The London Gazette entry struck me as peculiar. Defoe as most wanted because of a pamphlet he wrote, with a 50 pound reward for anyone who reports him. He was not allowed to speak his mind on religious issues, heavily fined for his ironic essay and even sent to prison.
On the other hand Swift got away with his cynical and disgusting satire without being censored. At least we do not get a newspaper entry looking for him. Despite the fact that he criticises the government just as much as Defoe does, only for a different matter. Swift accuses the government of not taking any measures to relieve the poor, esp. in Ireland, and most of all poor children. His proposal shows how difficult the situation is, for he can only point his finger at politics by coming up with an idea completely ineligible, instead of making a valuable contribution and thinking of something realistic.
The conclusion that can be drawn from this is that religion is more important than humans. The abstract idea of a higher being and worshipping it by believing in the ‘right’ faith is valued higher than concrete problems of real people.
While Swift’s satires in verse on the fair sex are not as horrifying, they are just as repulsive. Who wants to know the icky details? I do not doubt that his descriptions have a realistic touch. But Montagu’s response to The Lady’s Dressing Room makes Swift look like a revengeful wimp unable to accept rejection.
October 30, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Swift had an uncomfortable relationship with physicality, by all accounts. We will talk about this some more, when we talk about the poems.
Interesting point about the abstractions of religion being more important than human lives.
Though of course, religion and politics were impossible to separate in this period.
October 30, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I agree with your comments about Swift’s “The Lady’s Dressing Room”. I found the line about Corinna taking out her crystal eye rather disturbing and would have been perfectly fine not knowing that detail.