The Decline of Utopian Literature in the Seventeenth Century

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THIS D m INS OF UTOPIAN LITERATURE IN THE 3ETBJW83HTH CMTURT

fcy Lewie Conrad Smith, Jr.

A dissertation submitted In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of English In the Gradust© college of the State University of Iowa

February, 19S0

ProQuest N um ber: 10907181

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W o > ^ o it

2 wi«fo to e«pre*A ay M o p appreciation to th©@# who have s t H this study possible*

to Professor Vic tor

Harris* who has patiently guided ay efforts* 1 ass deeply indebted#

His lectures in seven tecnth con ter/ literature

sroused sgr interest In the problem*

With keen critical

jud£pa«nt he bus supervised this study Press its Inception to its applet ion*

t wish to express

thanks to

Professor® Curt 4* Hlnensky end Oeorg# Moss® for their suggestions end criticisms# To s*y wife I wish to dedicate this study for her Inspiration and help throughout, the court® of the w ark*

f a) IP

rmmmm Th# road to utopia la m t m th® scholar or tfas reformer*

easy on# for

The study of utopian XItora*

tur© peasant# rsany dlfficultl#*#

Tb® first# th# great

confusion snrratiftAlng the atat&ning and us# of th# tons# loads Into th# analysis of literary genres#

Ttw moond

is th# relatively chaotic and fragmentary nature of utopian hlb!logrspb 1#s# Th# third# th# problsas of obtain* Inf rare editions# is being facilitated than# days by th© use of salcroflte*

Th# wid# variety of language# in which

utopias bar# h m n written requires an eatenslv© linguistic ability ©Fttsri ty# m m bh® very m m m . i^eroim f# mmj obtain a f r m Qw&m^m&ihr,. and. aatabilafo it for. ever In tl® 'fcoMU without difficulty w m o b daisy* yebn Stilton In The

laitf

ffla $£. lal^bligFir During the middle iwfffl of -th# eaniery# a M u d ©f utopia paeuli&r to Ingland appeared*

The aim, of t!*#®#

utopia®. was to eat&hliab a .ptrpatoal atyateat of govern®®**®* Tfeo isetbod I?*# to p m m n t the plan® for raorganlsing the political and aoeial structure in order to f o m ©tmfc © o m of- tho®* author® termed a now M m m in the f©®fc or a ffl»w Jeruaalaa*

Tbay would turn Bugland lot© -a nation of

m e h Ttm&p&mmmt order# and prosperity that she would b© the miff of all of Europe* Th*r#s ore ©©©oral way® In which the®© doctrinaire doeisa«otc differ' fro® th© apeaulativ© utopia®*

The da®®ripw

tion of an laa^tnary *tafc« ha® nirtmlXf disappeared * They in©lad© a preetleal eontftitutlott* plan® for actually &mtmpXS&hlmg tb® *©f©*«t«#

The di®tlnafci©» mtrnmrn ttm

doet r i m tv® utopia and a treat 1 ®® It was only natural that th® matt of this or# should search

for com# plan of achieving a stable and

govern*

meat*

In looking for the principle® upon which to establish a rmv government* r.« turned to antiquity* These utoplet# who looked to th# classicists wore Inter* acted primarily in th© machinery of governmeiitf that 1#* In th# organisation of it# 'Xa**naJ*ing body and th# kind of balane*» and control® inherent in tto# political #tro#t«r#*

A second group- of wtopist# was Interested- less in th# devices than In a new definition of sovereignty ani a new series of laws defining and guaranteeing "natural right#** In evidence for the first time is the first of th# "outopie* revulsions from reality In the utopianism of the century * th# utoplet «* still doctrinaire * who writes out his preeriM and states his principle® for establishing a utoplaa oe&feagr within the w m r m ^ m of society*.

im

Ihe first of the doctrinaire utopias was the MlHgd€»ft Of fecarla (1641) by Samuel HartUfe*

a

It I® a transi­

tion between the speculative utopianism of More, Bacon, and Burton and th© doctrinaire utopian ism of Harrington* In presenting hi® proposal©, Ear til b has turned back to the utopian tradition of More and Bacon*

