Information
Arbuthnot’s L’histoire de John Bull (1727) is a parody of doctors, politicians and lawyers. This satire involves three merchants : John Bull symbolising England, Nicolas Frog standing for Holland, and Lewis Baboon a Frenchman. The issue is a lawsuit which will decide who will get the economic and trade monopoly on exchanges between Holland, England and France. At the end of the day, Ecclesdown Castle (that is, Dunkerque) is given to England.
Quotations
« J. Bull. The trust I give is in short this, I must have something in hand before I make the Bargain, and the rest before it is concluded.
L. Baboon. To shew you I deal fairly, name your Something.
J. Bull. I need not tell thee, old Boy; thou canst guess.
L. Baboon. Ecclesdown Castle, I’ll warrant you, because it has been formerly in your Family! Say no more, you shall have it.
J. Bull. I shall have it to m’own self?
L. Baboon. To thy n’own self.
J. Bull. Every Wall, Gate, Room, and Inch of Ecclesdown Castle, you say?
L. Baboon. Just so.
J. Bull. Every single Stone of Ecclesdown Castle, to m’own self, speedily!
L. Baboon. When you please, what needs more Words?
(...)
J. Bull. Agreed, old Boy; but then I must have Security that I shall carry my Broad-cloth to Market, old Boy.
L. Baboon. That you shall : Ecclesdown Castle! Ecclesdown! Remember that : Why would’st thou not take it when it was offer’d thee some Years ago. »
L’Histoire de John Bull< ?I>, édition Montaigne, 1976, chapitre IV, p274-276.
« When John had got into his Castle, he seem’d like Ulysses upon his Plank after he had been well sous’d in Salt-water; who (as Homer says) was as glad as a Judge going to sit down to Dinner, after hearing a long Cause upon the Bench. I dare say John Bull’s Joy was equal to that of either of the two; he skip’d from Room to Room; ran up Stairs and down Stairs, from the Kitchen to the Garrets, and from the Garrets to the Kitchen; he peep’d into every Crany; sometimes he admired the Beauty of the Architecture, and the vast Solidity of the Masons Work; and other times he commented the Symetry and Proportion of the Rooms. He walk’d about the gardens; he Bath’d himself in the Canal, swimming, diving, and beating the liquid Element, like a milk-white Swan. The hall resounded with the spightly Violin and the martial Hautboy. The Family trip’d it about and Caper’d like Hail-stones bounding from a marble Floor (...) »
L’Histoire de John Bull, édition Montaigne, 1976, chapitre VIII, p292.
Place | Extract |
| Armbouts-Capel |
The hero of the novel, Hannay, is trying to stop German spies from returning to Germany with important information... |
| Dunkerque | This satire involves three merchants : John Bull symbolising England, Nicolas Frog standing for Holland, and Lewis Baboon a Frenchman... |
