John Wilmot (2nd Earl of Rochester)

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John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester
Portrait of Wilmot from the National Portrait Gallery
Born	1 April 1647(1647-04-01) Ditchley, Oxfordshire, England
Died	26 July 1680 (aged 33) Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England
Occupation	Writer of satirical and bawdy poetry.

For other people of this name, see John Rochester.

John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1 April 1647 – 26 July 1680) was an English Libertine, a friend of King Charles II, and the writer of much satirical and bawdy poetry.

He was the toast of the Restoration court and a patron of the arts. He married an heiress, Elizabeth Malet, and had many mistresses, including the actress Elizabeth Barry.

[edit] Life

Rochester was born in Ditchley, Oxfordshire. His father, Henry, Viscount Wilmot, a hard-drinking Royalist from Anglo-Irish stock, had been named Earl of Rochester in 1652 for military services to Charles II during his exile under the Commonwealth; he died abroad in 1658, two years before the restoration of the monarchy in England. His mother Anne St. John was a Royalist by descent and a staunch Anglican.

At the age of twelve, Rochester matriculated at Wadham College, Oxford, and there, it is said, "grew debauched".[1] At fourteen he was awarded the degree of M.A. by Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon, who was Chancellor to the University and Rochester's uncle. After carrying out a Grand Tour of France and Italy, Rochester returned to London, where he graced the Restoration court. Later, his courage in a sea-battle against the Dutch made him a hero.

In 1667 he married Elizabeth Malet, a witty heiress whom he had attempted to abduct two years earlier. Samuel Pepys describes the event in his diary for 28 May 1665:

Thence to my Lady Sandwich's, where, to my shame, I had not been a great while before. Here, upon my telling her a story of my Lord Rochester's running away on Friday night last with Mrs. Mallett, the great beauty and fortune of the North, who had supped at White Hall with Mrs. Stewart, and was going home to her lodgings with her grandfather, my Lord Haly, by coach; and was at Charing Cross seized on by both horse and foot men, and forcibly taken from him, and put into a coach with six horses, and two women provided to receive her, and carried away. Upon immediate pursuit, my Lord of Rochester (for whom the King had spoke to the lady often, but with no successe [sic]) was taken at Uxbridge; but the lady is not yet heard of, and the King mighty angry, and the Lord sent to the Tower.[2]

Rochester's life was divided between domesticity in the country and a riotous existence at court, where he was renowned for drunkenness, vivacious conversation, and "extravagant frolics" as part of the Merry Gang[3] (as Andrew Marvell called them). The Merry Gang flourished for about 15 years after 1665 and included Henry Jermyn; Charles Sackville, Earl of Dorset; John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave; Henry Killigrew; Sir Charles Sedley; the playwrights William Wycherley and George Etherege; and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Much of Rochester's poetry suggests that he was bisexual.

Rochester was fascinated by the theatre and was the model for the witty, poetry-reciting rake Dorimant in George Etherege's The Man of Mode (1676). According to an often repeated anecdote, his coaching of his mistress Elizabeth Barry began her career as the greatest actress of the Restoration stage.

In 1674, Rochester wrote a satire on Charles II (variously known simply as "Satyr" and by its first line, "In the Isle of Britain"), which criticised the King for being obsessed with sex at the expense of his kingdom. Charles reacted by briefly exiling Rochester from the court. During his brief exile, Rochester appears to have spent time at his estate in Adderbury and perhaps also posing as a merchant in London's old city. He then returned to his seat in the House of Lords after an absence of about seven weeks.[4]

Rochester fell into disfavor again in 1676. During a late-night scuffle with the night watch — a scuffle probably provoked by Rochester himself — one of Rochester's companions was killed by a pike-thrust. Rochester was reported to have fled the scene. [5]

