"the (unnatural) trade", 1728

[Jonathan Lighter]

The lyrics alone render doubtful the professorially popular Cultural
Theorist claim that "homosexuality" is a construct of the late 19th C.  But
perhaps I'm simplifying.

I believe I said something similar a few years back regarding the apparent
etymology of "bad" from an OE word meaning "homosexual."

JL



On Fri, Aug 13, 2010 at 2:02 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

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> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      Re: "the (unnatural) trade", 1728
>
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>
> I have now verified the 1728 quotation.
>
> _A Genuine Narrative of all the Street Robberies Committed since
> October last, by James Dalton, And His Accomplices ..._.
> London, J. Roberts, 1728.
> page 42.
>
> [41] But before we quit this Subject, as an Amusement to the Reader,
> it may be some Entertainment to hear one of their Songs, which is
> sung at the Club by that charming Warbler, Miss Irons, besides which,
> there are several others, but they are [42] too ludicrous and filthy
> to admit of a Publication.  [Too bad.]
>      (1.)
> Let the Fops of the Town upbraid
> Us, for an unnatural Trade,
> We value not Man nor Maid;
>    But among our own selves we'll be free,
>       But among, &c.
> We'll kiss and we'll Sw---e,
> Behind we will drive,
> And we will contrive
>    New Ways for Lechery,
>       New Ways, &c.
>
> [In case it wouldn't be clear, the word "Behind" was set in italics.
> "Sw---e" must be "swive", "to copulate with", trans. in Chaucer,
> c1386, and intr. c1440.]
>
> Interdates 1680 -- 1937.
>
> Joel
>
> At 8/8/2010 11:37 AM, Joel S. Berson wrote:
> >Rictor Norton's __Mother Clap's Molly House_ (1992) alleges two
> >quotations for "trade" = prostitution:
> >
> >1)   c1693/1694, in a letter from Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl of
> >Sunderland, to Edward ("Beau") Wilson.  Sunderland accuses Wilson of
> >behaving like a harlot in "the Trade".  The source presumably is
> >_Love Letters Between a certain late Nobleman And the famous Mr.
> >Wilson_, 1723 ("In a collection of Tracts, British Library shelfmark
> >Cup. 363gg. 31 (1)."  In Norton: 38 and n.9.
> >
> >2)   1728.  "Let the Fops of the Town upbraid / Us for an unnatural
> >Trade".  James Dalton, _A Genuine Narative_ (London: 1728),
> >42-43.  [Available in ECCO.]  In Norton: 118.
> >
> >I have not confirmed either "trade" quotation.
> >
> >The OED has trade (n), sense 6.c, "prostitution", first in 1680, then
> >1937.  If confirmed, these would fill in the gap a little.
> >-----
> >
> >The Dalton may have additional pay-backs.  (It is presently the
> >source for 4 quotations in the OED, including "molly".)
> >
> >Author:  "Dalton, James, street-robber."
> >Title [somewhat fuller]: A genuine narrative of all the street
> >robberies committed since October last, : by James Dalton, and his
> >accomplices ... III. Some merry Stories of Dalton's biting the Women
> >of the Town, his detecting and exposing the Mollies, and a Song which
> >is sung at the Molly-Clubs: With other very pleasant and remarkable
> >Adventures. To which is added a *key to the canting language*,
> >occasionally made Use of in this Narrative.  [Emphasis added.]
> >
> >I note the "biting the Women of the Town".  This might mean "score a
> >trick" or "arrange for sex, possibly for money" (as alleged by Norton
> >elsewhere) -- or possibly "bite, n.", sense 1.i, "Slang phr. to put
> >the bite on: to borrow money from (someone); to ask (someone) for a
> >loan; also, to threaten, to blackmail, to extort money from. orig.
> >and chiefly U.S." -- but the  first quotation for this is "1933 D.
> >RUNYON Furthermore (1938)."
> >
> >Joel
> >
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