Hudibras

Hudibras is a mock heroic poem from the 17th century written by Samuel Butler.

Significance

Hudibras was an extremely popular work with pirate copies and a spurious second part being issued before Butler could produce his genuine second part in 1664. It was highly praised with Voltaire in his Letters on the English saying "I never found so much wit in one single book". One reader though was distinctly unimpressed. On 26 December, 1662 Samuel Pepys recorded in his diary that he bought Hudibras but despite it being extremely popular at the time he admitted finding no humour in it and selling it the same day. Two months later he bought it again to try and find what he was missing.

Related Topics:
Pirate copies - 1664 - Voltaire - Letters on the English - 26 December - 1662 - Samuel Pepys

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The mock heroic epic and its jaunty verse form known as Hudibrastic became the standard for of satire for some time after that with at least twenty-seven direct imitations being produced. Of the most famous was Ned Ward and his Hudibras Redivivus with Samuel Wesley father of John Wesley emulating the work.

Related Topics:
Ned Ward - Samuel Wesley - John Wesley

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Fifty years after the last part was written a new edition was published with illustrations by William Hogarth one of the foremost artists of the day. The work remained popular for several centuries as a warning against the zealotry during the Civil War period of English history although it has lately gone out of fashion.

Related Topics:
William Hogarth - Civil War

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