Following this incident, Rochester briefly went underground, impersonating a quack physician, "Doctor Bendo." Under this persona, he claimed skill in treating "barrenness," i.e. infertility, and other gynecological disorders. Gilbert Burnet wryly noted that Rochester's practice was "not without success," implying his intercession of himself as surreptitious sperm donor.[6] On occasion, Rochester also assumed the role of the grave and matronly Mrs. Bendo, presumably so that he could inspect young women privately without arousing their suspicions.[7]

By the age of 33, Rochester was dying, presumably from syphilis, gonorrhea, other venereal diseases, as well as the effects of alcoholism. His mother had him attended in his final weeks by her religious associates, particularly Gilbert Burnet, who later became the Bishop of Salisbury. A deathbed renunciation of atheism was published and promulgated as the conversion of a prodigal. This became legendary, reappearing in numerous pious tracts over the next two centuries. Because the first published account of this story appears in Burnet's own writings, some have disputed its accuracy, suggesting that he shaped the account to enhance his own reputation. However, other sources, including documents signed by Rochester, confirm that in his final months his thoughts turned towards religion and the afterlife. In the early morning of 26th July, 1680, Rochester died a 'without a shudder or a sound'. [8] Rochester was later buried at Spelsbury Church in Spelsbury, Oxfordshire.

[edit] Works

Because his interest in poetry was not professional, Rochester's poetic work varies widely in form, genre, and content. He was part of a "mob of gentlemen who wrote with ease",[9] who continued to produce their poetry in manuscripts, rather than in publication. As a consequence, some of Rochester's work deals with topical concerns, such as satires of courtly affairs in libels, to parodies of the styles of his contemporaries, such as Sir Charles Scroope. He is also notable for his impromptus,[10] one of which is a teasing epigram of King Charles II:

God bless our good and gracious king,

Whose promise none relies on;

Who never said a foolish thing,

Nor ever did a wise one.

To which Charles is reputed to have replied:

"That is true; for my words are my own, but my actions are those of my ministers."[11]

His poetry displays a wide range of learning, and a wide range of influences. These included imitations of Malherbe, Ronsard, and Boileau. Rochester also translated or adapted from classical authors such as Petronius, Lucretius, Ovid, Anacreon, Horace, and Seneca.

Rochester's writings were at once admired and infamous. A Satyr Against Mankind (1675), one of the few poems he published (in a broadside in 1679) is a scathing denunciation of rationalism and optimism that contrasts human perfidy with animal wisdom.

The majority of his poetry was not published under his name until after his death. Because most of his poems circulated only in manuscript form during his lifetime, it is likely that much of his writing does not survive. Burnet claimed that Wilmot's conversion experience led him to ask that “all his profane and lewd writings” be burned; it is unclear how much, if any, of Rochester's writing was destroyed.

Rochester was also interested in the theatre. In addition to an interest in the actresses, he wrote an adaptation of Fletcher's Valentinian (1685), a scene for Sir Robert Howard's The Conquest of China, a prologue to Elkanah Settle's The Empress of Morocco (1673), and epilogues to Sir Francis Fane's Love in the Dark (1675), Charles Davenant's Circe, a Tragedy (1677).

The best-known dramatic work attributed to Rochester, Sodom, or the Quintessence of Debauchery, has never been successfully proven to be written by him. However, supposed posthumous printings of Sodom gave rise to prosecutions for obscenity, and were destroyed. On 16 December 2004 one of the few surviving copies of Sodom was sold by Sotheby's for £45,600.[12]

[edit] Criticism and influence

Rochester has not lacked distinguished admirers. His contemporary Aphra Behn lauded him in verse and also based several rakish characters in her plays on Rochester. Anne Wharton wrote an elegy marking Rochester's death, which itself came to be praised by contemporary poets[13]. Horace Walpole described him as "a man whom the muses were fond to inspire but ashamed to avow".[14] Daniel Defoe quoted him in Moll Flanders,[15] and discussed Rochester in other works. Tennyson would recite from him with fervour.[citation needed] Voltaire, who spoke of Rochester as "the man of genius, the great poet", admired Rochester's satire for "energy and fire" and translated some lines into French to "display the shining imagination his lordship only could boast."[16] Goethe quoted A Satyr against Reason and Mankind in English in his Autobiography.[17] William Hazlitt commented that Rochester's "verses cut and sparkle like diamonds"[18] while his "epigrams were the bitterest, the least laboured, and the truest, that ever were written".[19] Referring to Rochester's perspective, Hazlitt wrote that "his contempt for everything that others respect almost amounts to sublimity."[19]

[edit] In drama and film

Wilmot served as the model for the witty, amoral nobleman Dorimant in George Etherege's Restoration Comedy The Man of Mode.

