The Experience of Defeat: Milton and Some Contemporaries

Christopher Hill  (автор) 

Твърда корица, голям формат  |  342 стр.  |  649 гр.

(неизползвана книга - отчислена от библиотека, без обложка, отлично книжно тяло)

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Preface

In this book I have modernized seventeenth-century spelling and punctuation (except for titles of books and pamphlets); years are given in the new style. I have tried to give references for any statements made, except for biographical facts to be found in the Dictionary of National Biography.

In the past I have thanked employers for allowing me leave of absence. Since my retirement my gratitude goes to those who have given me employment—the Open University from 1978 to 1980, where I was a Visiting Professor and member of a team producing a course on seventeenth-century English civilization; the Humanities Research Centre of the Australian National University, Canberra, and Rutgers University, New Jersey, at each of which I was a Visiting Professor for three months of 1981. I am most grateful to colleagues and students at these institutions for useful discussions on (among many other things) some of the ideas in this book—especially to Cicely Havely, Ann Hughes (now at Lancaster University), Arnold Kettle, Anne Laurence, Bob Owens, John Purkis and Kevin Wilson of the Open University. I am still benefiting from a seminar on Milton which I gave at the Folger Library in 1976: Joan Bennett, Georgia Christopher, Joseph Martin, Jean Moss, Jason Rosenblatt, Florence Sandler and Brenda Szittya continue to ply me with ideas, many of which have been incorporated in this book.

I have greatly profited from the generosity of fellow scholars who allowed me to read work in progress, particularly Hugh Barbour, Alan Cole, Jackie DiSalvo, Ian Donaldson, J. R. Jacob, A. M. Johnson, Nicholas Jose, John Laydon, J. F. McGregor, Ruth Perry, Gary Puckrein, Barry Reay, Sheila Reynolds, Paul Salzman, David Taylor and C. M. Williams. I have also benefited from discussing the seventeenth century with W. M. Lamont, Peter Linebaugh, Gill Parker, Lady Radzinowicz, Marcus Rediker, Stella Revard, Judith Richards, Judith Sproxton and John Walter. I hope I have acknowledged in the footnotes where I am conscious of having drawn on their ideas. My thanks go especially to Alan Cole, whose splendid essay on 'The Quakers and Politics, 1652-60' started me thinking on the subject of this book nearly thirty years ago; to J. R. Jacob, whose work I have pillaged shamelessly in Chapter Eight, section 3; and to Bernard Capp (Chapter Three, section 1) and Barry Reay (Chapter Five). Penelope Corfield gave me much needed encouragement at an early stage. Austin Woolrych read the whole typescript and saved me from many howlers as well as generously suggesting useful improvements. But none of them bears any responsibility for what has emerged.

Diana Levinson very kindly read the proofs.

In the past I fear I have always taken Balliol College Library for granted: I should like to make amends by thanking very warmly the successive Librarians—Vincent Quinn and Penny Bullough—and Alan Tadiello for innumerable patient kindnesses over many years. My warmest thanks, not for the first time, go to Bridget for unfailing help, counsel, stimulus and support.

C. H.

March 1983

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Contents

Preface       11

Abbreviations 13

Chapter One  

Introduction 15

Chapter Two  

The First Losers, 1649-1651 29

• Levellers
• True Levellers
• From Ranters to Muggletonians

Chapter Three  

The Second Losers, 1653-1660 51

• Fifth Monarchists: Preachers and Plebeians
• Regicides
• Sir Archibald Johnston of Wariston (? 1610-63)

Chapter Four  

Seekers 84

• William Erbery (1604-54) in the Wilderness
• William Sedgwick (?1610-69): Rethinking in Public
• Isaac Penington (1616-79): From Ranter to Quaker

Chapter Five  

Quakers, 1651-1661 129

• Quakers and the Good Old Cause
• James Nayler (1617-60): The 'Head Quaker'
• Edward Burrough (1634-62): Quaker Politician
• George Fox (1624-91) and the Peace Principle
• After 1661

Chapter Six  

Independents and Republicans 170

• John Owen (1616-83): 'Cromwell's Archbishop'
• Thomas Goodwin (1600-80)
• Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) and the Revolutions of Christ
• James Harrington (1611-77), Henry Neville (1620-94) and the Harringtonians

Chapter Seven  

Some Conservative Puritan Ministers       page 207

Chapter Eight  

Survivors 220

• John (1607-81) and Samuel Pordage (1633-P91): The Epic of the Fall
• Andrew Marvell (1621-78): Millenarian to Harringtonian
• Henry Stubbe (1632-76): Private Rethinking

Chapter Nine  

Army, Saints, People 278

• The Army and the Radicals
• The Saints and 'the People'
• Folds for Scattered Sheep
• Other Losers

Chapter Ten  

Conclusion: Milton and the Experience of Defeat 297

• The Apostasy and the Wilderness
• The Anointing
• God on Trial
• Samson Agonistes
• Harrington and Milton

Index 329