JOHN HAWKESWORTH

John Hawkesworth (1715-1773) was an English writer. He was born in London, where he was co-editor, with Samuel Johnson, of the journal The adventurer. He edited the works of Swift (1754-1755) and adapted several literary works for theatre. In 1773 he published the account of Captain Cook’s journeys. He was strongly influenced by the work of Samuel Johnson.

The fragments:

The story of Almoran and Hamet (1761) belongs to the genre of the moral/ didactic tale and was inspired by the tendency to situate and explore moral dilemmas in an Eastern – that is, non-Christian – setting which was quite common in 18th century literature. The story is about the two sons of the sultan of Persia, who after their father’s death, compete for the rule of the empire. They have opposite characters: Hamet is gentle, patient, forbearing and thoughtful, while Almoran is volatile, irascible and haughty. Other figures are the sage Omar and the gorgeous Almeida. Almoran, eager to appropriate power and Almeida, conspires against Hamet and is helped by a genie who gives him a talisman enabling him to change his appearance with Hamet. The story has a strongly moral and elevating purport and philosophizes about human character and the struggle between good and evil. In that sense it is typical of a strand within the genre of the Oriental tale, making use of motifs from the Thousand and one nights, such as the genie, the talisman, metamorphosis, and the setting of the palace.

‘Almoran and Hamet,’ in: Robert L. Mack (ed.), Oriental tales, Oxford University Press, Oxford etc. 1992, pp. 38-100.