History of English Literature

The Augustan Age (1660-1800)
Political And Social Background.

The Restoration Period (1660-1700)

It is essential to hold rare broad fact to follow the political events of the restoration period. Charles II and James II both were expected to control as absolute monarchs. They both were Roman Catholics, and Charles was private Catholic and James a free. And claimed one both aimed at restoring Catholicism in England. Charles II and James II were nephews of Louis XIV of France. They amassed secret support in carrying out their designs from the Grand Monarch. While Charles II and James II lagged. James's folly in openly undertaking to inflict Catholicism on England affected a revolution which gave rise to about his failure. In the civil war the parties, Cavaliers and roundheads overcame into the restoration period but under various names. 

The Cavalier became Tories. And those roundheads who enrolled the Anglican Church became whigs. The puritans known as Dissenters.

After the restoration of the monarchy the parliament which was called so warmly royalist. And Generous to the king. The harsh laws were made by his Chief Minister Clarendon against the heretics. Prohibited them public glorification omitted them from the government offices and subjected them to various other harassments. 

He was an extremely loyal partner to the king. A cycle of disasters brought about his disgrace. First of all the great ruin in London(1665). Secondly the great fire of London (1666). In the final the Dutch destruction of the English caravan in (1667). The scapegoat had been made by all of these Clarendon. He was ignored and pullback impeachment. He died in exile where he eloped to France. From the initial letters of the names of its members the new Ministry that claimed over known as the Cabal. These two were Roman Catholics. In England, this was the first effort in the king's design to rebuild Catholicism. With such authorization, he allocated a statement of luxury which destroyed the penal laws of the Clarendon code against dissenters, and Catholics. 

This was a clever action to free the Catholics, and Charles hoped that dissenters would be so grateful to earn the freedom of worship that they wouldn't challenge the same accommodation being given to the Catholics. He was mistaken in his calculations. The ruling effect was just to reverse of what he had wished. 

The nation detects through the Kings games and all Protestants dissenters as well as Anglicans Became United in their resistance to the king. The king suspecting the risk withdrew the announcement. This didn't appease the parliament. The test act was finished by them, which made it compulsory for every housekeeper of the crown to seize the sacrament according to the rites of the Anglican Church. The sentiment was so powerful against the Catholics that a mythical strategy was invented to concern them. One Titus Oates had given out the had uncovered a Catholic plot to topple the government and the church. This Popish plot was understood against all indication and many innocent Catholics were put to death. The whigs were completely roused. The Charles had not any kid. The James brother an open Catholic, England throne was so unpleasant that they compelled to exclude him from progression by bringing in the exclusion Bill. However, Charles was too smart for them. Charles melted the parliament in (1679) to impede the bill from being passed. And without parliament ordered for the remaining years of his life. To earning money as he needed from Louis XIV.

In 1685 Charles died and James achieved him. Even though Charles treacherous and fascinating was to be on the whole careful and discreet for he hadn't wished to go on his journeys again.  He had been eligible to do well for himself, and he hadn't pushed stuffs too far. James hadn't such diplomacy. He was adamant and courageous, and he tried openly to rebuild national Catholicism. 

Within six months of his ascending throne, there was a whig revolution under the duke of Monmouth. Charles's II son of an illegitimate who wanted to invade his father's crown for himself the Monmouth was committed and the revolt failed. Farcical sessions obeyed this. And Rebels merciless performances under a course of judges which is known as the 'Bloody Assize.” In breaking down the rebellion he motivated success. James became more courageous. He amassed an army of Irish Catholics, and Catholic elected teachers at Oxford and allocated another statement of Indulgence. In every church it read requesting. however, the judges were worried, the bishops were pardoned by them. When the time was tough, A son was born to James. This uneasy to people. The son could give rise to Catholic. They could not see another path but to get relieve of James entirely.

Mary and Anne were the daughters of James. They both raised as Protestants. Mary was married. William of Orange was the ruler of Holland and the Protestant. He was also the nephew of James. And he stood second in the progression to the English thrones after Anne and Mary. On the surprising birth of James's son, the throne was invented by English lineage to take over the William. 

