Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense
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"Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense" as motto
This motto, derived from the full motto: Consacre a la Bienfaisance, Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense (= "Dedicated to charity, Evil to him who evil thinks"), was used often in the 19th century. Also on occasion serving as the name of certain companies.
The theatre company Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense in Cape Town
Villet's company
The full motto (Consacre a la Bienfaisance, Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense ) was originally utilized as by the first French-Dutch players in the Cape, best known as Het Fransche Liefhebbery Geselschap (or the French Amateur Company in English), founded by C.E. Villet. However the company never used this motto as the name for their company.
When C.E. Boniface became involved with the French Theatre Company in the period 1807-9, he apparently then shortened the motto to Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense and this was possibly as informal name for the company as well.
The Multilingual company
With the collapse of the French Theatre Company and the founding of the Dutch Company Tot Nut en Vermaak , the shortened version of the motto, Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense, formally became the name of the bilingual company in 1814, when it was first used in the advertisment for the Boniface's ballet Sappho. (First official performance July 4, 1815. The ballet was a mixture of dialogue, song and dance; music by Lemmig; choreography by Peterson.) It was an extremely disciplined and influential multilingual French-Dutch-English company, which performed in Dutch, French, English, or a combination thereof. It was nevertheless overshadowed by Tot Nut en Vermaak, especially during 1817-18. In 1819 it became part of Men Doet Wat Men Kan.
Boniface's company
In 1823 they performed as "Honi" again, now with C.E. Boniface as formal manager. Also later referred to as Het Zuid-Afrikaansche Tooneel Gezelschap or The South African Amateurs in most adverts. "Honi" became Door Yver Bloeit de Kunst in 1833 and eventually Vlyt en Kunst in 1834-1837. All in all had an enormous impact on the development of Boniface's art and on the Afrikaans theatre in particular.
The company members
According to W.G. Groom (quoted by F.C.L. Bosman, 1928, p 372) the key members of the company - besides C.E. Boniface himself - included Jannie Overbeek, Michael Wolff, Jan Smalberg, P. Auret, L.P. Biel, G. Martin, Miss Roselt, Miss de Necker, possibly L.H. Meurant. From handbills can be added the names of B. van de Sandt, D. Disant, H. Roselt, W. Brandt, F. Waldek, De la Sablonière, A. de Waal, W. Burnet, R.S. Allemann, De la Colline, J. Terhoven, A. de Kock, J. de Kock, K. de Kock, J. Herholdt, C. Brink, Mr Munnik, J.J. Piton, and Miss L.E. Meurant. In addition there were many dancers who performed for his company.
Productions
De Burger Edelman on 28 May 1825
De Vrouw met Twee Mannen (Pixérecourt) and The Liar (Foote) on 15 October 1825.
Celina, of Het Kind des Geheims (Pixérécourt) and De Dolzinnige, of De Gewaande Dolleman (Boniface) on 6 October 1823.
The theatre company Honi Soit qui Mal y Pense in Grahamstown
Graham’s Town Theatrical Amateur Society [sic], which used the same motto from 1837-1839.
Sources
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928[1]
F.C.L. Bosman, 1980
Jill Fletcher, 1994;
P.W. Laidler, 1926;
P.J. du Toit, 1988
[TH, JH]
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