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Library Faculty and Staff Publications University of Kentucky Libraries
1987
Restoration Satire
Kate Seago
University of Kentucky, kseago@email.uky.edu
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Seago, Kate, "Restoration Satire" (1987). Library Faculty and Staff Publications. 24.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/libraries_facpub/24
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Restoration Satire
Notes/Citation Information
Published in Five Views of an Age: A Selection of Late Seventeenth Century Pamphlets from Ellis Library's
Rare Book Room. p. 11-15.
In 1988, this article received Honorable Mention in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of ACRL
exhibition catalog competition.
Kate Seago received the publisher's permission for posting this article online.
This article is available at UKnowledge: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/libraries_facpub/24
Restoration Satire
nglish satire flourished during the latter half of the seven-
teenth century. There were imitators of the Roman satirists,
Horace and Juvenal, writers of the traditional verse satire,
and those writing in prose who used satire as a weapon in
various political and religious controversies. This last is the
major difference between Restoration satire and the earlier
Elizabethan and Jacobean. There is a definite preference during this period
for attacking the personalities of the day or one's adversary personally
rather than holding up certain human types (for example, the fop) to
ridicule.
This collection, because of its emphasis on the historical rather than the
literary, lacks good examples of close imitators of the Roman satirists,
although Gold's Love Given Over uses a theme common to the Roman
satirists. Furthermore, many of the Restoration satirists use allusions from
the Classical tradition in their works.
There are, however, several examples of the traditional verse satire.
Many of these works are eighteenth century reprints rather than first
editions. Dryden, Oldham, and Rochester are among those represented.
Oldham's Spenser's Ghost, in fad, fulfills the narrowest definition of
satire-a poem in which prevailing foiiies or vices are held up for ridicule.
Oldham's folly is that of attempting to be a poet, despite all the difficulties
listed.
The greater share of the seventeenth century satires are in prose and
follow the broader definition of a satire as "biting wit, irony, or sarcasm
used to expose vice or folly". These prose satires have no particular style.
They can be mock wills, funeral sermons, or aiiegories veiling their point in
a story, or even a vindication which ridicules rather than praises. TheSe
satires often have a bitter and violent edge to them since they are generally
designed as attacks on specific individuals. For this reason, they are often
difficult to understand since they assume the reader is acquainted with
contemporary events and people. Some, like The Sick Popes Last Will and
Testament, can be appreciated with little knowledge of the period, while
others aimed at Titus Oates or Roger L:Estrange require some knowledge of
the events of the time in order for them to be appreciated.
Satire in ail of its various forms played a major role in England during
this period. In addition, it influenced the English satirists of the next
century, men such as Swift and Pope.
This pamphlet contains works by two of the better known satirists of the Dryden, John. MacFlecknoe, a
seventeenth century. The first work, MacFlecknoe by John Dyrden, is written Poem: with Spencer's Ghost, Being a
in a mock epic style and may have served as a model for Pope's Dunciad. In Satyr Concerning Poetry by).
Oldham. London: Printed by H.
MacFlecknoe, Dryden attacks only one rival, Thomas Shadweii, a fellow Hills, and sold by the booksellers
author and one time friend of Dryden's whose support of the Whigs Jed to a of London and Westminster,
bitter feud between him and Dryden. 1709.
The second work, Spencer's Ghost, is by John Oldham. Oldham was
probably the leading satirist of his day and he demonstrates why in this
playful satire on the profession of the poet. In this poem, Spenser's shade
returns to warn Oldham against becoming a poet, and lists all the pitfalls of
the profession such as lack of rewards and respect. The shade's words fail
on deaf ears for, as he points out, a man who succumbs to the Muse is a lost
cause.
11
Gould/ Robert. Love Given Over/ Women have frequently been a subject of satirists. Gould's poem,
or, A Satyr Against the Pride, Lust, originally published in 1680, is a biting, occasionally obscene diatribe against
and Inconstancy, &c.: with Sylvia's
Revenge, or, A Satyr Against Man,
women reminiscent of Juvenal's sixth satire. Gould drew not only on
in Answer to the Satyr Against Classical tradition, but also on Biblical tradition, using Eve as the first
Women. London: Printed and sold example of the faults women have. Nor was Gould the only seventeenth
by H. Hills, 1710. century satirist to use women as a subject. Rochester, Oldham and many
others found the female sex a fertile topic for their caustic wit. This 1710
edition of Gould's work also provides an example of the other side of the
coin: satires against men. Sylvia's Revenge written by Richard Ames in 1688 in
essence reverses the traditional charges levelled against women, (for
example, inconstancy), and applies it to men. Ames, although seemingly
defending women in Sylvia's Revenge, was no feminist and would later write
The Folly of Love, a vitrolic attack on women.
Rochester, john Wilmot, Earl of. This title contains three poems originally written in the seventeenth
The History of Insipids, a Lampoon century. The first two are attributed to John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester.
