The following exchange from Sheridan’s comedy The Rivals, set in Bath in 1775, is well-known.
The Rivals, act 1, scene 2
Sir ANTHONY ABSOLUTE. In my way hither, Mrs. Malaprop, I observed your niece's maid coming forth from a circulating library!—She had a book in each hand [...]
Mrs. MALAPROP. Those are vile places, indeed!
Sir ANTHONY. Madam, a circulating library in a town is as an evergreen tree of diabolical knowledge! It blossoms through the year!—And depend on it, Mrs. Malaprop, that they who are so fond of handling the leaves, will long for the fruit at last.
Mrs. MALAPROP. Fy, fy, Sir Anthony! you surely speak laconically.
There were similar reactions to reading in Dartmouth in 1754, though for different reasons. The following extracts, unearthed by Dorset researcher George Tatham, are reproduced with spelling, capitalisation and punctuation as in the original.
Western Flying Post or Sherborne and Yeovil Mercury 25 November 1754, page 4, column A
The Reading CLUB,
A Sett of Gentlemen of the Town of Dartmouth, for the Sake of promoting Religious, Moral, Historical, and other Knowledge, propose to form themselves into a Society or Club, to meet four Evenings in the Week, to read Books, and discourse, on the following Subjects, viz.
Mondays, MORALITY | Thursdays, MISCELLANIES
Wednesdays, HISTORY | Saturdays, DIVINITY
Any other of the Inhabitants of the said Town, desirous of joining with this Society, are hereby invited into it. − Proper Books will be provided at the Expence of the Club, under the Choice and Recommendation of the Reverend Mr Holdsworth, Minister of the said Place.
At the Town School-House (where this Club by Permission of the Worshipful the Mayor and Corporation of Dartmouth,, intends to meet on Monday the Second day of December next, for the first Time) may be seen the Rules to be observed by its Members.
Western Flying Post or Sherborne and Yeovil Mercury, 9 December 1754, page 1, column A
To the PRINTER, &c.
S I R,
I am an antient Member of the honourable Society, known by the Name of the Rosey Face-Club: A Club, which for Extent and Number of Members, has justly the Pre eminence of every other Club in the known World. It takes in almost every Town in Christendom and has for a fundamental Principle, Eat, Drink, and be Merry.
A few of us were met together t’other Evening, reading over your Paper, (which we constantly do every Club Night as long as we can see) we were mightily startled at the Appearance of an odd Advertisement in it concerning a new Sort of Club, proposed to be established in a neighbouring Town, for reading of several Sorts of Books, but without the least Intimation in the Proposal of either Punch, Wine, Tobacco, or any Thing to Eat, tho’ all the World knows how essentially necessary such sort of Refreshments are become to the Support of good Society. And it is proposed under the colourable Pretence of being only for the Sake of promoting Knowledge, which God knows none of us want. And therefore, we all presently agreed to condemn this Proposal as atheistical, absurd, and having a Tendency to cast a Reproach upon the Honour of our Institution.
I don't pretend to be very intimately acquainted with the Temper of our good Brethren, the Indigo’s in the Town, where this nonsensical Farce is acting ; But tis very reasonable to suppose that tis not unlike our own. If so, we shall not doubt of their cordially joining with us to decry so detestable a Scheme, and to treat with a just Contempt, the Authors and Abettors of it, wherever they meet them in Private or Publick ; as people of pernicious Principles and Subverters of social Happiness.
The Favour I would beg of you, Mr. Printer, is to give me leave, through the Channel of your Paper, to convey a word or two of Advice to this new set of Hum drum Gentlemen ; who setting up to be wiser than their Neighbours, have given themselves the Trouble to tell all the Country (tho’ it should seem, concerns only one little Town in it to know) that they were going to hold forsooth a Reading-Club. Hah, hah, hah ! They might well have called it a Sh-tt-ng Club, saving your Presence, Sir, for any Good it can do anybody.
