Restoration Literature

1
Restoration Literature

• Lecture One
• Introduction

2
Time of Enormous Change

• two revolutions,
• a religious revolt
• great strides in learning.

3
Great Writers Flourish

• Milton
• Pope
• Dryden
• Swift
• Behn

4
Where Does the Term Restoration Come from?

• In 1649, King Charles I was executed by the
  Parliament
• From 1649-1660 England was ruled by the Lord High
  Protector, Oliver Cromwell and Parliament.
• This period is called the Interregnum

5
The Restoration

• For a number of reasons England wanted no more of
  protectorates
• Asked Charles II, the executed kings son, to
  come back to England and rule.

6
First Stuart King

• James VI and I, King of Scotland and England.
• Came to the throne 1603 when his cousin,
  Elizabeth I, the last Tudor monarch, died
• Died 1625

7
Martyred King

• Charles I
• married Henrietta Marie de Bourbon, daughter of
  the King of France
• Executed January 30, 1649

8
Restored King

• Charles II
• only 19 when his father is executed
• restored to the throne May 1660
• died 1685

9
Exiled King

• James II, brother of Charles II
• Married first, Lady Anne Hyde
• Married second, Princess Maria de Modena
• Abdicated 1688
• Died in Paris, 1701

10
Englands Only Co-regnants

• Mary II and William III
• Mary is the daughter of James II and Lady Anne
  Hyde, Duchess of York.
• William is the son of King Charles II and King
  Jamess sister Mary and her husband Willem II,
  prince of Orange-Nassau
• Mary died 1694
• William died 1702

11
The Last Stuart Monarch

• Anne, younger daughter of James II and Lady Anne
  Hyde, Duchess of York.
• Died childless in 1714
• Passed the throne on to her cousins in the House
  of Orange from Hanover.

12
Simplified Reasons for Civil War

• The economic interests of the urban middle class
  coincided with religious (Puritan) ideology and
  this conflicted with
• The traditional (agrarian) economic interests of
  the Crown and the allied Anglican Church.

13
Confused by Christianity?

• If you are not up on the variations of
  Christianity, I firmly suggest you look at
• Fu Jen English Depts World Religion pages

14
Who are the Puritans?

• A generalization, as there are wide variances in
  this group.
• Included the Presbyterians, Independents,
  Congregationalists, Baptists, Quakers. Most of
  these religions are some form of Calvinism.
• Not only did the Puritans wish to purify
  themselves, they also strove to "purify" both the
  English church and society of the remnants of
  "corrupt" and "unscriptural" "papist" ritual and
  dogma.

15
What are Papists?

• Derogatory term!
• Papist refers to those who follow the Pope, in
  other words, Roman Catholics.
• For the Puritans, Roman Catholics were worse than
  unbelievers.
• Puritans believed that Roman Catholics were
  actually following the Anti-Christ in the shape
  of the Pope, and at heart, they were nothing more
  than idol worshippers.

16
What does this mean for individuals?

• In a broad sense, Puritanism represented strict
  obedience to the dictates of conscience and
  strong emphasis on the virtue of self-denial.

17
Puritanism and Art

• Its not that they didnt like art, though they
  were traditionally anti-theater (which for them
  represented lying and immorality).
• But art should glorify God.
• One of Englands greatest poets, Milton, was a
  staunch Puritan.

18
Puritanism and Wealth

• Puritanism encouraged an essentially practical
  attitude to worldly affairs.
• success at business was a visible sign of Gods
  blessing and approval.
• You might want to look at some of Max Webers
  writings on Puritanism and the rise of
  capitalism, if you like this stuff

19
Where Does that Leave Art?

• Art encourages contemplative virtues, which the
  practical Puritan was inclined to view as
  unnecessary, therefor frivolous, therefor
  sinful.

20
The Inner Light

• Puritans believed that the good life could only
  be lived by the inner light - the voice of God
  in the heart - and to hear this voice it was
  necessary to conduct the most scrupulous
  self-inquiry.

21
Spiritual Auto-biography

• From this came a form of literature known as the
  spiritual autobiography, which became very
  popular during this period.
• John Bunyans Grace Abounding To The Chief Of
  Sinners is one of the most famous examples. (can
  be found in the Norton)

22
Two Consequences

• Increased interest in, and understanding of, the
  human heart in others as well as in the self (see
  Pilgrims Progress)
• Encouraged the sense of loneliness of the
  individual - a sense supported by the growing
  economic individualism of the late 17th century

23
Puritan Values in England

• Puritanisms influence in England peaked during
  Cromwells rule, but it many of its principals
  had become firmly entrenched in the middle class
  during this period.
• As a result, English and Scottish culture are
  heavily influenced by the Puritan ethic.

24
Cavaliers vs. Roundheads

• Cavaliers - nickname for the Royalist side
• Cavalier poetry by Lovelace and Suckling among
  others
• Cavaliers are seen as brave, graceful and witty

• Roundheads - nickname of the Puritans
• Seen as dull, boring and religious
• Remember, they ultimately lost the battle, so
  our view is colored.

25
The Royalists Loose

• King Charles I executed

Contemporary engraving of the execution of
Charles I. He is already being seen as a martyr.
26
Psychological Impact

• Killing an anointed king shocked and appalled
  much of the English population.
• Just last year yet another film was made about
  the execution.

Rupert Everett as Charles I in To Kill a King.
Cromwell was played by Tim Roth.
27
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658)

• Given the title Lord High Protector
• Former general in charge of Parliaments New
  Model Army

28
England under Cromwell

• Closed the theaters.
• Closed many of the inns.
• Many sports were banned.
• Swearing was fined, though if you kept up at it,
  you could end up in jail.

29
Sundays are Holy Days

• Sunday, as the Lords Day, became a special day.
  
• If boys were found playing ball on a Sunday, they
  could be whipped.
• Any kind of unnecessary work could result in a
  fine.
• If women did unnecessary work on a Sunday, they
  could end up in the stocks.
• Taking a walk for pleasure, unless you were
  headed to church, could end you up with a fine.

30
No More Papist Feast Days

• Instead of the frequent saints feast days that
  people celebrated, Cromwell instituted a
  once-a-month fast day when people couldnt eat at
  all.

31
Changes to Christmas

• Many Christmas practices are rooted in paganism,
  so Christmas celebrations were banned.
• Cromwell wanted people to remember that it was
  the birth of Christ that they should be
  celebrating, not fun, games and frivolity.
• Having a Christmas feast won you punishment, and
  soldiers were sent out to snatch the cooking
  goose if they found one.
• Traditional decorations like holly and ivy were
  banned.

32
Modesty in Dress

• Women and girls should dress modestly as it says
  in the Bible.
• Their hair should be covered, and make-up was
  forbidden.
• If a soldier saw a woman out with make-up, he
  would forcibly scrub it off of her face.
• Colorful clothes were also banned, so most women
  wore black, grey or dark blue dresses that were
  very simple.
• They would have white aprons and headcovers.

33
Modesty for Men, Too

• Men adopted severe, dark dress
• plain, short hair styles

34
Macauley Quote

• "It was a sin to hang garlands on a Maypole, to
  drink a friend's health, to fly a hawk, hunt a
  stag, to play at chess, to wear lovelocks, to put
  starch into a ruff, to touch the virginals a
  predecessor of the piano, to read the Fairy
  Queen.--Rules such as these, rules which would
  have appeared insupportable to the free and
  joyous spirit of Luther, and coutemptible to the
  serene and philosophical intellect of Zwingle,
  threw over all life a more than monastic gloom.
  The learning and eloquence by which the great
  reformers had been eminently distinguished, and
  to which they had been, in no small measure,
  indebted for their success, were regarded by the
  new school of Protestants with suspicion, if not
  with aversion. Some teachers had scruples about
  teaching the Latin grammar because the names of
  Mars, Bacchus, and Apollo occurred in it. The
  fine arts were all but proscribed. The solemn
  peal of the organ was superstitious. The light
  music of Ben Jonson's masques was dissolute. Half
  the fine paintings in England were idolatrous,
  and the other half indecent."

35
Richard Cromwell, the Heir

• Richard was an unlikely successor, coming to
  prominence only because his two elder brothers
  both died before their father. Having previously
  sat in parliament, but only having joined the
  Council of State a year before his appointment as
  Protector, he had neither the political
  experience nor the interest required to maintain
  his position. He gave it up with little
  hesitation, resigning or "abdicating" after a
  demand by the Parliament. This was the beginning
  of a short period of restoration of the
  Commonwealth of England, but led to a state of
  anarchy that resulted in the return of the exiled
  King Charles II and the restoration. Unlike his
  father, Richard was not held accountable for the
  death of King Charles I. He retired to obscurity,
  going into exile on the Continent under the
  soubriquet of "John Clarke", but returning in
  1680 to live out the remainder of his life in
  Britain.

36
The King Restored

• When Richard abdicated, people longed for the
  stability of the monarchy.
• Charles was recalled
• Not without political machinations

37
Act of Indemnity and Oblivion

• Charles granted an amnesty to Cromwells
  supporters
• Not covered under this act were the judges and
  officials involved in his fathers trial and
  execution.

