Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle
Encyclopedia
The Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, Gent. (1802)
is a collection of nine observational letters written by American writer Washington Irving
under the pseudonym
Jonathan Oldstyle. The letters first appeared in the November 15, 1802, edition of the New York Morning Chronicle, a political-leaning newspaper partially owned by New Yorker Aaron Burr
, and edited by Irving's brother, Peter. The letters were printed at irregular intervals until April 23, 1803. The letters lampoon marriage, manners, dress, and culture of early 19th century New York
. They are Irving's debut in print.
A second letter followed on November 20, this time poking fun at the "strange and preposterous … manner in which modern marriages are conducted." Describing the marriage between Oldstyle’s aunt Barbara and an ironically-named Squire Stylish, Irving juxtaposed modern manners against old etiquette, concluding that no one could read such a comparison of old versus new, "and not lament, with me, the degeneracy of the present times — what husband is there but will look back with regret, to the happy days of female subjugation[?]"
at the Evening Post and James Cheetham at the American Citizen — tempers finally flared.
The ruckus began with Irving’s January 17, 1803, letter, his sixth, in which "Quoz", a new character introduced by Irving as a friend of Oldstyle’s, took a backhanded shot at critics for taking all the fun out of the theater: "The critics, my dear Jonathan, are the very pests of society … they reduce our feelings to a state of miserable refinement, and destroy entirely all the enjoyments in which our coarser sensations delighted."
Five days later, in his seventh letter, Irving had Oldstyle complain about the play "The Wheel of Truth," knowing it would provoke a response from Coleman and Cheetham, who had been feuding publicly about the authorship of the play. Irving’s letter had the desired effect, as Cheetham and Coleman elevated their attacks on the play’s author, its actors, and each other.
Delighted with the reaction, Irving responded in mock innocence on February 8 that he was "perfectly at a loss" as to what all the fuss was about, and couldn’t resist giving Oldstyle the last word, concluding that all the bickering had "awakened doubt in my mind respecting the sincerity and justice of the Critics."
ing, which had recently been formally outlawed in New York. Declaring the practice of dueling with pistols "unceremonious," Quoz recommends instead that duelists draw lots to see who gets to have a brick dropped on his head from a window. "If he survives, well and good", Quoz says, "if he falls, why nobody is to blame, it was purely accidental." Quoz even suggests that dueling be licensed by "the Blood and Thunder office" of the state as an official event, where the public can watch, as "this would be a valuable addition to the list of our refined amusements."
was impressed enough to send copies of the first five letters to his daughter Theodosia, remarking that they "would not, perhaps, merit so high an honour as that of being perused by your eyes and touched by your fair hands, but that [they are] the production of a youth of about nineteen, the youngest brother of Dr. Peter Irving of New York."
Irving also had an admirer in Charles Brockden Brown
, who unsuccessfully tried to track down Oldstyle to ask his assistance with The Literary Magazine, and American Register that Brown would shortly be editing in Philadelphia.
William Dunlap
, manager of New York's Park Theater
, also thought highly of Oldstyle, later calling Irving’s letters "pleasant effusions," but noted politely at the time that the irritation Oldstyle was provoking in his actors was "excessive". Even William Coleman at the competing Evening Post thought Irving, for all his Oldstyle bluster, had talent as a critic.
. Irving would not include any of the Oldstyle letters in the Author’s Revised Edition he put together for publisher George Putnam
in the 1850s.
The first five letters finally appeared in Putnam’s 1866 edition of Spanish Papers and Other Miscellanies, and would be reprinted regularly through the end of the 19th century. All nine letters were eventually included in the sixth volume of the 30-volume The Complete Works of Washington Irving, collecting Irving’s works, letters, and papers. The Oldstyle letters reprinted in the Library of America
edition of Irving’s works are based on that text.
wrote similar letters to the New-England Courant under the name of Silence Dogood
. Franklin had borrowed the form from Joseph Addison
, who Franklin admired, and who was known for the gentlemanly "Mr. Spectator" essays he wrote in the Guardian
, Tatler
and The Spectator
in London in the early 18th century. Such essays had been a staple of colonial newspapers, and usually featured an observer –- normally a bachelor, with a personality that differed from that of the writer –- who commented, either directly or indirectly, on public truths.
