Preface

Preface Culledfromthemanyexcellentpaperspresentedatthenationaland regionalmeetingsoftheAmericanSocietyforEighteenth-CenturyStud- iesanditsaffiliates,thefifteenessaysthatmakeupvolume23ofStudies inEighteenth-CenturyCultureepitomizethediversityofdisciplines, methodologies,andprofessionalaffiliationsthatarecontainedwithin theeighteenth-centurystudiescommunity.Whethercreativelyreinter- pretingafamiliarfigureorintroducingalittleknownpersonalityor manuscript,theessaysarealsorepresentativeofthethemesandissues thatcurrentlyengageeighteenth-centuryscholars.Traversingsuperfi- ciallydisparateterrains,ourfifteenauthorsventurefromtheunder- groundworldofartcriticismtothe"littleworld"ofadvertising,from AmericanbattlefieldstoTurkishbaths,fromafairy-talecourttothe sphereof"domesticpolitics." Commontoalloftheessaysisaninterestinchallengestoeighteenth- centuryorthodoxiesandauthorities.Issuesofauthority,class,andgen- derintersectintheworkofBohls,Thaddeus,Runte,andKowaleski- Wallace,whiletheconflictbetweenclassandcommerceisexploredby BriggsandDykstal,aswellasKowaleski-Wallace.Thedynamicbetween aestheticdiscourseandauthorityisexaminedbyFort,Adler,Böhm, Bohls,andIrving.Selig,inturn,analyzestheAmericanRevolutionary War'simplicationsformilitaryorthodoxy.Thedebateoverthebalance betweenmindandbodyispursuedbyAubrey,Böhm,Bohls,andVila. ThetensionbetweenfaithandreasonengagesRosaandParnell.Collec- tivelyexploringtheparadoxesandcontradictionsoftheeighteenth- centurycosmos,ourauthors'thoughtfulreflectionsenhanceourunder- standingofthecomplex,oftencontentiousinterplayofvarious componentsofthisrevolutionary"ageofreason." Mythankstotheauthorsfortheirsplendidcooperationthroughout theeditorialprocess.Theexperiencehasbeenmostgratifying.Iamalso deeplyindebtedtoAssociateEditor,SyndyConger,theEditorialBoard, andtoallofthereviewersfortheircarefulandexpeditiousevaluationsof themanyfineessaysthatweresubmittedforSECCsconsideration.My xiii xiv/Preface verybestwishestooutgoingBoardmembers,LarryLipkingandKarl Fink.Workingwiththemhasbeenadistinctpleasure.Iwouldalsolike tothankmygraduateassistants,MarkKarauandJustinHoffman,for theirdiligenceinpreparingthevolumeforthepressandRobertUphaus ofColleaguesPressforhispatienceandhelpfuladvice.Finally,my thankstoMarquetteUniversityforitsfinancialsupportofthisenter- prise. CariaH.Hay March 1993 ...