The novelty of "The Jacobite's Journal" lay in its humorous conception. The English Jacobites, whom fear had kept quiet during the invasion of the Pretender, crept from cover as soon as all danger to their lives and estates was over. Many of them were, of course, perfectly honest in their political views. They looked upon the Georges as intruders, and the living descendant of James the Second as the rightful King of England. Here and there, by the ostentatious display of their principles, they came into conflict with the established Government. Jacobite disturbances at Oxford, for example, led to the arrest of several students of Magdalen College, who were brought up to London, fined, and barely escaped imprisonment for their insults "to his Majesty's Crown and Government." Among people who had no real interest either in the Stuarts or in the Hanoverians, Jacobitism became a fashion. At taverns and country houses they openly drank bumpers to "the King over the water" in noisy scenes often ending in tumult and riot. Though the Highlanders were forced to discard their peculiar dress, it was partially appropriated by the English Jacobites, of whom the women wore plaid petticoats, and the men laced waistcoats of the same kind. Plaids were especially conspicuous at hunting matches and horse races. A party of sportsmen near Lichfield, said Smollett, not only adorned themselves with plaids, but hunted with hounds clothed in variegated colours, and-to complete the absurdity-dressed the fox in a red uniform. Just what had caused this outbreak of Jacobite madness Fielding was uncertain. Some, he claimed, attributed it to the heats of the summer of 1747; others to the mildness of the Government rather than to the mildness of the season; while many thought it had something to do with "the great plenty of good liquor, neither malt or cyder having been ever cheaper than lately." At any rate, the Jacobites were a large and flourishing party who deserved to have an organ of their own; hence the establishment of "The Jacobite's Journal." True, most of the London newspapers, Fielding admitted by way of apology for his own undertaking, are secretly Jacobite, but their authors are afraid to speak out directly in favour of the principles of their party, lest they be laughed at by the sane and judicious. Moreover, these newspapers are wretched productions written by a set of Grub Street hacks beneath contempt. The articles of "The London Evening Post," as everybody knows, are "low, quibbling, unintelligible"; the author of "The Westminster Journal" dwells in "Cimmerian darkness"; and the Argus of "Old England" has long since appeared "with all his eyes out." On the other hand, "The Jacobite's Journal" will be managed by "one who hath more wit and humour in his little finger (accord ing to a common expression) than these writers have in their whole bodies"; himself a Jacobite, he will explain all the esoteric doctrines of the sect, and faithfully defend them; he will patiently endure all the ridicule which will be heaped upon him for thus setting forth and advocating policies conducive to the good of his country. Such is the ironical point of view that Fielding assumed in his "Jaco bite's Journal." It is the irony of "Jonathan Wild" ap plied to the newspaper-not only to the leading articles, but even to many of the news-items. Just as in that novel Fielding told the story of a scoundrel as if he were himself the scoundrel; so here he proclaims himself a Jacobite in order the better to laugh his countrymen out of their political follies. Emblematic of his design, Fielding placed at the head of "The Jacobite's Journal" a woodcut, supposed to have been drawn by Hogarth from hints supplied by the author himself.* It was, said Fielding, "a contrivance of mine * S. Ireland, "Graphic Illustrations of Hogarth,'' 1794, I, 148. (the expence of much laborious thinking) to do honour to the Jacobite Party." In this curious frontispiece are seen two Jacobites-a man and a woman-dressed in the fashionable plaids and riding on an ass. The man, who sits astride in front, a Highland cap raised aloft in one hand, a cup in the other, is shouting a huzza; while the woman directly facing the reader, one hand grasping a French sword, the other resting on the rump of the beast, is bawling in unison. A sly Jesuit in the garb of a barefooted friar is leading the ass by a rope over which is flung a copy of "The London Evening Post," upon which the hungry animal is munching. To the tail of the ass is fastened a copy of Harrington's "Oceana" emblazoned with the fleurs-de-lis of France. In the background lies the city of London. To this picture were given, said Fielding, various interpretations. Some readers thought the ass symbolized the author himself, arguing that, if an ass in Scripture once spoke, it might be inferred that his descendants had learned to write. Again, he had heard it suggested that the Jesuit stood for the old Chevalier, while the two other figures represented the young Chevalier and his mistress Jenny Cameron. Still others recognized in the plaids the features of certain squires and gentlewomen whom they had seen riding to the fox-chase. But all these resemblances to particular persons were, Fielding avowed, fanciful. The plaided man and woman (presumably his wife) were merely types having no definite originals; and the ass on which they rode was designed to figure neither the author nor other gentlemen of the press, but the whole body of Jacobite doctrine. He hoped that no offence would be taken at the emblem, for none was intended. To be sure, the ass had come to be regarded in modern times with some disrespect, but he was not so held by the ancients-neither by the Jews, who worshipped his golden image, nor by the write. A a'n, Le had he toular pers". vesteu t'...? the two o r and his miso in the plaid- 15 3. Werden whem *But all lese res Fielding asos 1. fanciful. 5an (presmi. debate oristes as designed to 8 11 wife; were merel. d tre ass on whiel. ther the author pos The whole body of Jac.. fence would be in at ded. To be s re, the ars in modern tres with some dis so held by the den of the pr. e. He hoped for none to be reser orshipped his golden age, forty the |