Difference between revisions of "Samuel Madden, Memoirs of the Twentieth Century (1733)"

Revision as of 16:14, 15 November 2007

• Samuel Madden, Memoirs of the Twentieth Century (1733). ECCO Anglistikserver Oldenburg

General remarks

Physical description:

• p.[i]: half title
• p.[iii] title page
• p.i-x Dedication to His Royal Highness, Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales etc."
• p.1-31 Preface [the first]
• p.[1]-214 "Memoirs of the Twentieth Century" - letters dating Nov. 3, 1997 to Feb. 25, 1997/98
• 215-256 "Preface the Second"
• p.257-504 letters dated from Feb 2. 1997/98 to May 1. 1998
• p.505-527 "Preface the III"

"Correspondents"

The book presents a collection of letters to N—m, the editor's "Great Great Great Great Great Grandson", British Prime Minister at the end of the 20the century, together with N—m's answers. Beyond that they are all addressed to the Lord High Treasurer (was he the general receiver and sender of mail in the 1730s? the archive of state?). The correspondents are connected with places:

• Stanhope, Constantinople
• Hertford, Rome
• Clare, Moscow
• Herbert, Paris
• N—m, Chelsea, London

It is difficult to offer personal details. N—m is suffering from age and infirmity, planing to retire (p.381), Stanhope, Constantinople has spent 25 years in Turkey, is married - and no longer up to date on improvements in Great Britain.

The dates of the individual letters seem to threaten the chronology - two factors interfere: Madden did not foresee the Calendar Act of 1750 which led to Great Britain's adoption of the Gregorian calendar in 1752. Dates are given almost throughout in "old style" with new years beginning in Mid-March, so that December 1997 can be followed by January 1997 - (January 1997/98, i.e. 1997 old style, 1998 new style should be clearer; Rome has introduced the Gregorian calendar already, as Madden observes). The arrangement follows beyond that the speed with which the letters arrived: a letter from Chelsea was faster than one from Mosow which needed three weeks to a month to reach London by coach.

Topics and interesting passages

see Samuel Madden, Memoirs of the Twentieth Century (1733):Topics

Half title

Title page

Dedication to His Royal Highness, Frederick Lewis, Prince of Wales etc.

Preface [the first]

1 Allusions to Don Quixote. 4 Promise of several volumes. The fist will be a "History of the XXth century". 5 English as it will be spoken in 1999 needed to be translated back into 18th-century English. 8 A celestial spirit offered the manuscript - the editor is the anscestor of the last British Prime Minister. 9-10 Writer of the preface is a from his mother's side a relative of Count Gabalais [the famous fictional esoteric character], whose wife had carnal knowledge of Ariel. Fascinated by Astrology, rich as heir of a fortune, 11 plan to spend one third on traveling - 3 years journey. 12 went into politics and "bought" a seat in parliament. [Satirical remarks about his life as a politician who was not really interested in politics].

19 praise of the line of Hannover – which is going to rule into the 20th century. 20 "letters writ by or to my Great Great Great Great Great Grandson, who would be chief Minister in the End of the 20th century."

Constantinople, Nov. 3, 1997: Stanhope (pp.1-28)

Rome, Nov. 7, 1997: Hertford (pp.28-53)

Mosco, Nov. 29, 1997: Clare (pp.54-74)

Paris, Dec. 16, 1997: Herbert (pp.74-97)

Rome, Jan. 7, 1998: Hertford (pp.98-132)

London, Dec. 19, 1997: N—m to Stanhope (pp.132-153)

133 Answer to letter written Nov. 3. from Constantinople. The letters were read to the King. 137-152 On England’s great achievements in the Arts and Sciences. Premium Models at Oxford and in the field of Music. The developments ar the results of projects – individual investments, not related to a slow change and to a chain of discoveries and improvements. 136 Cities in the Moon seen with new telescopes. Venus has Mountains and Seas. Plowing and Harvesting on the Moon observed – yet more Imagination than truth seen in the last statements.

The resident in Constantinople has been away for 25 years and needs information on the improvements made within that time.

Mosco, Jan. 27, 1997/98: Clare (pp.153-182)

Constantinople, February 25, 1997/98: Stanhope (pp.183-214)

Preface the second (pp.215-256)

London, Feb. 2, 1997/98: N—m to Hertford (pp.132-284)

157 Letter to Correspondent in Rome, Reference to letters of Nov. 7 and Jan. 7. These were read to the King in London.

269 18th century English to be translated into modern English.

269-270 more schemes to improve theology in Britain – and again a Praemium system. 271-277 List of British Nobility, posts and ranking.

277 comparison of present list with mid 18th century lists. So many families washed away (yet others stayed!)

280 computations in history. 500 years a time continuum. Periodisations, construction of history.

Paris, Feb. 8, 1997/98: Herbert (pp.285-307)

Constantinople, April 16, 1998: Stanhope (pp.308-338)

Mosco, March. 8, 1997/98: Clare (pp.338-366)

London, Feb. 24, 1999 [1997/98]: N—m to Herbert (pp.366-386)

366 letter to resident at Paris, refernce to his letters from Dec. 16, and Feb. 8.

Rome, February 28, 1997/98: Hertford (pp.386-421)

London, April 5, 1998: N—m to Clare (pp.421-446)

421 reference to letters from Mosco No. 29th, Jan. 17th, March 8th. The reports of Laplanders not taken seriously. Again praemium scheme now connected with Frederick III.

Paris, March 4, 1997/98: Herbert (pp.446-472)

Constantinople, May 1, 1998: Stanhope (pp.473-504)

Preface the IIIrd (pp.505-527)

promise of a continuation. p.508-509 is the future foretold unlikely? Not at all - just consider history and the rise and fall of the Roman Empire.

Literature

Samuel Madden

• identified as "Chaplain in Ordinary" at court: Chamberlayne, John. Magnæ Britanniæ notitia: or, the present state of Great Britain; ... By John Chamberlayne, ... The thirty-first edition of the south part, called England; and the tenth of the north part, called Scotland. .. In two parts. .. London, 1735. p.118. ECCO
• Baker, David Erskine. Biographia dramatica, or, a companion to the playhouse: ... By David Erskine Baker, Esq. A new edition: carefully corrected; .. and continued from 1764 to 1782. London, 1782, p.294. ECCO
• Burdy, Samuel, The life of the late Rev. Philip Skelton, with some curious anecdotes (Dublin, 1792) ECCO pp 28, 32-41, 121
• Jones, Stephen. A new biographical dictionary: ... The second edition, corrected: with considerable additions and improvements. London, 1796. ECCO
• A new and general biographical dictionary: containing an historical, critical, ... London, 1795. 497pp. Vol. 7 of 8 ECCO
• Library Ireland accessed 1 Nov 2007
• Rosemary Richey, ‘Madden, Samuel Molyneux (1686–1765)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 1 Nov 2007