The Old Debauchees, originally entitled The Despairing Debauchee, was a play written by Henry Fielding

Henry Fielding

Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....

. It originally appeared with The Covent-Garden Tragedy

The Covent Garden Tragedy

The Covent-Garden Tragedy is a play by Henry Fielding that first appeared on 1 June 1732 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane alongside The Old Debauchees. It is about a love triangle in a brothel involving two prostitutes...

on 1 June 1732 at the Royal Theatre, Drury Lane and was later revived as The Debauchees; or, The Jesuit Caught. The play tells the story of Catholic priest's attempt to manipulate a man in order to seduce the man's daughter, ultimately unsuccessfully.

Unlike The Covent-Garden Tragedy, The Old Debauchees was well-received. The play discussed morality and society's perceptions of morality and was an allusion

Allusion

An allusion is a figure of speech that makes a reference to, or representation of, people, places, events, literary work, myths, or works of art, either directly or by implication. M. H...

 to a real event like Fielding's other play, Rape upon Rape

Rape upon Rape

Rape upon Rape, also known as Rape upon Rape; or, The Justice Caught in His Own Trap and The Coffee-House Politician, is a play by Henry Fielding. It was first performed at the Haymarket Theatre on 23 June 1730. The play is a love comedy that depicts the corruption rampant in politics and in the...

. Contemporary critics were unclear as to how successful the play was, but modern critics claimed that the play was only effective in the context of its social commentary.

Background

Both The Old Debauchees and The Covent-Garden Tragedy were written by 4 April 1732 when Fielding signed an agreement with John Watts to publish the plays for a small sum of only 30 guineas. The Old Debauchees, originally titled The Despairing Debauchee, appeared with The Covent-Garden Tragedy on 1 June 1732. The Daily Post reported on 2 June that both were well-received, but retracted that claim on 5 June to say that only The Old Debauchees was well-received. The play ran for six nights with one scheduled night canceled, the 13 June performance. After that night, the play was paired with The Mock Doctor

The Mock Doctor

The Mock Doctor: or The Dumb Lady Cur'd is a play by Henry Fielding and first ran on 23 June 1732 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. It served as a replacement for The Covent-Garden Tragedy and became the companion play to The Old Debauchees...

.

The play was revived late 1745 as The Debauchees; or, The Jesuit Caught and ran 25 times during the season. This version was published by Watts with the various revisions indicated. It was brought back in order to promote anti-Catholic sentiment during the disputes between the British government and the Stuarts during 1745 and 1746

History of the formation of the United Kingdom

The history of the formation of the United Kingdom has involved personal and political union across Great Britain and the wider British Isles. The United Kingdom is the most recent of a number of sovereign states that have been established in Great Britain at different periods in history, in...

. "The Jesuit Caught" was added to the play's title in order to reinforce the anti-Catholic

Anti-Catholicism

Anti-Catholicism is a generic term for discrimination, hostility or prejudice directed against Catholicism, and especially against the Catholic Church, its clergy or its adherents...

 nature of the play.

Cast

Cast of the play include:

• Old Laroon
• Jourdain
• Young Laroon
• Isabel - Jourdain's daughter, played by Kitty Clive
• Father Martin

Plot

Young Laroon plans to marry Isabel, but Father Martin manipulates Isabel's father, Jourdain, in order to seduce Isabel. However, other characters, including both of the Laroons, try to manipulate Jourdain for their own ends; they accomplish it through disguising themselves as priests and using his guilt to convince him of what they say. As Father Martin pursues Isabel, she is clever enough to realize what is happening and plans her own trap. After catching him and exposing his lust, Father Martin is set to be punished.

Themes

Like Rape upon Rape, the title The Old Debauchees is an allusion to a real individual and their corrupt actions. The basis of the play is connected to an October 1731 trial of Father Girard. Part of the plot incorporates Fielding's own anti-Catholic bias, but he does so in a way that is traditional to English theatre during his time. However, his placement of anti-Catholic rhetoric

Rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...

 in Old Laroon's speeches undermines the comedic nature of the words and caused the sentiment to fall flat among audiences.

Also, Fielding relies on the play to talk about morality

Morality

Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...

 and how society views morality. He discusses doubt and faith along with politics when he takes on most aspects of society. It is possible that there are connections within the play's commentary to George II's mistresses or Robert Walpole

Robert Walpole

Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, KG, KB, PC , known before 1742 as Sir Robert Walpole, was a British statesman who is generally regarded as having been the first Prime Minister of Great Britain....

's relationship with Maria Skerritt and his wife

Catherine, Lady Walpole

Catherine, Lady Walpole, was the first wife of British politician and Prime Minister Robert Walpole from 30 July 1700 until her death in Chelsea in 1737...

's relationship with Lord Hervey. Tiffany Potter sees the commentary as representing that "it is equally the voice of a libertine

Libertine

A libertine is one devoid of most moral restraints, which are seen as unnecessary or undesirable, especially one who ignores or even spurns accepted morals and forms of behavior sanctified by the larger society. Libertines, also known as rakes, placed value on physical pleasures, meaning those...

 mocking those who thoughtlessly accept the constraints of social decorum, gender role

Gender role

Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...

s, and sexual repression

Sexual repression

Sexual repression, also known as sexual ethics, is a state in which a person is prevented from expressing their sexuality. Sexual repression is often associated with feelings of guilt or shame being associated with sexual impulses...

. This understanding of the play, combined with Fielding's own unorthodox behavior and frequent questioning of social doctrines at this time in his life, marks him to some degree as an advocate of the libertine tradition."

Source

The obvious source of the play is the Father Girard's trial for seducing Marie Catharine Cadier. This was a popular subject and other plays, including Father Girard the Sorcerer and The Wanton Jesuit, portrayed the events for which Girard was put on trial. He was a Jesuit tried for using magic on Catherine Cadiere. Fielding differs from other accounts by reducing Cadiere as a victim and instead makes her intelligent enough to see through Girard's plot.

Critical response

The Daily Post wrote on 5 June 1732: "We are assured the Comedy call'd The Old Debauchees, did meet with universal Applause; but the Covent Garden Tragedy will be Acted no more, both the Author and the Actors being unwilling to continue any Piece contrary to the Opinion of the Town." The Grub-Street Journal reprinted this on 8 June and proceeded to criticise The Covent-Garden Tragedy. On 16 June the Daily Post wrote again that the play was successful but the 29 June Grub-Street Journal countered that the play fell apart by the third night. However, the 13 July 1732 Grub-Street Journal stated that the play was a success and credited Theophilus Cibber's portrayal of Father Martin. However, the writer did complain that Fielding's critique was not limited to just Catholics.

According to Robert Hume, "The Old Debauchees is an unusual combination of farcical buffoonery and harsh invective, and not an effective one." Likewise, Potter points out that "The Old Debauchees has been critically dismissed since its initial appearance. Nonetheless, the drama is successful as a piece of social commentary that is both entertaining and enlightening." The Battesins character the play as a "tasteless attempt to capitalize on the sensational case of Father Girard" but that "Fielding was merely doing for his own theatre what others had already done". Harold Pagliaro points out that "For all its vitality, especially in its celebration of sexuality, in and out of marriage, and its farcical management of Father Martin, The Old Debauchees includes a dark element which its comic force controls only fleetingly."