In England (1688) an army secured with William. In 1689 William and Mary were confirmed, king and queen of England. In England, the Cavalier party did not crash a blow for James. But in Scotland, James's followers (Jacobite's), and to avoid William Ireland did put up a battle. William became captain of all James's Empires and their opposition was soon overcome.

James II destruction settled the topic of absolute monarchy forever. The domination of Parliament was organized bypassing into law the regulation of rights in 1689. It barely limited the kings power and laid down the Catholic could not be the king of England. It settles ended to religious persecution, bestowing everyone independence of religious notion and adoration. The press censorship against which Milton had roared in vain in his Aeropagitica ended in 1695 and was rebuilt, thus making it feasible for anybody to criticise the government. The territory of the uprising compromise between the Tories, and Whigs. On the freeway to modern democracy, it began England.

William III (1689-1702)

He was a wise and thoughtful minded king. He did not victimize people for their viewpoints, and he did not punish people who had disagreed him. The battle with France was the major circumstances of his empire. Louis's XIV power was a threat not only to his country Holland but for the entire Europe. William was the ruler of the Grand Alliance of European power against France. England supported William's conflict because of the defence of England was vital. Louis demonstrated England by announcing the passing of James's son. The death of the sickly, crazy, and the childless king of Spain Carles II. The tally Spanish bequest for his grandson Philip. 

The obtainment of France of the vast Spanish sovereignty in Europe, and the new world had been seriously worried about the balance of power in Europe, Louis challenged the communal European powers in what is known as the battle of Spanish succession 1701-1713. 

William was going to join this war when he died in 1702. Mary had already died in 1694, Anne clambered the throne. After a difficult and lengthy struggle between King and parliament, England had gained a victory.

The Restoration Period
Major writers, and their works. 

1 John Dryden.

He was born on August 19/1631 Aldwinkle Northamptonshire England.

He died on May 12/1700 London.

He was an English poet, literary critic and dramatist  who was so dominated the literary scene of his day that it came to be realized as the Age of Dryden. 

His Noteworthy Works.

1 Absalom and Achitophel.

2 Marriage -a-la-Mode. 

3 Mac Flecknoe. 

4 The conquest of Granada of the Spaniards.

5 King Arthur.

6 Annus Mirabilis.

7 To his sacred Majesty.

8 Secred love or the Maiden Queen.

9 The Medall.

10 Of Dramatic Poesie, an Essay.

2 William Congreve.

He was born on January 24/1670 Bardsey near Leeds Yorkshire, England.

He died on January 19/1729 London. 

He was an English dramatist who created the English comedy of behaviours.

His noteworthy works.

1 The Mourning Bride

2 The Way of the world

3 The Double-Dealer

4 The Old Bachelour 

5 Love of Love

3 John Milton.

He was Born on December/9/1608 London, England.

He Died on November 8/1674 in Chalfont st Giles England. He was an English Poet, Historian, and Pamphleteer. After William Shakespeare, he was supposed the most meaningful English Author.

His Noteworthy Works.

1 Comus.

2 Paradise Lost.

3 Areopagitica.

4 Samson Agonistes. 

5 Lycidas.

6 II Penseroso. 

7 LAllegro.

8 The Tenure of King and Magistrates.

9 On the fifth Of November.

10 Artis Logicae.

4 Aphra Behn.

She was Born on 1640 In Harbledown Kent England.

She died on April 6/1689 London. 

She was Fiction writer, English dramatist, and Poet. Who was the first English woman.

Her Noteworthy work.

1 Oroonoko.

2 The Rover. 

5 William Wycherley. 

He was born in 1641. 

And died on January 1/1716 London. 

He was English Dramatist.

His noteworthy work.

1 The country-wife.

2 The Gentleman Dancing master. 

3 Love in a wood or st James park.

4 The plain dealer.

The Augustan Age.

We enter with the restoration upon a scholarly period of approximately 150 years which is known as the Augustan Age. It includes the restoration period or the Age of Dryden. Virtually the whole of the 18th century is known as the Age of Queen Anne, the age of Pope, and the age of Johnson. The era Augustan emerged in Dr Johnson's use of it in his praise of Dryden's poetry. The Augustus said Rome of decorated. 

