Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
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Wikipedia
Sir Charles Sedley, 5th Baronet (March 1639 – August 20, 1701), was an English wit, dramatist and politician.
Sedley was the son of Sir John Sedley, 4th Baronet, of Aylesford in Kent, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Henry Savile. The Sedleys (also sometimes spelled Sidley) had been prominent in Kent since at least 1337. He was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, but left without taking a degree. Sedley is famous as a patron of literature in the Restoration period, and was the Lisideius of Dryden's Essay of Dramatic Poesy. His most famous song, Phyllis is my only joy, is much more widely known now than the author's name.
His first comedy, The Mulberry Garden (1668), hardly sustains Sedley's contemporary reputation for wit in conversation. The best, but most licentious, of his comedies is Bellamira; or The Mistress (1687), an imitation of the Eunuchus of Terence, in which the heroine is supposed to represent the duchess of Cleveland, the mistress of Charles II. His two tragedies, Antony and Cleopatra (1677) and The Tyrant King of Crete (1702), an adaptation of Henry Killigrew's Pallantus and Eudora, have little merit. He also produced The Grumbler (1702), an adaptation of Le Grondeur of Brueys and Palaprat.
In 1663 an indecent frolic in Bow Street, for which he was heavily fined, made Sedley notorious. He was member of parliament for New Romney in Kent, and took an active and useful part in politics. A speech of his on the civil list after the Revolution is cited by Macaulay as a proof that his reputation as a man of wit and ability was deserved. His bon mot at the expense of James II is well known. The king had seduced his daughter and created her countess of Dorchester, whereupon Sedley said: "As the king has made my daughter a countess, the least I can do, in common gratitude, is to assist in making his Majesty's daughter a queen".
By his first wife Lady Catherine Savage, daughter of John, 2nd Earl Rivers he had an only legitimate child, Catherine, Countess of Dorchester, mistress of James II. He married (bigamously) Catherine Ayscough, by whom he had a son, Charles Sedley.
[edit] Editions
- The Works of Sir Charles Sedley in Prose and Verse (1778).
- The standard edition of Sedley's works is The Poetical and Dramatic Works of Sir Charles Sedley, 2 vols., ed. V. de Sola Pinto (London, 1928; repr. New York: AMS Press, 1969).
- Sir Charles Sedley's "The Mulberry-Garden" (1668) and "Bellamira: or, The Mistress" (1687): An Old-Spelling Critical Edition with an Introduction and a Commentary, ed. Holger Hanowell, Münster Monographs on English Literature (Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2001).
[edit] References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The article is available here: [1]
- Leigh Rayment's Baronetage Page.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs.
[edit] External links
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
| Parliament of England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Norton Knatchbull Henry Brouncker |
Member of Parliament for New Romney with Sir Norton Knatchbull 1668–1679 Paul Barret 1679–1685 1668–1685 |
Succeeded by Sir William Goulston Thomas Chudleigh |
| Preceded by John Brewer James Chadwick |
Member of Parliament for New Romney with John Brewer 1690–1695 |
Succeeded by John Brewer Sir William Twysden |
| Preceded by John Brewer Sir William Twisden |
Member of Parliament for New Romney with John Brewer 1696–1701 |
Succeeded by John Brewer Edward Goulston |
| Baronetage of England | ||
| Preceded by William Sedley |
Baronet (of Ailesford) 1656–1701 |
Succeeded by Extinct |
Annotations
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Sedley, Sir Charles (b. 1639; d. 1701). “The Mulberry Garden” (1668); “Antony and Cleopatra” (1677); “Bellamira” (1687); “Beauty the Conqueror; or, the Death of Mark Antony” (1702); “The Grumbler” (1702); “The Tyrant King of Crete” (1702). All the above are dramatic. His complete works, including his plays, poems, songs, etc., were published in 1702. http://www.bartleby.com/81/18484.html
“Sir Charles Sedley (March 1639 - August 20, 1701), English wit and dramatist, […] Sedley is famous as a patron of literature in the Restoration period, and was the Lisideius of Dryden’s “Essay of Dramatic Poesy”. His most famous song, ‘Phyllis is my only joy’, is much more widely known now than the author’s name.[…] The best, but most licentious, of his comedies is “Bellamira; or The Mistress” (1687), an imitation of the “Eunuchus” of Terence, in which the heroine is supposed to represent the duchess of Cleveland, the mistress of Charles II. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Sedley
‘Phyllis is my only joy’Phyllis is my only joy,
Faithless as the winds or seas;
Sometimes coming, sometimes coy,
Yet she never fails to please;
If with a frown
I am cast down,
Phyllis smiling,
And beguiling,
Makes me happier than before.Though, alas! too late I find
Nothing can her fancy fix,
Yet the moment she is kind
I forgive her all her tricks;
Which, though I see,
I can’t get free;
She deceiving,
I believing;
What need lovers wish for more?— Sir Charles Sedley
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/txt/634.txtThe Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21). Volume VIII. The Age of Dryden.VIII. The Court Poets.§ 10. Sir Charles Sedley. http://www.bartleby.com/218/0810.html
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Sir Charles Sedley.
One of the “Wits”
Much of the colourful era which surrounds the Restoration Court in the popular imagination is derived from the behaviour of the “Wits”, rather than the more powerful ministers. This little group that flourished for about 15 years after 1665, included John Wilmot, the 2nd Earl of Rochester, Henry Jermyn, Lord Buckhurst, John Sheffield, Earl of Mulgrave, Henry Killigrew, Sir Charles Sedley, and the playwrights Wycherley and Etherege, as well as Buckingham.
