Gaskell's reference to Solomon Eagle
Gaskell’s reference to Soloman Eagle.
Within
Gaskell’s narration of the Davenport’s struggle with typhus fever, she notes
that Davenport. ‘Every now and then he started up in
his naked madness, looking like the prophet of wore in the fearful
plague-picture.’ Gaskell here, is referring to the painting Solomon Eagle
Exhorting the People by Paul Falconer.
The painting is based on the man Solomon, who had started as an English
composer in the 17th century and later turned to Quakerism and removed
himself from church music. Eagle was mentioned briefly in Defoe’s account of
the plague A Journal of the Plague Year, again in Samuel Pepys diary. Both
accounts refer to Solomon as raving, naked and insane.
As a Quaker in the 17th century Solomon was prosecuted
multiple times for civil disobedience, the Conventicle Act of 1664 declared
that worshipping with other Quakers was a dangerous and seditious activity. [1] The mention of such a
character in Gaskell’s work refers to not only her level of education but her
own religious views as she was part of the Unitarian church, another alternative
religion to Christianity. The image by Falconer is powerful and provides the
reader with a clearer idea of how vicious the fever was.
The date on the painting could also entail that Gaskell had
recently seen the painting and had sparked her to make the connection as
writers had previously.
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Solomon Eagle, Paul Falconer Poole 1807 - 1879 Museums Sheffield |
[1] The Diary of Samuel Pepys, ‘Solomon
Eccles, Pepysdiary, [accessed 20 July 2022]
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