In its first issue on November 20th 1797, the conservative weekly magazine

declared itself the “avowed, determined, and irreconcilable enemies” of “JACOBINISM in all its shapes, and in all its degrees” (7). Broadly speaking, this meant that they opposed the French Revolution, and all notions of social, political and cultural change. One of their most successful weapons in this crusade against innovation was poetry, as each week the journal published original verse designed to undermine the Jacobin cause. For example, the first poem the magazine published, “Inscription”, suggests that Jacobins long for the anarchic day “When France shall reign, and laws be all repeal’d!” (5), whilst their second poem, “The Friend of Humanity and the Knife-grinder”,…

1949 words

Citation: White, Steven. "New Morality". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 March 2014 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35054, accessed 27 November 2024.]