Maybe Dryden pertained to an easy conceit to embroider English poetry. Brick organized by him, and left it marble. Even though no one today assumes that Shakespeare and Milton are brick, and the Pope is a marble. 

The critics, and poets of the 18th century was truly believed that Virgil and Horace made the Age of Emperor Augustus. So, Dryden and Pope made their Glorious age.

This age is also known as age Classic or Neo-classic age. In this period the men of letters speculated that the nicest literary models were found among the writers of classical Rome and Greece. And that was the best aspect for them. They must obey the ordinances which were made by them. 

However, they pursued the Latin. Ancients named the codes to authority, i.e. the Latin was sacred and

must exist over particular ingenuity. It is not shocking. 

The Neo-classic literature should have the exact characteristics that define the Latin literature of the days of Augustus. It is a literature established upon intellect and reason, but not upon feeling and vision. In other terms, it is opposed to the romanticism of the preceding age as generously as the age that achieved it. It does not loom into the atmospheres or probe the dilemmas of life and death, but it maintains the common avenue of life. It is wary of courage. 

It would not all irregularity and demanding as it did a dead category of uniformity. It is the outcome of sharp and deliberate art. It's ideal was a reasonable sense. It favoured in poetry only one form of verse which locked heroic couplet. It had no curiosity in countryside natures elegance. This is the most puzzling aspect of the Augustan age. For the love of nature, and the countryside is deeply entrenched in the English people. It indicated in their literature of every other period. In the English Augustan, the justification fibs deliberate miniature of the Roman way of life. The jewel days of Rome were the centre of all civilised workout. The Romans as the Greeks speculated that city living was the only method of civilised validity. A region was created in cities and towns after conquered. 

This age is also called the age of reason because of these polished qualities. The qualities dear to the classical school is honourable for prose, and it is important that its greatest attainments in the realm of prose. It is the age of Bunyan, Dryden, Addison, Swift, Goldsmith, Johnson, Richardson fielding, Smollet and Sterne. The essay and novel is the most valuable contribution of the 18th century. The age saw the constitution of the modern newspaper and the magazine. Besides the essay and the novel. Still, there are many other kinds of stuff.

The greatest record in the English language we have to discuss.

The famous diary of Samuel Pepys, Boswells Life of Johnson and gentle woman montage. The letters of Chesterfield and Horace Walpole.

Exterior the literature proper. There are many work extraordinary merit in other fields. Such as Hume, the works of Locke, and Berkeley in the philosophy of restoration. Hume, and Gibbon in history. Succeeding title received this age is the age of prose. 

However, the age of prose has a depreciatory sense with reference to poetry for the poetry of this age is prosaic. Primarily it is contentious, satiric or didactic. Dryden and Pope are the tremendous poet, and they both are famous for their satires. The drama of this age also reveals its scholar qualities. It did not generate a tragedy for which poetry is vital.

Augustan Age Major Writers.

1 Alexander Pope.

He was born on May 21/1688 in London, England. And Died on May 30/1744 Twickenham near London. He was poet and Satirist of the English Augustan Era. 

His Noteworthy work.

1 The Dunciad.

2 An Essay on criticism. 

3 The rape of the lock.

4 An essay on man.

5 An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot. 

6 Eloisa to Abelard. 

7 Windsor Forest. 

8 The New Dunciad.

9 Memoirs of Martinus Scriblerus.

2 Jonathan Swift.

He was born on November 30/1667 in Dublin, Ireland. Died on October 19/1745 Dublin, he was Anglo-Irish author. 

His Noteworthy work.

1 Gulliver's Travels.

2 A tale of a tub.

3 Journal to tell. 

4 A modest proposal.

5 The conduct of the Allies.

6 Argument against Abolishing Christianity.

7 Drapier's Letters.

8 Vessels on the death of Dr Swift.

3 Joseph Addison.

He was born on May 21/1672

Milston Wiltshire England. Died on June 17/1719 London. He was an English essayist, poet, and dramatist. 

His Noteworthy work.

1 An Epistle to Dr Arbuthnot.

2 A poem to his Majesty.

3 A letter from Italy. 

4 Remarks on several parts of Italy.