23. A ticket for the benefit of Milward the tragedian. A scene in The Beggar's Opera; "Pitt 3 s." inserted with a pen between "Theatre" and "Royal," in a scroll at the bottom of it. I have seen an impression of it, under which is engraved, "Lincolns-Inn Fields, Tuesday, Aprill 23. A Bold Stroke for a Wife, with Entertainments, for the benefit of Mr. Milward." This careless, but spirited little engraving, has more of Hogarth's manner than several other more laboured pieces, which of late have been imputed to him.—Let the connoisseur judge.
This ticket (as is already observed) must have been issued before 1733, when the Theatre in Lincolns-Inn-Fields was shut up, and all the actors, Milward among the rest, removed to Covent Garden.
24. The Mystery of Masonry brought to Light by the Gormagons.
A. Chin Quaw-Kypo' Done from ye Original.
1st Emperor of China. Painted at Pekin by Matt-chauter,
B. The sage Confucius. Grav'd by Ho-ge
C. In Chin present and sold by ye Printsellers
Oecumenical Volgi. of London Paris and Rome.
D. The Mandarin Hangchi. Hogarth inv. et sculp.
To the earliest impressions of this plate, the name of Sayer (for whom it has since been retouched) is wanting. "Stolen from Coypel's Don Quixote." Underneath, these verses:
From Eastern climes, transplanted to our coasts,
Two oldest orders that creation boasts
Here meet in miniature, expos'd to view
That by their conduct men may judge their due.
The Gormagons, a venerable race,
Appear distinguish'd with peculiar grace:
What honour! wisdom! truth! and social love!
Sure such an order had its birth, above.
But mark Free Masons! what a farce is this?
How wild their mystery! what a Bum they kiss![1]
Who would not laugh,[2] who such occasions had?
Who should not weep, to think the world so mad?
I should suspect that this plate was published about 1742, when the Procession[3] of Scald Miserables had been produced[4] to parody the cavalcade of the Free Masons, who ever afterwards discontinued their annual procession. Hogarth was always ready to avail himself of any popular subject that afforded a scope to ridicule. Among Harry Carey's Poems, however, 1729, third edition, is the following;
"The Moderator between the Free-Masons and Gormogons.
"The Masons and the Gormogons
Are laughing at one another,
While all mankind are laughing at them;
Then why do they make such a pother?
"They bait their hook for simple gulls,
And truth with bam they smother;
But when they've taken in their culls,
Why then 'tis—Welcome Brother!"