The Bourgeois (puritan) Revolution and the English literature of the 17th century.

The 17^th century is a period which many historians and literary scholars prefer to any other. During most of it England had her own course both in her political and literary life. It was time when the English were out on their own, just going their own way.

The English people nowadays are considered to be quiet, easy-going, not given to fanatism and violence, but in the 17^th century, they horrified the rest of Europe. In the middle of this century the English not only rebelled against their sovereign – Charles I – but they imprisoned and finally executed him. Later, disliking James II, a militant. Catholic in what was now a Protestant country, they got rid of him and invited a Dutch prince, William of Orange and his wife Mary (James’s daughter) to take crown. It was from this time that English monarchy became a constitutional one.This means that the monarch reigns but doesn’t rule, that the real power belongs not to the Crown, but to the Parliament.

The Civil War between Charles I and his supporters (the Cavaliers) and the Parliament forces (the Roundheads) began in 1642. Victory went to Parliament in the end, because it found in Oliver Cromwell a military leader of genius, whose New model Army was probably the finest in Europe. Calling himself the Protector, Cromwell ruling with the help of his major-generals (1653-1658, a brief period in the history of England when it was not a monarchy) became in fat a dictator.

Cromwell’s triumph was really the triumph of Puritanism. Serious Christian believers, the Puritans were thus called because of their desire to purify their religion of the formal ceremonies of the Church of England. They wanted the freedom to follow their own consciences in matters of religious observance and the conduct of life. The Puritans were deeply religious in a stern old Testament style, but condemned the Church, the priesthood, and all ritualistic forms of worship, just as they also denounced play- going, singing (except – psalm – singing), dancing, and all popular amusements and pastimes.

The victorious Puritan closed the theatres, but by this time the age of dramatic masterpieces had gone, it was a drama in its decadence that was now forbidden to the public.

The theatre came back with the Restoration of monarchy in 1660, but it was very different from the Elizabethan theatre: both the auditorium and the stage followed French and Italian models, women’s roles were now played by actresses; it was a theatre of the Court, the nobility, the men of fashion.

The influence of the Puritan ideas persisted in a less aggressive and exaggerated from through the next two-and-a-half centuries, influencing not only a social legislation but also the development of literature. If the 19^th century English novelists were more restricted in their choice of themes than French novelists were, it was due chiefly to the fact that the new large reading public in England had not escaped the influence of Puritanism.

Alongside with the Puritan traditions in the 17^th century literature there existed literature of the Cavalier poets. They sang of youth, love, happiness and of beauty found in transient, changing things; they took life as they found it – often with a mocking spirit. Richard Lovelace (1618 – 1658) one of the Cavaliers, was a gallant and handsome gentleman who spent his fortune and much of his time in prison for his king. While there, he composed a number of exquisite lyrics. Here is one of them: