Mary Davys, The Accomplish'd Rake, Or Modern Fine Gentleman

Martha F. Bowden (Kennesaw State University)

Ed. by Janet Todd, University of Cambridge
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1727

Places

Ireland, Republic of (Eire) (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

Save to Bookshelf

Sir John Galliard, the hero of the ironically titled

The Accomplish’d Rake, or Modern Fine Gentleman

by Mary Davys, has all the ingredients of an eighteenth-century rake: he is handsome, rich, independent, clever, and misogynist. Davys carefully prepares the background for his character: his father dies when he is young, leaving him in the hands of an attractive but inattentive mother who is a female rake. When he discovers her in bed with a footman, he declares his detestation of all women, whom he sets out to punish for her sake: “I am now so far let into Women’s Frailty, that the whole Race of Mankind should cease e’er I would endeavour to increase my own Species”.

Teachwell, his tutor, wishes him to go to Cambridge, his father’s alma mater (and the location of Mary

Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution (see List), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions.

2387 words

Citation: Bowden, Martha F.. "The Accomplish'd Rake, Or Modern Fine Gentleman". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 August 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16841, accessed 22 November 2024.]

Mary Davys, The Accomplish'd Rake, Or Modern Fine Gentleman

Dates

Places

Genres and Modes

Resources

Save this article

Leave Feedback