Fools and clowns were common characters within Shakespeare’s plays. They often provided comic relief, but also contained enough depth to speak on themes of “love, psychic turmoil, and identity.” British antiquary and museum curator Francis Douce (1757-1834) explored the Shakespearean fool in Volume Two of Illustrations of Shakespeare, and of ancient manners: with dissertations on the clowns and fools of Shakespeare through his Dissertation on the Clowns and Fools of Shakespeare.
Douce classifies Shakespeare’s clowns and fools into nine categories: the general domestic fool, the clown, the female fool, the city or corporation fool, tavern fools, the fool of the ancient theatrical mysteries and moralities, the fool in the old dumb shows exhibited at fairs and perhaps at inns, the fool in the Whitsun ales and Morris dance, and the mountebank’s fool. He goes on to discuss in detail the costumes, characteristics, and accessories of the clowns and fools including exemplifying woodcut engravings by British artist John Berryman (1778-1840).
Illustrations of Shakespeare, and of ancient manners: with dissertations on the clowns and fools of Shakespeare was published in 1807 by Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme in London and is known as a historical work of Shakespeare criticism.
The following happend and derailed my evening (and therefore the evening of my best friend too).
I was wondering, if there was a German translation of Tristan (Gottfried von Straßburg) available on the internet. And there is, from 1904 by Wilhelm Hertz, here.
It's a scan of a old library book and apparently someone (an English speaking person) wrote the names and relations of the characters on one of the first pages which I am normal about (/pos). They probably didn't get further than the Marjodo episode or Isot (Iseut? Isolde?) with the white hands or her brother would have been mentioned. Anyway, besides the point!
The book itself starts with this absolutely insane Latin quote.
Amor est quaedam mentis insania,
Quae vagum hominem ducit per devia;
Sitit delicias et bibit tristia
Crebris doloribus commiscens gaudia.
Now, of course I needed to find out, where to find this quote and also what it meant. The translation is roughly (and please be nice about it, this is only backed up by another translation that I'll mention in a bit):
Love is such a mental insanity that leads the wandering human astray; it thirsts for happiness and drinks misery, often mixing pain with pleasure.
So naturally ... I needed to find out where the quote came from even more! It took me 15 minutes to figure out "Romania IV, 383" meant Romania, the journal that is being published since the 1870s, the fourth volumen, page 383, found here.
I was so stoked to find out the entire journal (or at least from their first edition up until 2020) was freely available on JSTOR. So, there I was, giddy because I thought my side quest of the evening was over. LIES, I TELL YOU!
The article was in French. I do not speak French and my pitiful Spanish and — without a dictionary almost equally pitiful — Latin knowledge can only get me so far. On page 383 I found my quote, but I was also at a crucial point of helplessness.
Luckily just at that moment my partner (not involved in the detective work) asked what I was doing, I explained my situation and then my best friend offered to take a look at it. After two minutes they pulled out their own phone to google around, meaning I had gotten them invested. And with their excellent help I got some answers out of the French article!
First things first, the author of the article is saying in a footnote (following those three quotes) that the French translation is bad. I can't say anything about that, but I thought it was important to mention.
Then they (friend) figured out that the quote was from a book a certain Francis Douce had had in his collection and which he left to the Bodleain Library after his death. This particular quote came from book number 139, page 148.
The books from this collection are being digitized and a good portion of them is available already right here (there are so many old playing cards!!). The book from which this quote was taken has not been digitized yet, but a starting page can be found here. More information on the whole book can be found right here.
So what we are left with is this:
The quote is from a 13th century manuscript that mostly features songs, as far as I can see.
It will probably be digitized some day since the project is still ongoing.
The quote itself is not from Douce, since he only collected the books. We don't know who said/wrote this, at least neither my friend nor I could find out more about it.
I am tempted to ask @bodleianlibs if they can tell me more about this particular book/the quote in it, but I also really just want to fuck around and find out, so it doesn't have any priority I fear. Contextualizing the quote in relation to my blorbo medieval piece of literature is probably not enough of a reason.
Anyway, that's how I spent a good hour of my evening and I am so hyped now, this was so incredibly interesting to do!
In this week's episode of Museum Secrets, An Van Camp, Assistant Keeper of Northern European Art, lifts the lid on some strange boxes in the archives.
Some contain witches, others devils, others letters of the alphabet wrapped in pink ribbons. They all belonged to the same man - the eccentric Francis Douce.
Listen to 'Devilry and Pink Ribbons' here, or wherever you find your podcasts ⬇️
Earth Day is celebrated – maybe “acknowledged” is a better word – on 22 April. A number of artists from Italy and elsewhere have used the mountainous Italian peninsula and its adjacency to the sea to comment upon the fragility of the planet’s condition.
Spanish artist Escif is on an eco-art mission to reforest Southern Italy’s Mount Olivella, which due to massive deforestation centuries ago, is causing hydrogeological instability in the region today. The artist’s environmental art intervention, Breath – Time to Recharge includes an image of a tree battery on the bald face of the mountain, which will slowly “recharge” thanks to the planting of 5,000 new indigenous trees, creating what’s being called Europe’s largest artwork.