The libertine character in Aphra Behn's Restoration comedy The Rover, Willmore, was assumed by contemporaries to have been modeled on John Wilmot.[20]

Two plays have been directly written about Rochester's life. Stephen Jeffreys wrote The Libertine in 1994; it was staged by the Royal Court Theatre. Craig Baxter wrote The Ministry of Pleasure, which was produced at the Latchmere Theatre in London, in 2004.

The film The Libertine, based on Jeffreys's play, was shown at the 2004 Toronto Film Festival and was released in the UK on November 25, 2005. While taking some artistic liberties, it chronicles Rochester's life, with Johnny Depp as Rochester, Samantha Morton as Elizabeth Barry, John Malkovich as King Charles II, and Rosamund Pike as Elizabeth Malet. Michael Nyman set to music an excerpt of his famous poem, "Signor Dildo" for the film.

Rochester's work and background figures centrally in "Last Bus to Woodstock", an episode of the British TV crime drama Inspector Morse.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further reading

• Some Account of the Life and Death of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester by Gilbert Burnet (Munroe and Francis, 1812)

[edit] External links

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• N Jeannine on Sun 11 Sep 2005, 12:41am. Flag this

  John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester (commonly referred to as Lord Rochester) was one of Charles II’s “Merry Gang” of debauched court companions. He is noted for his profane wit, his outrageous antics/escapdes and his obscene and satirical poetry and plays. He had a sharpness and bite to his words, made all the more stinging due to the fact that he exposed many a truth that most wished never to be made public. During his peak in his career he managed to make his targets cringe at the thought of what he may reveal about them. He reportedly had a “spy” who he sent out to gather “private” information which he could use as the material for his writing.
  He is famous for his kidnapping of a young heiress (who he eventually married) and for his love affair with Elizabeth Barry, whom he developed into one of the most famous actresses of the time.
  He lived life to the lowest, a depraved alcoholic, full of syphillis and/or other disease and for one last surprise, repented and was welcomed back into the church before his early death at age 33.
  The following urls list information about his life and the first one also includes some of his poems (many of which may are extremely sexually explicit, so be forewarned).

  Also below are some articles about Rochester’s character and essays about his works.

  http://www.poetryconnection.net/poets/John_Wilmot/sort_poems_by_first_lines

  http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Parc/9893/john2.html

  http://www.ealasaid.com/fan/rochester/thesis.html

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wilmot%2C_2nd_Earl_of_Rochester

  http://www.bartleby.com/218/0807.html

  http://www.bartleby.com/218/0807.html

• N Jeannine on Sun 11 Sep 2005, 12:45am. Flag this

  The Libertine is amovie about John Wilmot, not yet released, but here is the url

  http://www.ohjohnny.net/lib/libertine.html

• N Lynn on Mon 5 Dec 2005, 05:05pm. Flag this

  The Libertine - an url about the film’s locations:

  http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-global/w-news/w-features/w-features-story8.htm
  

• N Jeannine on Wed 7 Dec 2005, 12:37am. Flag this

  John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester
  posted here as some biographical information is presented

