièrent la sanction du public qui est le juge ultime de celles-ci.

Peter de BOLLA: The invention of concepts: sense as a way of knowing according to Francis Hutcheson

It is often claimed that aesthetics was an invention of the eighteenth century and the Scottish-Irish philosopher Francis Hutcheson is frequently cited, along with Shaftesbury, as one of the “fathers” of this invention. This observation contains some truth but the reason why it does so is poorly understood. In this essay, I argue that we need to pay particular attention to the architecture of conceptual forms if we are to make any headway in understanding how something like a theory of aesthetics or a theory of art comes to be formulated. Furthermore, paying attention to concepts rather than discourse helps us distinguish the ways in which we speak about items of cognition from the cognitive processes that lead to understanding in any specific case. The essay thus proposes a “conceptual turn” in historical humanistic inquiry.

On lit souvent que l'esthétique est une invention du XVIIIe siècle et que le philosophe scotto-irlandais Francis Hutcheson est l'un des « pères » de cette invention, avec Shaftesbury. Cela n'est pas faux mais les raisons précises de la pertinence de cette affirmation sont souvent mal comprises. Cet article montre qu'il faut s'intéresser à l'architecture des schèmes conceptuels si l'on veut comprendre comment une théorie de l'esthétique et une théorie de l'art peuvent être élaborées. En outre, s'attacher aux concepts plutôt qu'au discours permet de distinguer entre ce que l'on dit, dans des cas spécifiques, des objets de cognition, d'une part, et les processus cognitifs qui conduisent à la compréhension, d'autre part. Cet article propose donc un « tournant conceptuel » dans l'étude diachronique de la pensée humaniste.

John RICHETTI: Beginning as a Poet: Pope vs. Swift

This essay traces the distinct beginnings of the poetic careers of Pope and Swift, contrasting their styles of self-presentation as young poets and their relationships to literary tradition and neo-classic orthodoxy in their works. From his early years as a precocious poet, Pope arranges by his intense attention to the publishing of his works what amounts to self-canonization. Swift's early development as a poet is erratic and uncertain, and when he finds his voice and style his approach to poetry is varied and his productions provoked by specific occasions and events. His verse is related to and rooted in popular or demotic literary culture, and most of his poetry operates by negation or rejection of orthodox neo-classicism.

Cet article examine les débuts très différents des carrières poétiques d'Alexander Pope et de Jonathan Swift — plus particulièrement l'image qu'ils projetèrent alors qu'ils étaient jeunes poètes ainsi que le rapport à la tradition littéraire et à l'orthodoxie néo-classique que dessine leur œuvre. Dès le début de sa carrière de poète précoce Pope, très attentif à la publication de ses œuvres, veut se poser en auteur canonique. Au contraire, les premiers pas de Swift dans l'écriture poétique sont erratiques et incertains ; lorsqu'il trouve une voix et un style, son écriture est toujours polymorphe, ses œuvres surgissant à l'occasion d'événements particuliers. Sa poésie se rapproche de la culture littéraire populaire, voire démotique, dans laquelle elle trouve ses racines ; de plus, elle se caractérise par la négation ou le rejet de l'orthodoxie néo-classique.

Isabelle BAUDINO: Difficult beginning? The early years of the Royal Academy of Arts in London

The Royal Academy of Arts was founded in London on December 10th 1768, after a long and arduous process of academic establishment. Its early days were difficult and uncertain: the legitimacy and rule of royal academicians was questioned by artists who had been excluded from the newly-created institution, which instead of figuring as a collaborative venture of the artistic community, had clearly been established by the former Directors of the Society of Artists of Great Britain—to the detriment of their former fellow artists. Since the Royal Academy built upon the system of annual public art exhibitions, which had become a defining feature of London cultural life since 1760, it had to advertise its exhibitions alongside those organised by other artists' societies. As there exist very few official sources on the rift that was caused in the artistic community by the foundation of the Royal Academy, these advertisements are worth studying. They not only allow us to trace the continuing struggle between Royal Academicians and their opponents, they also brought the aims of artists from both sides in the public sphere. Press advertiseme...