Located in Sapri, Southern Italy, Mount Olivella was partly deforested in the 1700s. This instability is to blame for climate-related problems such as flooding in the surrounding areas. The Breathproject, designed by Escif and curated by Antonio Oriente, includes planting 2,500 Holm oaks and 2,500 maples on the mountain within a battery image. All in all, the art piece will cover a surface of 120,000 square meters – almost the size of 17 football fields. The first phase of the tree planting began in the fall of 2017. Over time, locals will be able to see the battery image slowly “recharging”. More trees will be planted through 2019 in order to fully recharge the tree battery and restore the mountain back to its green glory.
The also mono-named Andreco manifested the installation Climate 04-Sea Level Rise in Veniceto coincide with the November 2017 COP 23 conference in Bonn, Germany. Introduced as a project promoting dialogue between the arts and sciences, the climate change-inspired installation called attention to the effects of potential sea level rise in Venice. The site-specific project consisted of three parts: a wall mural, a sculpture, and an academic seminar. Andreco’s interventions in Venice began with a giant mural, located next to Canal Grande in Fondamenta Santa Lucia, that represented his artistic interpretation about estimates and data regarding sea level rise in the coastal city.
Of course one of the most notable features of the Biennale di Venezia from 2017 was also a comment on climate change. Lorenzo Quinn mounted the sculpture named Supportat the 14th century Ca’ Sagredo Hotel. Two large hands emerge from canal to support the historic building, representing the role people must play in supporting Venice’s unique world heritage, according to the artist.
“Venice is a floating art city that has inspired cultures for centuries, but to continue to do so it needs the support of our generation and future ones, because it is threatened by climate change and time decay,” Quinn said in a press release.
Quinn created the hands, which each weigh more than 2,200 kilogrammes, in his Barcelona studio before they were brought to Venice for installation in the Grand Canal.
Escif, Breath – Time to Recharge, begun 2017.
Andreco, Climate 04-Sea Level Rise in Venice, 2017.
Lorenzo Quinn, Support, 2017.
Pliny the Elder; Cristoforo Landino (translation). Natural History ('Douce Pliny'). Folio #: fol. 021r. Made in Florentine Venice. Came to the Bodleian Library at Oxford University as part of the bequest of Francis Douce at his death in 1834. Shelfmark: Arch. G.b.6.
Further Reading: Gry Hedin and Ann-Sofie N. Gremaud, editors. Artistic Visions of the Anthropocene North: Climate Change and Nature in Art. London: Routledge, 2018.
"Torment of the boot" from Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Examples of face mufflers from Merry Wives of Windsor.
Types of carcans referenced in Measure for Measure.
Depiction of a bride bed.
Illustrations of "making the fig" from King Henry V.
The Illustrations of Shakespeare, and of ancient manners: with dissertations on the clowns and fools of Shakespeare by British antiquary and museum curator Francis Douce (1757-1834) was published in 1807 in two volumes by Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme in London. Quoting Shakespeare scholar George Steevens “if Shakespeare is worth reading, he is worth explaining,” Douce set out to collocate and clarify not only previous editorial notes on Shakespeare, but also words and customs he declared had been previously “partially and imperfectly” illustrated. His intention to write the perfect Shakespeare reference companion was shadowed at the time by his petty criticisms and curiosities, however, it was still an influential work of criticism.
Unlike previous critical publications, Douce did not include Shakespeare's full plays within his edition, but rather cited notes primarily from Steevens's earlier editions. Douce’s writings are accompanied by woodcut engravings by British artist John Berryman (1778-1840). Berryman produced the engravings from Douce’s own collection of prints to hammer home his point of view and visually expand upon definitions including cressets, carcans, and bird-bolts in Volume One.
Trolled Beyond the Grave --- The Special Bequest of Francis Douce
Francis Douce was a wealthy Englishman whose hobby was to collect various antiques, especially rare children's books, games, artwork, coins, and manuscripts. Douce had an extensive collection, when he died in 1834 he donated most of it Bodleain Library, including 15,000 books, 50,000 prints and drawings, and a large collection of coins. However, in his will he left a strongbox containing his letters and correspondence, manuscripts, books, essays, diaries, and various other papers of rarity and importance to the British Museum on the stipulation that it not be opened until after 66 years. The strange bequest stirred up many rumors as to what precisely could be inside the box. What secrets could lie within? Unfortunately speculation would have to go unquenched as the British Museum dutifully obeyed his request.
On January 1st, 1900 the British Museum opened the box with the entire board of trustees in attendance. Inside the box were pieces of scrap paper, torn book covers, and various other pieces of worthless trash. Also inside the box was a letter by Douce to the board of trustees, in which he explained that in his opinion, it would be a waste to leave anything of greater value to the philistines at the British Museum.