  Lord Rochester, Everyman’s Poetry, edited by Paddy Lyons

  Lord Rochester’s poetry is NOT for the bashful reader and explicitly reflects his lewd debauched lifestyle and biting satiric wit. The poems presented in this collection reflect a sense of unsettling restlessness ranging from jaw dropping comical exaggerations right up to vindictively cruel and downright nasty statements about the people, politics, mistresses/whores and monarchy of the time, all of which he embraced and despised at the same time. Interspersed between the obscenities and somewhat hidden from the initial shocking impact of reading the poems is the underlying talent and genius of the man who chose to live a rather sad and wasted life while at court, all of which he presented without any pretense and without any of the flowery hypocrisy of the time. In spite of the crudeness, it’s impossible to dismiss Rochester. He is often ranked second in his time only to Dryden, but remains unexplored in colleges and universities due to the crass obscenity and vulgarity of his expression. Also of interesting note, although he wrote with a bite and attacked without mercy, he still maintained an appreciation of the good in other people and remained an idealist buried beneath the seedy court of a cynical monarch.
  Amazon US
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0460878190/qid=1125688817/sr=8-7/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i7_xgl14/002-0946650-7829659?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

  Amazon UK

  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0460878190/qid=1125689063/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_2_1/026-3908382-4557202

  
  Lord Rochester’s Monkey by Graham Greene

  Greene’s book, which was banned from being published in the 1930’s for fear of prosecution for obscenity follows the life and wildly erotic escapades of John Wilmot, Second Earl of Rochester. Rochester by far was among the most notorious of all of Charles Merry Gang of rakes. Along with the wild sexual exploits that he set up for himself and other (including pimping for Charles II), Rochester was a practical joker, a scandalous courtier and a dissolute drunk. His poetry is intertwined into Greene’s presentation of Wilmot and helps to reveal the conflicts that this wildly intelligent and talented wit of a man struggled with throughout his short and debauched life. This book will truly show a side of the Court of Charles II that no other writer besides Rochester would dare to expose with such bite and honesty.

  John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, was born April 1, 1647 and died at age 33. As a young man, he basically “had it all” (sans money) including a titled life, a fine position in the Restoration Court, marriage to a witty heiress and great potential in terms of looks, wit, bravery and ability. His short life was the culmination of a downward spiral of alcohol, sex, disease (syphilis) and depravity which began around the time he entered into the court of Charles II and became one of Charles’ “Merry Gang”. Within the gang, he established himself as a controversial and highly obscene satirist, playwright and poet and managed to one by one attack and alienate just about everyone that had ever supported him. His ongoing stream of mistresses/whores, extravagantly outlandish escapades and adventures, banishments from court were consistently over the top. He dug into places and subjects usually hidden behind closed doors and meant to be private and blew the top off of the secrets of Charles II’s Court, comrades, mistresses, etc. He employed has footman as a well positioned spy to provide him with outlandish insider material and gossip upon which he drew to create his works.

  Rochester lived two distinctly separate lives. His private life was spent in the country was spent with his wife and 4 beautiful children. The darker Court side, which led to his downfall, consisted of drunkenness, extravagant frolics, raunchy and lewd sex, a highly visible affair with actress Elizabeth Barry, who he developed into a famous stage actress. Rochester’s behavior and satiric nature caused him to see the cynical world of Charles’s court and to basically take any relationship within that court and attack it with a sharp satiric bite. Nobody was safe from his profanity and banishment was a common event in his life. In one wildly famous episode Rochester disguises himself as Dr. Bendo who famously offered out physic and provided “infertility assistance” to poor unsuspecting females. Greene provides and ample and sensationalized view of Rochester’s antics.

  Finally at the end of his life, while dying (most likely from syphilis and/or other related disease), he surprises all once again with an even more “outlandish” scandal, when through his relationship with Gilbert Burnet (not a totally accurate or unbiased source of information here) he repents his sins and re-establishes himself with the church. Although not an “easy” read due to the obscenity and profane subject matter, it is interesting in the larger perspective of Charles II’s court, the arts, the artist and the man. It was, however a “lighter” version of the life of Wilmot, a little softer on his flaws and not necessarily as highly documented as the book review that follows (“Profane Wit”).

