There was an article in one of the Sunday papers last week about the
artist William Hogarth, who - many freaks point out - was the man behind The
Rakes Progress. The Rakes P is actually a series of 9 paintings (ok, I thought
it was a book).  A rake is a 'debauchee or immoral man', as my dictionary
would have it,  and the paintings tell the story of the young man who is
heir to his father's estate, but who squanders all the money and gambles to
repay his creditors, whilst getting even further in debt.  Eventually he
ends up in a debtors prison with a fainting mistress and her illegitimate
child, with more people demanding their money from him.
(Paul Walmsley)