1802 in literature
The year 1802 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* 4 October - William Wordsworth marries Mary Hutchinson....
is a collection of nine observational letters written by American writer Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
under the pseudonym
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Jonathan Oldstyle. The letters first appeared in the November 15, 1802, edition of the New York Morning Chronicle, a political-leaning newspaper partially owned by New Yorker Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
, and edited by Irving's brother, Peter. The letters were printed at irregular intervals until April 23, 1803. The letters lampoon marriage, manners, dress, and culture of early 19th century New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. They are Irving's debut in print.
Letters 1 and 2: Marriage and manners
Irving's first Oldstyle letter appeared in the November 15, 1802, edition of the Morning Chronicle. In his first letter, Irving mocked the current trends in dress and fashion, training most of his criticism on young men and their "most studied carelessness, and almost slovenliness of dress," who are more interested in themselves than in the unfortunate "belle who has to undergo the fatigue of dragging along this sluggish animal." The signature in all capital letters at the end of the piece was not Irving's own, but rather the first of many pseudonyms Irving would adopt throughout his literary life, Jonathan Oldstyle.A second letter followed on November 20, this time poking fun at the "strange and preposterous … manner in which modern marriages are conducted." Describing the marriage between Oldstyle’s aunt Barbara and an ironically-named Squire Stylish, Irving juxtaposed modern manners against old etiquette, concluding that no one could read such a comparison of old versus new, "and not lament, with me, the degeneracy of the present times — what husband is there but will look back with regret, to the happy days of female subjugation[?]"
Letters 6, 7 and 8: Theatrical controversy
Oldstyle’s commentary on the theater riled some in the New York theater district, but when Irving trained Oldstyle’s fire on local critics — specifically William ColemanWilliam Coleman (editor)
William Coleman was the first editor of The New York Evening Post , chosen by founder Alexander Hamilton.-Background:...
at the Evening Post and James Cheetham at the American Citizen — tempers finally flared.
The ruckus began with Irving’s January 17, 1803, letter, his sixth, in which "Quoz", a new character introduced by Irving as a friend of Oldstyle’s, took a backhanded shot at critics for taking all the fun out of the theater: "The critics, my dear Jonathan, are the very pests of society … they reduce our feelings to a state of miserable refinement, and destroy entirely all the enjoyments in which our coarser sensations delighted."
Five days later, in his seventh letter, Irving had Oldstyle complain about the play "The Wheel of Truth," knowing it would provoke a response from Coleman and Cheetham, who had been feuding publicly about the authorship of the play. Irving’s letter had the desired effect, as Cheetham and Coleman elevated their attacks on the play’s author, its actors, and each other.
Delighted with the reaction, Irving responded in mock innocence on February 8 that he was "perfectly at a loss" as to what all the fuss was about, and couldn’t resist giving Oldstyle the last word, concluding that all the bickering had "awakened doubt in my mind respecting the sincerity and justice of the Critics."
Letter 9: Dueling
Irving’s final letter appeared two months later, the gap between appearances likely an indication of Irving’s growing disinterest in the exercise. In his letter of April 23, 1803, Irving — writing again as Quoz — discussed the practice of duelDuel
A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two individuals, with matched weapons in accordance with agreed-upon rules.Duels in this form were chiefly practised in Early Modern Europe, with precedents in the medieval code of chivalry, and continued into the modern period especially among...
ing, which had recently been formally outlawed in New York. Declaring the practice of dueling with pistols "unceremonious," Quoz recommends instead that duelists draw lots to see who gets to have a brick dropped on his head from a window. "If he survives, well and good", Quoz says, "if he falls, why nobody is to blame, it was purely accidental." Quoz even suggests that dueling be licensed by "the Blood and Thunder office" of the state as an official event, where the public can watch, as "this would be a valuable addition to the list of our refined amusements."
Public reaction
The Oldstyle letters were well-received in New York—and despite the use of the pseudonym, Irving’s identity as Oldstyle was not a secret. The public enjoyed them, and Chronicle co-publisher Aaron BurrAaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
was impressed enough to send copies of the first five letters to his daughter Theodosia, remarking that they "would not, perhaps, merit so high an honour as that of being perused by your eyes and touched by your fair hands, but that [they are] the production of a youth of about nineteen, the youngest brother of Dr. Peter Irving of New York."
