MIAMI UNIVERSITY The Graduate School Certificate for Approving the Dissertation We hereby approve the Dissertation of Eleni Siatra Candidate for the Degree: Doctor of Philosophy ------------------------------ Laura Mandell, Director ------------------------------ Cindy Lewiecki-Wilson, Reader ------------------------------ James Bromley, Reader ------------------------------ Glenn Platt, Graduate School Representative ABSTRACT A CRITICAL EDITION OF HANNAH MORE'S PERCY: A TRAGEDY By Eleni Siatra This critical edition of Percy: A Tragedy provides a carefully collated text of the best- known drama written by Hannah More. Despite her large literary output and the fame accorded her during her lifetime, More has not received the attention she deserves from literary historians and critics for her dramatic works. Today, her plays are not easily accessible to students of eighteenth century drama because they have not been printed since the early part of the nineteenth century. Percy, first produced in 1777, constitutes an important text in the history of women's contribution to eighteenth century English drama. More's tragedies, particularly Percy, draw on the tradition established by the `she-tragedies' of the late seventeenth century and the historical dramas of the eighteenth century. Elwina's celebrated monologue in Act II against the horrors of war connects More to the evangelical tradition, which grew exponentially during the nineteenth century. The critical introduction also considers the sources of Percy. Here I examine the play in relation to thirteenth century French medieval romances, such as Le Roman du Castelain de Couci et de la dame de Fayel, to eighteenth century French drama, such as Gabrielle de Vergy, in an attempt to establish a connection between those texts and the popular revival of historical romance in eighteenth century English drama. A CRITICAL EDITION OF HANNAH MORE'S PERCY: A TRAGEDY A DISSERTATION Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of English by Eleni Siatra Miami University Oxford, Ohio 2009 Dissertation Director: Laura Mandell © Eleni Siatra 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate for Approving the Dissertation Abstract Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents iii Acknowledgements iv INTRODUCTION Textual History 1-6 Stage History 7-9 Source of Percy 10-16 Context 17-30 Note about the Text 31 TEXT 32-103 EXPLANATORY NOTES 104-109 APPENDIX A 110-120 BIBLIOGRAPHY 121-129 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In preparing this edition, I am greatly indebted to the immeasurable assistance and enthusiastic encouragement of my dissertation committee members David Mann, Frank Jordan, Laura Mandell, Bill Wortman, Cindy Lewiecki-Wilson, James Bromley, and Glenn Platt. I also wish to thank Keith Tuma and LuMing Mao for forwarding my personal statement to the appropriate offices. Furthermore, I wish to thank Lou Haines, Sherry Braden, and Debra Morner for reminding me about important graduation dates and duties. Finally, I owe special thanks to David Mann, whose guidance, support, and generous contribution of time and effort helped to make this project possible. Research for this edition of Percy was facilitated by a Dissertation Research Support Grant from Miami University and by the financial and emotional support of my family. I would like to thank the staff of the following libraries for their special assistance in this project: the British Library, the Bodleian Library at Oxford University, the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections of the Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester, the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections at Ball State University Library, the Walter Havighurst Special Collections Department at Miami University, Blegen Library at the University of Cincinnati, Lily Library at Indiana University, and Hill Memorial Library at Louisiana State University. Last but not least, I would like to thank my colleagues at Tutorial Services, especially, Lee Ann Adams and Karen Wright, whose loyal support, technical assistance, and belief in my academic abilities helped make this project possible. Furthermore, I would like to thank a) the Informational Technology (IT) staff of IU East, specifically Kevin Lykins, Ben Butler, and Chris Carter, for helping with file conversion and other technical issues, and b) the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at IU East, especially Diana Uhlman and Trudi Weyermann, for expert advice on technical matters. iv TEXTUAL HISTORY Percy was submitted to the Lord Chamberlain on December 2, 1777, by Thomas Harris and opened at the Theatre Royal, Convent Garden, on December 10. According to The Public Advertiser, Percy was published on December 19, 1777, at noon by Thomas Cadell, and the cost per copy was 1s.6d (Hogan 133). The ms. (no. 440 in the Larpent Collection) was completed in 1778 with "a