An Introduction

Abstract

We can set the scene with two citations. The first is well known, being taken from Samuel Pepys, a government official of some standing and a posthu­mously famous diarist. Writing early in 1668, Pepys describes his encounter with what we now call pornographic literature:

Thence homeward by coach and stopped at Martins my bookseller, where I saw the French book which I did think to have had for my wife to translate, called L’ escholle de Filles; but when I came to look into it, it is the most bawdy, lewd book that ever I saw, rather worse than putana errante — so that I was ashamed of reading in it …

Thence away to the Strand to my bookseller’s, and there stayed an hour and bought that idle, roguish book, L’ escholle des Filles; which I have bought in plain binding (avoiding the buying of it better bound) because I resolve, as soon as I have read it, to burn it, that it may not stand in the list of books, nor among them to disgrace them if it should be found …

Lords day. Up, and at my chamber all the morning and the office, doing business and also reading a little of L’ escholle des Filles, which is a mighty lewd book, but yet not amiss for a sober man once to read over to inform himself in the villainy of the world … We sang till almost night, and drank my good store of wine; and then they parted and Ito my chamber, where I did read through L’ escholle des Filles; a lewd book, but what doth me no wrong to read for information sake (but it did hazer my prick para stand all the while, and una vez to decharger); and after I had done it, I burned it, that it might not be among my books to my shame; and so at night to supper and then to bed. (Pepys, 1976, IX, pp. 21–2, 57–9)