(Fraser…King Charles II)
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Why are we not permitted to read what Sam wrote originally? Are we not old enough? The full details provide a true picture of the character of the “wits” at Charles’ court. Sedley is the man who, in his own interests’ persistently thrust his daughter into the bed of a royal lover and no excess of his could surprise.
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Portrait of Sedley by Kneller, dtd. 1687
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“Why are we not permitted to read what Sam wrote originally?”
The version of the diary that is posted on this site is the Wheatley version which was published in the early 1900’s. This is the most recent version to date that is outside of the copyright laws time period restriction. The more modern version of the L&M translation has the “full details” of Sam’s original script and was published in a time period where the actual language was more “accepted” by the general public. In fairness to Wheatley he did a magnificent job and most likley published some “risque” selections given the time period, culture, etc. that he was living in.
Now about being old enough to read it—you did get a permission slip from your parents to be here didn’t you? The rest of us young, hip kids had to… -
Commentary on his work
http://www.bartleby.com/218/0810.htmlSome of his poems
http://www.poemhunter.com/sir-charles-sedley/poet-7159/Short biography
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SE/SEDLEY_SIR_CHARLES.htm
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Footnote from Grammont (Spoilers)
“NOTE 111
Sydley.
Sir Charles Sedley was born about the year 1639, and was educated at Wadham College, Oxford. He ran into all the excesses of the times in which he lived. Burnet says, “Sedley had a more sudden and copious wit, which furnished a perpetual run of discourse; but he was not so correct as Lord Dorset, nor so sparkling as Lord Rochester.” — History of his own Times, vol. i. p. 372. He afterwards took a more serious turn, and was active against the reigning family at the Revolution; to which he was probably urged by the dishonour brought upon his daughter, created Countess of Dorchester by King James II. [The following well-known anecdote refers to this circumstance. Sedley was one day asked why he appeared so inflamed against the king, to whom he was under so many obligations? “I hate ingratitude,” he said, “and therefore, as the king has made my daughter a countess, I will endeavour to make his daughter a queen.” Referring to the Princess Mary, wife of the Prince of Orange, who, by the success of this great outbreak, was called to the throne under the name of William III.] Lord Rochester’s lines on his powers of seduction are well known. He died 20th August, 1701.
[Among other numerous frolics related of Sir Charles Sedley, that which took place in June, 1663, when he was in company with Lord Buckhurst, Sir Thomas Ogle, &c. at the Cock Tavern, in Bow Street, Covent Garden, as recorded by Anthony Wood (see his Life, p. 53, and his Athenæ, vol. iv. p. 732), is the most notorious. “His indecent and blasphemous proceedings there raised a riot, wherein the people became very clamorous, and would have forced the door next to the street open; but being hindered, he and his companions were pelted into the room, and the windows belonging thereunto were broken. This frolic being soon spread abroad, especially by the fanatical party, who aggravated it to the utmost, by making it the most scandalous thing in nature, and nothing more reproachful to religion than that; the said company were summoned to the court of justice in Westminster Hall, where, being indicted of a riot before Sir Robert Hyde, lord chief justice of the Common Pleas, were all fined, and Sir Charles to the amount of 500l. Sir Robert Hyde asked him whether ever he read the book called The Complete Gentleman, &c., to which Sir Charles made answer, that set aside his lordship, he had read more books than himself, &c. The day for payment being appointed, Sir Charles desired Mr. Henry Killegrew, and another gentleman, to apply themselves to his majesty to get it off; but instead of that, they beg’d the said sum of his majesty, and would not abate Sir Charles two-pence of the money.”http://www.pseudopodium.org/repress/grammont/notes04.html#note111
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Portrait
Michael Robinson’s link has expired. Here is one that works at present, giving a portrait and some amusing commentary:
http://thisgaudygildedstage.wordpress.com/2007/01/22/hottie-of-the-month/
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The knight is young
Sedley is 6 years younger than Sam, and already in 1663, when Sedley was 24, Sam referred to him as Sir Charles. None of the sources I could find stated when he was knighted. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography may do so, but unfortunately I don’t have the necessary subscription to find out.
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The knight is young
Sedley was a baronet and succeeded to the title in 1656.
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Michael, it seems to follow from your note that the baronetcy carried with it the privilege of being called “Sir ___.” If so, I’ve learned something. I have always thought that the Sir-title (sorry) came only with knighthood, which was conferred on individuals and not inheritable, unlike a peerage, which would carry the epithet “My Lord ___.” Am I right that I am wrong?
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BARONET.
“Although the origin of this title has been the subject of learned speculation, it is not known for certain why it was selected as that of “a new Dignitie between Barons and Knights” created by James I. The object of its institution was to raise money for the crown, … When it was instituted, in May 1611, the king, to keep the baronetage select, covenanted that he would not create more than two hundred, … these qualifications were before long abandoned. As an inducement to apply for it, it was made to confer the prefix of “Sir” and “Lady” (or “Dame”), and was assigned precedence above knights, though below the younger sons of barons. …”
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Rank of Barons and little Barons was in vogue,[monies dothe take precedence] if thee look at the House of Lairds and Commons [those that not be of true peerage] there be many a ‘sir’ sitting in the Commons as they be not accepted in the vpper strata of society yet with all the given Privileges of the truly dubbed.
as shown at this site, the two levels of privilege.
http://www.angeltowns.com/town/peerage