Restoration Period: Prosaic Writing in the Restoration

Prosaic Writing in the Restoration

While drama and poetry were still the main means of literary expression, a new form of writing was emerging at this period. Both the novel and journalism were coming to the forefront of literature, one specializing in fiction aimed primarily at women with the other keeping a chronicle of politics, society and the rapidly expanding world. Of course, religious and philosophical writing continued as did the scurrilous pamphlets Cromwell had tried to ban. As more cultures, societies and lands were discovered scientific writing also became popular. ​   Historians are not exactly sure what the first “novel” was, but there was an existing tradition of prose narratives in France and Spain where the English court had stayed during the Interregnum. This literary tradition was particularly aimed toward women as they were swashbuckling adventures of romance. These early works of fiction were seen as only for women and the feeble minded, so men avoided them largely. Of course, throughout the period the novels slowly branched away from chivalric romance and to more modern time periods.   The female poet Aphra Behn was one of the earliest purveyors of the English novel and some indicate that she was the first English novelist of either sex. Her first such book was Love Betters Between a Nobleman and His Sister, which was an epistolary novel between a nobleman and his sister-in-law whom he was having an affair with. Behn also wrote several “historical” books including the famed Oroonoko and the History of a Nun, which were published as true events even though they were fictional and usually based on no historical fact. Fables also became popular as fiction during the era. Roger L’Estrange was a popular pamphleteer during the period and translated several works by Erasmus and Francisco Quevedo, but his editions of Aesop’s Fables set off a craze for fables and folktales, often reflecting the politics of the day. Other fables included indigenous and local folk stories like Dick Whittington, Tom Thumb and Reynard the Fox. ​   Philosophical and religious writing also continued during this period such as the works published by John Milton as well as pamphlets from emerging religious sects including the Diggers, Fifth Monarchist, Leveller, Quaker and Anabaptists. John Bunyan and Izaak Walton were among the most prolific religious authors and Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress remains one of the most popular books from the period. Similarly, Walton’s The Compleat Angler is a book about fishing that is largely a religious allegory. This period was also when John Locke wrote many of his works about understanding politics and human nature including his “Two Treatises of Government.” Locke elaborated on the work of Thomas Hobbes who had begun meditation on the social contract between the ruling class and the lower classes. ​Non-fiction writing also rose to prominence during the period beginning with the “Lives” books written by Charles Gildon and Edmund Curll. These biographies and translations of famous authors were popular sellers, but they were dismissed by many of the literary minds of the day who thought of this as hack writing.   Journalism began to rise to prominence during this era along with the coffeeshops that sprang up as coffee beans were imported into Europe. Broadsheet publications had become popular in Europe and were brought back to England with the court. Robert L’Estrange produced both The News and the City Mercury, though neither of them were successful. The London Gazette - originally published as the Oxford Gazette when the royal court fled there during the plague- became the very first successful newspaper.  The Athenian Mercury was a science journal also published during the time which answered readers questions on science, math and philosophy. This publication set the stage for similar scientific works including the Spectator, Gray’s Inn Journal, Temple Bar Journal, the Guardian, The Observer, The Freeholder and Mist’s Journal. Most of these publications were not newspapers in the traditional since as they focused on particular issues like science, mathematics or poetry. They were in some ways the precursors to today's magazines.    In addition to publishing scientific works, these newspapers include poetry and essays by the likes of Jonathan Swift and Elizabeth Singer Rowe. More empirical works like Thomas Sprat’s History of the Royal Society and William Temple’s Ancients and Moderns were also influential during this period. These publications would set the stage for later scientific work, scientific journals and scientific texts as well as dictionaries, encyclopedias and myriad other reference books.