. with His Farewell, 1680: Rochester in many ways epitomizes the dissolute, rakish courtiers who
Together with Marvil's Ghost, by
Mr. Ayloff. London: Printed and surrounded Charles II. Rochester's biting and often malicious wit earned
sold by H. Hills ... , 1709. him several enemies and occasionally his sovereign's disfavor. Here, Roches-
ter has turned his brilliant wit on Charles II and the notables of his court.
The last poem, "Marvil's Ghost," is a satire on the Stuarts in general.
Marvil refers to Andrew Marvell, a satirist of the period, who was an ardent
republican and no friend of the Stuarts. John Ayloff, the author, was
executed for his role in the Rye House Plot, an assassination plot against
Charles II and his brother, the Duke of York.
The Sick Pope's Last Will and A spectre which haunted seventeenth century England and caused many
Testament: with His Several Legacies of the anti-Catholic outbursts was the fear that the Pope through some
Left to His Dear Children the fesuites devious means would find a way to gain control over England, either by a
and Others. [London: 1680] Catholic succeeding to the throne or by an outright coup d'etat. The Pope was
perceived by Englishmen to be a tyrannical foreign monarch who desired to
enslave them. The will begins as follows: "Being very crasie in Body, but
extremely sick in mind ..." and continues with several bequests demon-
strating many of the beliefs held about the Pope and the various Catholic
Orders. It bequeaths to the Franciscans "six Fardels of hypocrisies, and
seven chests of Franciscan lies," but to the hospitals within his jurisdiction a
mere three half pence.
12
Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury had a long and illustrious Grimalkin, or, The Rebel-Cat: a
career, serving not only as a councilor to Cromwell but also as Lord Novell Representing the Unwearied
Councilor to Charles II. His championship of the Duke of Monmouth as a Attempts of the Beasts of His Faction
Against Sovereignty and Succession
successor to Charles eventually led to his downfall. Nevertheless, the Earl of Since the Death of the Lyons in the
Shaftesbury whether holding office or not was a force to be reckoned with Tower. London: Printed for the
in politics for a large part of the seventeenth century. Shaftesbury' s political author, 1681.
involvement, particularly with Monmouth, gave the satirists ample material
for their pen as these examples indicate. Grimalkin, or The Rebel Cat written in
The Last Will and Testament of
1680 uses cat imagery to describe intrigues involving Charles II, Shaftesbury, Anthony King of Poland. [London]:
and Monmouth. Shaftesbury is described as "the Cat as being believed by Printed for S. Ward, 1682.
all a subtle, sly, shifting creature ..." The last two also concern Shaftesbury' s
attempt to make the Duke of Monmouth the heir of Charles II. He is
represented as the King of Poland, an empty title to the Englishmen of the A Modest Vindication of the Earl of
S ... y, in a letter to a Friend
period. Both satires also depict the men who supported Shaftesbury. For Concerning his Being Elected King of
example, in The Last Will and Testament of Anthony King of Poland, john Poland. London: Printed for
Dryden is depicted as his poet laureate. Smith, Bookseller in Chief to his
Majesty Elect of Poland, 1681.
POX LACH'R,YM.IE•
.
A
I
SE RMON 1
! w~~;~~s:h~all'
I UPON THE
IFU~~H~AL
I Famous T. 0.
Doc To a of Salamantha.
·By Elepb~n:-s,~;;T;,~h¥~~:k~~-)a~'~nworthy La-
,I bonrer in the Affairs of the Good Old Canfe.
; Printed at Francfort, for the bencf~t of the F~ithful there,
, and for the Saints under the Covenant m Scotl11nd;
1 1 but morecfpeckll!y recommended to the Brethren in
Engl;md. 1 6 8 1.
.t Reprinted at Lwdon for I'. Davies. 'I 6 8 z.,.
Titus Oates was an unappealing man who styled himself D.O. of A Modest Vindication &c. (Not
Salamanca. He came to prominence in 1678 as the man who uncovered a printed before 1678).
conspiracy among the Catholics to assassinate Charles II and establish a
Catholic government. This so-called conspiracy and the hysteria it created Underhill_ Cave. Vox Lachrymae: A
became known as the Popish Plot. Although his testimony sent several to Sermon Newly Held Forth at
the gallows, Titus Oates was eventually shown to be a perjurer. His Weavershall, Upon the Funeral of the
detractors used his invented title of Doctor of Salamanca as a means to Famous T.O., Doctor of Salamancha.
ridicule him. They also turned to various forms of satire. In The Modest London: Reprinted forT. Davies,
1682.
Vindication &c., the satirist uses allegory to paint an unflattering view of
Oates as a wandering hermit. Underhill, writing as Elephant Smith, the
claspmaker and unworthy labourer in the affairs of the good old cause,
chose a funeral sermon as his method of attack. The sermon is complete
with text (from Hudibrus Canto rather than the Bible) and epitaph.