Let me tell you then, Gentlemen, we all look upon you as a Set of atheistical crackbrained Poltroons, that deserve rather to be shut up with your Brethren in Moorfields than to be tolerated amongst Men of sober Sense and Reason. Away with your romantick Nostrums of circulating Rush-light Knowledge four Times a Week. None will hear you but a parcel of weak headed old Women like yourselves. Is not one Day in seven enough of all Conscience for Gentlemen to read, or to hear reading, without sacrificing so much of the Week besides ? Time is precious − very precious − Why then must we so foolishly squander it away ? Indeed had such an upstart Way of diffusing Knowledge, as yours is, been proposed to the People of a Century or two ago, who were stupid enough not to know any better Way of improving their waste Time, it might have been, for ought I know, received with Applause, But to expect so now, in such an enlightened Age as this, is surely to offend against Common Sense, and betrays the grossest Ignorance of Men and Manners.
Therefore, Gentlemen, if ye are Gentlemen, (for in Truth I much doubt whether ye are so or no, from the Sottishness of your behaviour) be persuaded to recant immediately. Renounce your childish Undertaking and enlist in our honourable Fraternity. We will heartily embrace you, and highly applaud your Wisdom. But if on the contrary, you obstinately resolve to read; Then e’en read on in God's Name and grow wise in your own starving Way, for we will have nothing to do with you, except it be heartily to laugh at and despise you. For our Part, we are wise enough already, and do intend religiously to adhere to our antient and laudable Custom, of devoting our spare time to the Benefit of the outward Man, the great End of Life ! productive of much more agreeable Knowledge, I am sure, than any pedantickally pretend to midwife into this World, from all the Books under the Sun.
Yours,
TIM CARBUNCLE.
Club-House, November 29 1754.
Western Flying Post or Sherborne and Yeovil, 23 December 1754, page 1, Column C
The Authors of the Reading Club, to
Mr. Carbuncle, Greeting :
Trabis sua quemque voluptas.
It wou’d be an Instance of the highest Ingratitude in us, Mr. Carbuncle, not to embrace the first Opportunity to acknowledge and return Thanks for the favour of your kind Advice, lately transmitted to us through this Paper.
Tho’ your Manner of doing it, Mr. Carbuncle, maybe somewhat singular, owing perhaps to your Resentment, being at the Time of writing a little too much enflamed with a larger Draught than ordinary, of some of those favourite Cordials you so strenuously contend for, as the essential Supports of good Society, to observe so much Decency and Propriety of Language, as People are wont to do, uninspired with the Charms of that sort of Happiness you seem willing to recommend ; yet we cannot but admit your reproof of our Conduct in endeavouring to establish a Club for reading of Books, to be just.
The vast Surprise you express at not finding in our Proposal the least Intimation of any Thing to drink or to eat in our Club, is also extreamly just ; for we own that having our Thoughts more intent upon the Benefits of the Mind than the Body, we were not so sensible of the Necessity of those sensual Gratifications, as, to be sure, Men of your Taste might reasonably expect.
But although this be true, Mr. Carbuncle, we must beg Leave to deny having had it in it a design to cast any Reproach upon the Honour of your Institution. For tho’ tis certain, Mr. Carbuncle, there's no living in the World without seeing the Deluge of Vice that everywhere overwhelms it ; yet such a scene of Horror moves us much more to Pity than to despise, to be sorry than to laugh at the Conditions of such as we see floating along the dismal Torrent : And we do assure you, Mr. Carbuncle, whatever your Thoughts may be of us ; none would more sincerely rejoice to see the constant Admonitions from the Pulpit blest with a happier Success, and its Reasonings enforced as by adequate Example.
We own indeed, with Contrition of Heart, the Error of our Judgements in imagining the scheme of a Reading-Club, wou’d be favoured with general Approbation ; for tho’ it seemed to me, not only as a harmless Way of disposing of leisure Time, but also capable of producing some Degree of Good to such as might be glad to extend their Acquaintance with Things beyond the Limits of their own Neighbourhood ; yet we have the Mortification to find, Mr. Carbuncle, that we are indeed as you so judiciously observe, a Century or two too late with our Reading Scheme. And perceive with Regret, that by the Proposal we made, we have, as you say, not a little offended against Common Sense, and have been guilty of the grossest Ignorance of Men and Manners. So that we must now be content to bear with that just Contempt you so cordially recommend to your Members to have for us ; tho’ perhaps, had we been earlier honoured, Mr. Carbuncle, with your Acquaintance and Knowledge of the World, we might have been saved from the Folly of exposing ourselves to it.