few slight differences," as stated in the title page. (See Appendix A for a detailed description of the differences between the ms. and the text of the first printing.) The text of this edition is printed in octavo, with a collational formula of A-M. Gathering A is devoted to preliminaries, the text of the play itself beginning on B1 and running almost to the bottom of M4. The title-page reads: PERCY, / A/ TRAGEDY. / AS IT IS ACTED AT THE/THEATRE-ROYAL/ IN/ COVENT-GARDEN. / [double rule]/ LONDON: / PRINTED for T. CADELL, in the STRAND. / MDCCLXXVIII./ [PRICE ONE SHILLING AND SIXPENCE.] The half title is: "PERCY, / A TRAGEDY." The running title is: PERCY." [A1v] Blank [A2] Dedication [A2v] Dramatis Personae [A3-A3v] PROLOGUE [A4-A4v] EPILOGUE B-D (1-17) ACT I [D1v-F1v] (18-34) ACT II F2-H2 (35-51) ACT III [H2v]-[K3] (52-69) ACT IV [K3v]-[M4] (70-87) ACT V [M4v] [88] Lately Published by the same AUTHOR. A list of errata is pasted on A3 of the copy text indicating that at least one proof was run off. A reprint of the first edition of Percy was issued by Thomas Cadell in London in 1778. The title page of this octavo text reads: PERCY, / A TRAGEDY. / AS IT IS ACTED AT THE/ THEATRE-ROYAL/ IN/ COVENT-GARDEN. / The SECOND EDITION. / [double rule]/ LONDON: / PRINTED for T. CADELL, in the STRAND. / MDCCLXXVIII. / [PRICE ONE SHILLING AND SIXPENCE.] 1 Another printing of Percy by R. Marchbank came out in Dublin in 1778. The title page reads: PERCY, / A TRAGEDY. / AS IT IS ACTED AT THE THEATRE-ROYAL/ IN/ COVENT-GARDEN. / [double rule]/ DUBLIN: / PRINTED BY R. MARCHBANK, / FOR THE/ COMPANY OF BOOKSELLERS. / [rule]/ MDCCLXXVIII. In Three Centuries of English and American Plays: A Checklist G. W. Bergquist cites both the London and Dublin texts as part of the second edition and identifies the Cadell text as the one published first (185). However, an examination of Cadell's and Marchbank's texts reveals that they have not been reset, so it follows that they must be reprints of the first edition. Both Cadell's and Marchbank's texts use the errata list of the first edition. Spelling mistakes are corrected, i.e. "beuding" becomes "bending" (p. 11, l. 239). Also, the word "antient" (p. 19, l. 294) changes to "ancient" in the Dublin printing, whereas the London printing retains the archaic form "antient." The Cadell text follows the punctuation, stage directions, and speech prefixes of the text of the first edition. In contrast, Marchbank's text introduces variations in punctuation, the speech prefixes are abbreviated, and the stage directions are incorporated into the text and do not precede the characters' speeches. In this respect, Cadell's second printing of Percy remains much closer to the text of the first edition. Marchbank's printing of Percy includes a contemporary although incomplete review of the play, immediately following the title page. The anonymous reviewer compares the play favorably with a number of other tragedies and praises Hannah More for creating Elwina, as well as Anne Barry for her successful London performance: The character of Elwina is very promising in the effect, but extremely difficult in the execution. It portrays many of the graces, and almost all the energies of the female mind; she depicts in glowing colours, filial piety towards a hard misguided father; mildness, candour, and affability towards an ungracious, suspicious, and cruel husband; natural but restrained tenderness towards a beloved object, whom it is her nature to love but her duty to shun: From these outlines it may be conceived, that to do justice to the 2 several outstanding passions of Elwina, demands more than a common share of theatrical abilities, and more experience than can possibly attend a first attempt. (Percy A1v: Dublin, 1778) A third printing of Percy came out in 1780. The title page of this octavo text reads: PERCY, / A/ TRAGEDY. / AS IT IS ACTED AT THE/ THEATRE-ROYAL/ IN/ COVENT- GARDEN. / THE THIRD EDITION. / [double rule]/ LONDON: / PRINTED for T. CADELL, in the STRAND/ MDCCLXXX. / [PRICE ONE SHILLING AND SIXPENCE.] The text of the third printing uses the errata list of the first edition and is identical to the Cadell texts of the first edition and second printing of Percy. The type has not been reset. Another printing of Percy came out in 1784 and the title page reads as follows: PERCY, / A/ TRAGEDY. / AS IT IS ACTED AT THE/ THEATRE-ROYAL/ IN/ COVENT-GARDEN. / The THIRD EDITION. / [double rule]/ LONDON: / PRINTED for T. CADELL, in the STRAND. / MDCCLXXXIV. / [PRICE ONE SHILLING AND SIXPENCE.] There are no variations between the 1780 and 1784 texts, which suggests that we are not dealing with a new edition of Percy that somehow got lost or discounted. I speculate that Cadell was left with a certain number of unsold copies from the 1780 printing, and decided to reissue them as part of the third printing in 1784. It is unknown whether Hannah More was directly involved in this new printing.