Unfortunately, it was a bit premature as Oates did not die until 1705.
13
!:Estrange, Roger. A Hue and Cry Roger I: Estrange was more of a controversialist than a satirist. In his feuds
After Dr. T.O. London: Printed for with various opponents, he often used satire as a means to make his
Alex. Banks, 1681. opponent appear ridiculous. l:Estrange's most bitterly fought contest was
with Titus Oates and his fellow informers involved in the Popish Plot.
L'Estrange, Roger. Discovery Upon l:Estrange was one of the few who sought to expose Oates during the
Discovery: in Defence of Doctor height of the Popish Plot. In his attempt to expose Oates, satire was a
Oates Against B. W.'s Libellous weapon he often wielded. The first example is a seemingly light-hearted
Vindication of Him, in His wanted notice for Oates. A Hue and Cry for Dr. T.O. gives a description of the
Additional Discoven; and in
Justification of L'Estrange Against the habits and haunts of Oates. The second satire is not quite so light-hearted.
Same Libel in a Letter to Doctor Although purporting to defend Oates against the 'detractions' of a vindication
Titus Oates. The second edition. of him, this work succeeds in blackening Oates's character even further.
London: Printed for Henry Brome
... , 1680.
Mowbray, Lawrence. The This satire is a by-product of l:Estrange's controversy with Titus Oates.
Portraicture of Roger L'Estrange Lawrence, in his work, turns the tables on l:Estrange and satirizes him. He
Drawn to the Life as it was Taken in accused l:Estrange of being Catholic and involved with the Popish Plot, and
the Queens Chappel. London: 1681.
in fact borrows from Miles Prance's L' Estrange a Papist, one of several works
written to malign l:Estrange' s character.
The English Guzman, or, Captain Informers were an unpleasant fact of life during the Restoration,
Hiltons Memoirs: with Several Other particularly during the hysteria of the Popish Plot in which several innocent
of the Grand Informers. London: people were prosecuted simply on the word of informers. This work is a
Printed for R. Oswel, 1683.
bitter indictment against those who informed against Catholics and dissenters.
In addition, the author of this work has followed a common practice of the
period. He has modelled his work on someone else's. The Guzman in the
title refers to Guzman de Alfarache, the hero of a romance by Mateo
Aleman. Aleman, like his English copier, included a sarcastic commentary
with his hero's adventures.
Musae Ludentes in Ludovicum XIV, France, particularly during the latter half of the seventeenth century, was
Galliae Regem Cogomine Magnum England's bitterest adversary, so it is not surprising to find Louis XIV the
Hostem Imperii Romano Germanici subject of a satire. The satirist, drawing on Suetonius's Twelve Caesars,
Maximum: Ab Aliquot Retro Annis
Collectae & in Scenam Productae an created a mocking biography of Louis XIV, complete with fulsome and
MDCLXXXIX. 1689. overdone praise.
Atwood, William. A Speech Originally appended to Atwood's Ius Anglorum ab Antiquo, this work
According to the Answerer's formed part of Atwood's defense of William Peyt's Antient Right of the
Principles, Made for Parliament at Commons of England Asserted against an attack by Robert Brady. Brady's reply
Oxford. London: 1681.
to Peyt revealed his anti-parliamentarian views, which are ridiculed in this
mockery of a scholarly work which is characterized by many unnecessary
citations and Latin phrases.
14
-]i!i.illlll!UimO"""""""""""'''~'"--------------------------------------------------.,..
William III ruled England from 1689 to 1702 and gained the respect, if not A Satyr Upon King William: Being
love of the English, particularly after the chaotic reign of James II whose the Secret History of His Life and
Catholicism and high-handedness lost him the crown. Although satirical Reign. Third edition. London:
1703.
works on rulers are by no means uncommon, this work is unique, since it is
in fact a eulogy for William III, while stating on nearly every page its
intention to satirize the king. It is certainly a telling tribute to William III-a
satire that cannot ridicule, but praises instead.
This satire, probably published at the very end of the seventeenth A Collection of Several Pictures by
century, appears to be a small exhibition catalog listing works to be viewed. the Best Hands which were Lately to
A closer look reveals that the artists are notables of Queen Anne's reign and be Viewed Adjoining to the Court of
Requests: And When the town Fills,
the titles of their works are telling phrases about their character and Will Be Exhibited There Again to
accomplishments. For example, this exhibit includes A Judas by L. B-11---broke. Publick View. [Great Britain: 17?].
Bolingbroke was infamous for his wavering between the Jacobites and the
Whigs. Although contemporary readers may have found this work easy to
decipher, the author's penchant for initials instead of full names and the
emphasis on Classical allusions make it challenging to present-day readers.
15