38
The Regicides

• At that time 41 of the 59 signers of the kings
  death warrant were still alive. Fifteen of them
  fled William Goffe, John Dixwell, and Edward
  Whalley went to New England several went to
  Germany and Holland and Edmund Ludlow and four
  others went to Switzerland. Some were able to
  convince Charles II that they had had little to
  do with his fathers trial and that they were
  loyal to the monarchy, and they were reprieved.
  Nine of those who signed the warrant and four
  others closely connected with the trial were
  hanged. Six others, who were deemed less
  politically dangerous, were imprisoned for life
  some were later reprieved.

39
Restoration

• In May of 1660, Charles II finally came back to
  England.
• He arrived in London to great cheering and joy on
  his 30th birthday.

40
Repealing Cromwells Laws

• One of the first things Charles did when he
  returned was to repeal all of Cromwells laws.
• Inns reopened, theaters reopened, sports started
  up again, and life in England became merry
  again.

41
Political Pamphlets

• There was a thriving pamphlet culture.
• Pamphlets were anonymous political tracts put
  out about all kinds of political questions.
• The pamphlets had to be anonymous because of the
  strict censorship laws
• Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe, Delariver Manley
  wrote pamphlets

42
Charles II (1630-1685)

• He is probably best known as a ladies man

43
Lucy Walter

• Lucy Walter, mother of James Scott, the Duke of
  Monmouth.
• Lucy died in 1658, before Charless triumphant
  return to England
• By then, Lucy and Charles had split and she lived
  a squalid, loose life.
• Shortly before she died, Charles actually had his
  9-year-old son, James, kidnapped from her and
  brought to his mother in France.
• Though this sounds cruel, Lucy soon died of
  venereal disease, a terrible death, so it was
  probably for the best.

44
Many Mistresses

• During his reign Charles had twelve other
  important mistresses
• Seven bore him children.
• He had fourteen acknowledged children.

45
No Legitimate Children

• Charles married Catherine of Braganza, the
  Infanta of Portugal, in 1662
• never had children,
• though by all accounts, the king and queen were
  happily married.

Queen Catherine
46
Why James as Heir is a Problem?

• James was a Roman Catholic.
• There was still great dear and suspicion against
  Catholics in England, and the people did not want
  a Catholic king.

47
James as King

• James II came to the throne on a wave of popular
  sentiment after his brothers death in 1685
• in three short years he was deposed by his own
  Protestant daughter and son-in-law.

James II
48
Religious Problems

• Whether or not one chose the right religion meant
  the difference between spending eternity in
  Heaven or Hell.
• If the government did not support the proper
  religion, in their eyes it could mean the
  difference between a nation having Gods blessing
  or not.

49
Charless Balancing Act

• Charles almost always successfully balanced the
  official Church of England Protestantism with the
  more radical brand of Puritan Protestantism on
  one side and Roman Catholicism on the other.

50
The Yorks as Catholics

• Jamess Protestant wife, Anne Hyde, Duchess of
  York, converted to Catholicism towards the end of
  her life.
• She died in 1671, and shortly after, James
  converted to Catholicism.
• By Charless royal decree, the princesses Mary
  and Anne were brought up Anglican.

51
Further York troubles

• In 1673 James married the Italian princess Maria
  of Modena, who was also Catholic.
• They had four children before James became king.
• All died before he took the throne.

52
Prince James Francis Edward Stuart

• As long as James and Maria had no son, Princess
  Mary, by Jamess first marriage, was still second
  in line for the throne.
• June 1688 James Francis Edward Stuart born.
• Jamess reign was already troubled, and the
  thought that a Catholic prince was next in line
  for the throne was intolerable to Parliament and
  most of the English population as well.

53
Abdication or Coup?

• December 1688 William of Orange arrived in
  England with a large force
• James fled for France, in fear of his life.
• Remember, James had been a young man of 16 when
  his father was executed.
• Like his brother, he spent most of his early life
  facing danger and possible death.
• Parliament saw this as an abdication, and named
  William and Mary joint rulers.

54
The Pretenders

• James never accepted defeat, and claimed the
  throne for the rest of his life, as did his
  son,The Old Pretender and
• his grandson,the The Young Pretender, or Bonnie
  Prince Charlie as hes often called in
  literature.

55
Final Uprising

• Many Scottish people never accepted the House of
  Orange, and were persecuted because of it until a
  final revolt in 1745, which the English finally
  crushed for once and for all.

56
William and Mary

• The new co-regnants

57
Bloodless Revolution

• Technically the second civil war in England.
• Although its called bloodless, James continued
  to attempt to regain the throne until the
  decisive Battle of the Boyne in Ireland, July
  1690.
• Blood was spilt, but very little for such a
  large overthrow of a king.