Mighty Lewd Books: The Development Of Pornography In Eighteenth-century England

Mighty Lewd Books The Development of Pornography in Eighteenth-Century England Julie Peakman Mighty Lewd Books ... reading a little of L’Escole des Filles, which is a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world. Samuel Pepys’ diary entry 9 February 1668 Mighty Lewd Books The Development of Pornography in Eighteenth-Century England Julie Peakman © Julie Peakman 2003 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2003 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world. PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries. Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European Union and other countries. ISBN 1–4039–1500–8 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Peakman, Julie, 1957– Mighty lewd books : the development of pornography in eighteenth-century England/ Julie Peakman. p. cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1–4039–1500–8 1. Erotic literature, English–History and criticism. 2. English literature–18th century–History and criticism. 3. Pornography–England–History– 18th century. 4. Erotica–England–History–18th century. I. Title. PR448.E75P43 2003 820.9’3538’09033–dc21 2003043142 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 Printed and bound in Great Britain by Antony Rowe Ltd, Chippenham and Eastbourne For Jad This page intentionally left blank Contents List of Illustrations ix List of Abbreviations xi Acknowledgements xii Introduction 1 1 Erotica or Pornography? Developments in pornography The history of sexuality 5 7 10 2 The Erotic Book Trade Foreign Influences Publishers, printers and sellers Readers and writers Censorship Conclusion 12 15 22 27 39 44 3 Bodily Fluids The humoral body Eroticised blood Genitals and their fluids Sexual secretions in erotica Conclusion 45 46 47 54 58 64 4 Erotica and Science Scientific developments The botanical metaphor The tree of life Flowering shrubs Erotica and reproduction The ele