  Amazon US
  http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140041974/qid=1125689012/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-0946650-7829659?v=glance&s=books

  Amazon UK
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0140101543/qid=1125689120/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_0_1/026-3908382-4557202

  
  A Profane With by James William Johnson

  This is a magnificent piece of work by Johnson and peels apart the life of John Wilmot in a surprisingly dignified manner. Johnson extensively presents not only the life of Wilmot but the factors and experiences that seem to have influenced his choices and his dismal life. Johnson’s extensive notations and biography are brilliant in detail and breadth. He adds a level of detail into Wilmot’s life and provides a clear understanding of his struggles and his genius. Johnson does not sensationalize Wilmot and his antics (as does Greene in many ways) but holds him “accountable” for his actions and his omissions in his life. Johnson’s explores the influences of Wilmot’s writing and his behaviors with a finely detailed manner, bringing into consideration his lesser known role as a husband and father as well as his role in the politics and Parliament. He also explores Wilmot’s bi-sexual tendencies and ponders the psychological issues that affected his life choices. Reading this in conjunction with the poetry offers a totally different perspective then reading the poetry alone without having some understanding of the man.

  Amazon UK
  http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580461700/qid%3D1132883997/203-2107114-2543901

  Amazon US

  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580461700/104-5880387-5047959?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance

  
  “Some Account of the Life and Death of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester who dies July 26, 1680” By Gilbert Burnet

  Burnet was a contemporary of Rochester and the Lord Bishop of Sarum. He spent time with one of Rochester’s amours as she lay dying of venereal disease (probably something she gave with Rochester) and he helped her come to peace with her spiritual side. Rochester, hearing of his work for his former amour, and dying himself, desired to meet Burnet and perhaps “debate” his issues with Christianity and God. Burnet, seeing the potential for reclaiming this highly lost and wayward soul took up the challenge and visited Rochester during the last few months of his life to discuss religion, Rochester’s past sins, etc. Out of those meeting came a transformation where Rochester recognized his sinful ways and as Burnet claims wished to have his story shared in order to benefit others who have taken the sinful path. Burnet records the history of Rochester very discreetly and doesn’t go into any lurid details as he doesn’t wish to harm any of those family members living or to disgrace others mentioned to him by Rochester. He then presents the arguments and conversations that the two men shared as Rochester’s disease progressed and he finally died. The interesting thing is I was never sure if this book was more about Burnet’s view of his persuasive talents than about Rochester’s truly opening himself to God. Expensive to buy so searching a library may be the best bet.

  Used Book Market
  http://www.usedbooksearch.co.uk/books.htm
  

• N jeannine on Sun 8 Jan 2006, 07:40pm. Flag this

  From Grammont’s footnotes

  John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester; “a man,” as Lord Orford observes, “whom the muses were fond to inspire, and ashamed to avow; and who practised, without the least reserve, that secret which can make verses more read for their defects than for their merits “(Noble Authors, vol. ii. p. 43); was born, according to Burnet and Wood, in the month of April, 1648; but Gladbury,in his almanac for 1695, fixes the date on April 1, 1647, from the information of Lord Rochester himself. His father was Henry, Earl of Rochester, better known by the title of Lord Wilmot. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, and, in 1665, went to sea with the Earl of Sandwich, and displayed a degree of valour which he never shewed at any period afterwards. Bishop Burnet says, he “was naturally modest, till the court corrupted him. His wit had in it peculiar brightness, to which none could ever arrive. He gave himself up to all sorts of extravagance, and to the wildest frolics that wanton wit could devise. He would have gone about the streets as a beggar, and made love as a porter. He set up a stage as an Italian mountebank. [For a copy of his speech on this occasion, see note 142.] He was for some years always drunk; and was ever doing some mischief. The king loved his company, for the diversion it afforded, better than his person; and there was no love lost between them. He took his revenges in many libels. He found out a footman that knew all the court; and he furnished him with a red coat and a musket, as a sentinel, and kept him all the winter long, every night, at the doors of such ladies as he believed might be in intrigues. In the court, a sentinel is little minded, and is believed to be posted by a captain of the guards to hinder a combat; so this man saw who walked about and visited at forbidden hours. By this means Lord Rochester made many discoveries; and when he was well furnished with materials, he used to retire into the country for a month or two to write libels. Once, being drunk, he intended to give the king a libel he had writ on some ladies, but, by mistake, he gave him one written on himself. He fell into an ill habit of body, and, in set fits of sickness, he had deep remorses, for he was guilty both of much impiety and of great immoralities. But as he recovered, he threw these off, and turned again to his former ill courses. In the last year of his life, I was much with him. and have writ a book of what passed between him and me: I do verily believe, he was then so changed, that, if he had recovered, he would have made good all his resolutions.” — History of his own Times, vol. i. p. 372. On this book, mentioned by the bishop, Dr. Johnson pronounces the following eulogium:— that it is one “which the critic ought to read for its elegance, the philosopher for its arguments, and the saint for its piety. It were an injury to the reader to offer him an abridgment.” — Life of Lord Rochester.

