‘Keep Within Compass’ by Robert Dighton, Printed for & sold by Bowles & Carver, No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, London
1785
The Fear of God
To instill the deep fear of god within it’s youthful followers, St. Paul’s Church in London launched a campaign of hemp!
Distributed within St. Paul’s Churchyard starting around 1785 (possibly as early as 1765) a pamphlet was posted for its youthful followers, a warning of the perils that awaited all those who chose to live outside the ‘compass’. Scaring their young girls into submission, the church chose to use the threat of hemp…
The pamphlet had an image of a young woman standing within a compass inscribed “Fear God”, she is holding an open book inscribed “The Pleasures of Imagination Realized”. At her feet is an open chest full of guineas from which hang bank-notes and jewels; it is inscribed “The Reward of Virtue”.
The true story unfolds in the four corners for the women who do not “keep within compass”…
(1) A woman weeps dejectedly with cards and an empty purse on the ground at her feet.
(2) A drunken woman lets an infant fall from her arms; on the wall is a torn print inscribed ‘Domestic Happiness’.
(3) A woman is being conducted to the watch-house by two watchmen, one with his lantern, the other with the baby’s rattle.
(4) As an ultimate low, she is forced to beat hemp in prison while a guard stands behind her with a whip emulating a earlier threat of prostitution and hemp called ‘Harlot’s Progress’ by William Hogarth from 1731.
If the message wasn’t clear enough, an inscription was placed beneath the main circle image reminding the young women,
‘Prudence Produceth Esteem’
If the images of woe weren’t enough, a poem would be the final twist of the horrific hempen tale…
Instead of cards my fair-one look,
(I beg you’ll take it kind)
Into some learned author’s book,
And cultivate your mind.
To drown dull thoughts which now surrounds,
She hastily applies
The direful Cordial to the wounds,
Of which she quickly dies.
If lewdness once your Soul alarms,
There’s not so bad an evil,
To prostitute those lovely charms,
Must drive you to the Devil.
When Women once overstep the bounds
Of decency and cares,
A crowd of folly quick surrounds,
And nought but woes she shares.
‘Keep Within Compass’ by Robert Dighton, Printed for & sold by Bowles & Carver, No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, London
1785 (possibly 1765)
Guys, you didn’t think they were gonna let you of the hook that easy did you?
The church of course thought about all the delinquent young men that could use a little fear of god scared into them, so along with the women’s pamphlet the church also posted a male version to its youthful flock.
Within its pamphlet the church promised the young men two outcomes out of life… Prison or a glorious harvest!
Seems about right
‘Industry Produceth Wealth’
‘Keep Within Compass’ by Robert Dighton, Printed for & sold by Bowles & Carver, No. 69 in St. Pauls Church Yard, London
1785