Irving also had an admirer in Charles Brockden Brown
Charles Brockden Brown
Charles Brockden Brown , an American novelist, historian, and editor of the Early National period, is generally regarded by scholars as the most ambitious and accomplished US novelist before James Fenimore Cooper...
, who unsuccessfully tried to track down Oldstyle to ask his assistance with The Literary Magazine, and American Register that Brown would shortly be editing in Philadelphia.
William Dunlap
William Dunlap
William Dunlap was a pioneer of the American theater. He was a producer, playwright, and actor, as well as a historian. He managed two of New York's earliest and most prominent theaters, the John Street Theatre and the Park Theatre...
, manager of New York's Park Theater
Park Theatre (Manhattan)
The Park Theatre, originally known as the New Theatre, was a playhouse in New York City, located at 21, 23, and 25 Park Row, about east of Ann Street and backing Theatre Alley. The location, at the north end of the city, overlooked the park that would soon house City Hall...
, also thought highly of Oldstyle, later calling Irving’s letters "pleasant effusions," but noted politely at the time that the irritation Oldstyle was provoking in his actors was "excessive". Even William Coleman at the competing Evening Post thought Irving, for all his Oldstyle bluster, had talent as a critic.
Publishing history
While Oldstyle marks Irving’s first foray into print, Irving would always look back on the nine letters as "crude and boyish." To Irving’s embarrassment, several letters were reprinted in pamphlet form in New York and London in 1824 following the success of The Sketch BookThe Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon
The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., commonly referred to as The Sketch Book, is a collection of 34 essays and short stories written by American author Washington Irving. It was published serially throughout 1819 and 1820...
. Irving would not include any of the Oldstyle letters in the Author’s Revised Edition he put together for publisher George Putnam
George Palmer Putnam
George Palmer Putnam was an important American book publisher.-Biography:Putnam was born in Brunswick, Maine. On moving to New York City, Putnam was given his first job by Jonathan Leavitt, who subsequently published Putnam's first book...
in the 1850s.
The first five letters finally appeared in Putnam’s 1866 edition of Spanish Papers and Other Miscellanies, and would be reprinted regularly through the end of the 19th century. All nine letters were eventually included in the sixth volume of the 30-volume The Complete Works of Washington Irving, collecting Irving’s works, letters, and papers. The Oldstyle letters reprinted in the Library of America
Library of America
The Library of America is a nonprofit publisher of classic American literature.- Overview and history :Founded in 1979 with seed money from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Ford Foundation, the LoA has published over 200 volumes by a wide range of authors from Mark Twain to Philip...
edition of Irving’s works are based on that text.
Literary tradition
Observational letters, like Irving's Oldstyle letters, are a tradition that date in America as far back as the 1720s, when Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin
Dr. Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat...
wrote similar letters to the New-England Courant under the name of Silence Dogood
Silence Dogood
Silence Dogood was a false persona used by Benjamin Franklin to get his work published.-History:As a teenager, Franklin worked as an apprentice in his older brother James' printing shop in Boston, where The New-England Courant was printed....
. Franklin had borrowed the form from Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was a man of letters, eldest son of Lancelot Addison...
, who Franklin admired, and who was known for the gentlemanly "Mr. Spectator" essays he wrote in the Guardian
The Guardian (1713)
The Guardian was a short-lived newspaper published in London from 12 March to 1 October 1713. It was founded by Richard Steele and featured contributions from Joseph Addison, Thomas Tickell, Alexander Pope and Ambrose Philips...
, Tatler
Tatler
Tatler has been the name of several British journals and magazines, each of which has viewed itself as the successor of the original literary and society journal founded by Richard Steele in 1709. The current incarnation, founded in 1901, is a glossy magazine published by Condé Nast Publications...
and The Spectator
The Spectator (1711)
The Spectator was a daily publication of 1711–12, founded by Joseph Addison and Richard Steele in England after they met at Charterhouse School. Eustace Budgell, a cousin of Addison's, also contributed to the publication. Each 'paper', or 'number', was approximately 2,500 words long, and the...
in London in the early 18th century. Such essays had been a staple of colonial newspapers, and usually featured an observer –- normally a bachelor, with a personality that differed from that of the writer –- who commented, either directly or indirectly, on public truths.