  http://www.pseudopodium.org/repress/grammont/notes04.html see note 109

• N jeannine on Sun 8 Jan 2006, 07:49pm. Flag this

  Wilmot’s infamous speech while pretending to be Dr. Alexander Bendo is detailed in Grammont’s footnotes at note number 142. It’s too long to list her but well worth the read.

  http://www.pseudopodium.org/repress/grammont/notes05.html

• N Terry F on Mon 9 Jan 2006, 08:26pm. Flag this

  The Libertine (2004)
  Directed by Laurence Dunmore
  Stephen Jeffreys (play, screenplay)

  Tagline: He didn’t resist temptation. He pursued it.

  Cast overview, first billed only:
  Johnny Depp …. Rochester
  Samantha Morton …. Elizabeth Barry
  John Malkovich …. King Charles II

  Plot Outline: The story of John Wilmot (Depp), a.k.a. the Earl of Rochester, a 17th century poet who famously drank and debauched his way to an early grave, only to earn posthumous critical acclaim for his life’s work. (view trailer http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375920/trailers )
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375920/

• N jeannine on Sat 21 Jan 2006, 06:34pm. Flag this

  Rochester -as presented by Grammont.
  The Memiors of Grammont were actually written by Anthony Hamilton and were considered highly scandalous as they depicted the Court of Charles II in such an unfavorable and seedy light. The Cambridge History of English and American Literature states that in regards to its accuracy “It must be admitted that Hamilton produced a book which is too much a work of art to be entirely trustworthy, and the subject-matter is often arranged for effect, which would scarcely have been allowed if strict accuracy had been the main object.”
  With that in mind, and for readers who may enjoy an entertaining, although less than sterile biographical representation of the court wit, the link below leads you to chapter IX and then allows you to screen ahead to chapter X.

  http://www.pseudopodium.org/repress/grammont/chapter09.html

• N jeannine on Sat 21 Jan 2006, 07:45pm. Flag this

  More links

  Essay on some of his poems

  http://www.glbtq.com/literature/rochester_j.html

  Famous little sayings of Wilmot

  http://en.thinkexist.com/quotes/john_wilmot_(2nd_earl_of_rochester)/

  Samuel Johnson’s Life of John Wilmot

  http://www2.hn.psu.edu/Faculty/KKemmerer/poets/wilmot/default.htm

  An essay on Wilmot as a “model” for another famous Rochester

  http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/hum/eng/classes/434/charweb/lemaux3.htm

  His portrait
  http://lewis.up.edu/efl/asarnow/JohnWilmotLdRchstr.html

  This site has a movie review and portrait of his wife
  http://www.darkromance.com/dr-da/dr-da-feat/dr-da-11-01-depp/dr-da-11-01-depp.html

• N Michael Robinson on Mon 27 Aug 2007, 07:01am. Flag this

  Jacob Huysmans — Rochester & Monkey
  ‘zoomable’ image

  http://www.bridgemanartondemand.com/index.cfm?event=catalogue.product&productID=141989

References in the diary

1665

May: 28
Jun: 6