Had our Misfortune, Mr. Carbuncle, been only to deserve the contempt of your Society ; large as it is, it would not be intolerable. −− But, O Tempora, O Mores, the Wise, the Good, and Learned Mr. Carbuncle, approve your Sentence ; therefore, Good Mr. Carbuncle, tho’ we don't find ourselves disposed to accept the Honour your invite us, to [be] inlisting in your facetious Fraternity ; nor yet to devote [our] Spare time so wisely as you tell us you resolve to do, to [the] Benefit of the outward Man : yet we have so far respe[cted] your Advice, as to renounce the childish Undertaking, [and] do heartily beg Pardon of you, Mr Carbuncle, and all [others] offended with us for having proposed so bad a Way of [our em-]ploying Time. And we rather hope to obtain it as [our] promise for the future to entertain a juster Notion of Mankind ; and to be content to make only a private Use of what was innocently meant for publick Good. We are, dear Mr. Carbuncle.
Your obliged humble Servants.
Dartmouth, December 15, 1754.
______________________________________________________________
So, what is the context of this satirical exchange? No Exeter newspapers survive for 1754, so we do not know whether a similar advertisement appeared there. Sherborne, one day’s ride from London, was a relay point for news from London, its newspapers covering Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. However, the publisher must have found it strange that an advertisement of such local interest should be submitted so remotely and only one insertion seems to have been paid for. The fee for insertion safely in his pocket, it may well have been the printer himself, Robert Goadby, who composed Tim Carbuncle’s exchange of letters as a space-filler. His contemporary in Exeter, Andrew Brice, had plenty of similar material up his sleeve for just such a purpose when copy was short or news from London or Sherborne was late in arriving.
The Holdsworth family was prominent in Dartmouth, and Henry was born 7 October 1696 in Dartmouth, the son of Thomas Holdsworth and his wife Anne, née Winch. He married Joanna 24 August 1727 in Townstal, Dartmouth, where he was vicar for almost forty years.
He took a keen interest in the town, and in December 1755 the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London published:
“XCVII. Extract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. Holdsworth, at Dartmouth, relating to the Agitation of the Waters observed there on the 1st of November, 1755.” This was communicated by the Devonian Rev. Jeremiah Milles (1714-1784), a prominent antiquary. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstl.1755.0098.
I Have enquired particularly of our Pilot-men, and others concerning the Tides in this Harbour, who unanimously, agree that there was a surprizing Agitation in the Waters about nine in the Morning on the first Day of November last, when there was a great and sudden Swell; and though there was but little Wind, yet the Boats, riding near the Mouth of the River, tumbled and tossed as if they would have leaped into each other; and two of them broke loose from their Moorings.
Rev. Henry Holdsworth died 9 November 1762. Ledgerstone 21 in St Petrox records:
Here is committed to the earth (together with nine small sons) what he owed to death Henry Holdsworth MA, once Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford: Then Vicar-Priest of the church of Townstall, and Rector of South Pool. Who, in the nearby town, for nearly forty years having performed his holy duties with a strength of mind, honour, and vigilance to be copied absolutely yet barely copiable, in the 67th year of his life on the 5th November in the year of our Lord 1762, mourned by all good people, succumbed to death. Widowed by his death, alas! [...] Here also lies Joanna wife of Henry Holdsworth who died on the 13th day of August in the year of our Lord 1782 and in the 79th year of her life.
Dartmouth, St Petrox – The Ledgerstone Survey www.lsew.org.uk/church/dartmouth-st-petrox/.
He left a detailed will in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury (https://ukga.org/index.php?pageid=33733). He had a great deal of South Sea stock which he distributed amongst his family including his daughter Lady Dowager Carew. He seemed well connected and held land near Cheston in the parish of Ugborough. There is no mention of books in the will.
It has not been possible to trace whether the Dartmouth Book Club survived this satirical onslaught from Sherborne but, in view of the support of the Mayor and Corporation, an answer may be found by closer examination of the Dartmouth Corporation archives. Recent attempts to encourage reading in Devon, notably by the Exeter City of Literature, seem to have learned from such early attempts. Locations are normally to be found in or near places to eat and drink, food for the body as well as the mind. Read, eat, drink and be merry; Rosey-face reading clubs galore.