He baa, be says* more delivered his *conception® In a fiction, as a /sannerly way, having for my pattern Sir 'Ihomae Moor a, and s/r Francis Bacon, once Lord Chancellor of England% and humbly desire that this honourable assembly will he pleased to make use of any thing therein contained. If It may stand with their pleasure®, and to laugh at the rest, as a solace to my 9 mind, being Inclined to do good to the publlek*** Although Hart lib calls his utopia a notion, It has none of the alms of prose fiction at all*

It 1® a fiction only In the sens*

that Maoarla is pictured as an Imaginary country*

It

Is clear that Hartlib*s Kingdom of Maoarle is a doctri­ naire utopia that present® a plan for reorganising the government of England*

Hartlib provided for a limitation

of the power of the king by Increasing that of Parliament, and the establishment of a series of council® to handle trade and economics*

Be also tried to use his utopia to

/

fatu publicity f«r hi# book of m l m i husbandry. Tb© toot ©f Ik©*# p*©otl#«& ©too la rlrfcually It mmgr oxptoto th© r®#X **#©#& Bartlib vroto th© Kln$&om Tb© ©l«M«nt© of fiction © th® inclusion of to© «$©#&«*© and tb© d#B © riptlun# th® only m m

to th®

##©%*&nolr© utopia#* ©f tb# la*©to©#7 ©0 ©l®ty -* load %b® ao-dara r©ad#n to an®p©#t that Hart 1th 1# writing a utopia ilk® that of tope or baaon*

Earfcilb la uMar.

tbalr lnflu«no® and f«©.l©* ©long ©1th ©o saany ©tor® of th© tto©* that to® utopian ©tor of Ilf® «* ttot i % of th© ©oolal ©truatur© ee people*** M ilto n ’ s theories of ©duosfelon complete hie utopian view*

T© Milton, education could accomplish

two main objectives - and both of these are reinforce­ ment of the belief that in s titu tio n s can e le va te riant One, It could t r e p e lr the ruins of our f i r s t parents

50 by Mffi&fttxig fe© know God aright*^'•

124 twq, It eouid fit' *»

man to parfoma Justly* skilfully and mgnanimcusly all the 81 offices both private and public of peace and war,*1 the curricula may shock the m a d a m man, but ha should always keep In mind Milton*a utilitarian objectives * Including the first ana*

Milton was desirous of training

©©rapetant m m .in order that the other Rom* in the West could bo built' on a firm foundation., Underlying Xiltest** theory of divorce is the Idea that social institutIans should serve the ends for which they were established* Tat thus much t shall now insists on* that whatever the institution wer®, it could not bo so enormous* nor so rebellious against both nature and reason as to exalt Itself above the m & and person feu* whom it was instituted* nowhere do wo find the account of a utopian land. such

as might have boon Included in the jgingdemof H&oanla

as* oven

in O c c a m *

Milton*® ideas m y be those of the

utoplsts, his hopes may be theirs* and even momc. of his amns'L.-; may fee theirs* Hie difference Is in Milton*® afctlin respect tude/to rcformj he has begun to lock upon the reform of society as something to fee solved primarily by the education of the individual#

And this is the key to the dlsintegra*

felon of the utopian concept in the doctrinaire utopias* As.long as the utopiat - that Is# m m such as Harrington*

looked upon society as a unit and the reorgimlmt, ion of the sosisty as an art#, the utopian view m s retained* In Milton# almost svory oas of tbs vital soolal problem® of hi® time 1# discussed*

in his dsslr# to rsvi tails#

and roargonla# aoolaty# ho Is utopian* of tho enduring sattttnont# of .nan*

Ho appeals to & m m

II# Is not a W m

ato«*

pist* for ho lacks a unified v i m of a now society* j^g

lerusal^st

Mh# religious snthxtffhMM of ths ago resulted in ftoss utoptan visions by osrtain alsjasnt* w m n g ths lower alas son 9 particularly ths Mggors*

Us# rsssmhlsnss

of ths utopian theorise of ths Bigger* to those of tim utopian sooialisb# of a eantwy la fear is very close *

Has

underlying osusos of.ths utopianism of ths Bigger# are different from those of the utopian soolallats* however *

Mbs Bigger# had ths general middle and lower ©las# Furl tan distaste for traditional academic learning# Mbs inspiration for reforming the institution# of ingland earn# frost their vision# of a Christian soolsty# *&oly co munity of saints# whore every sum had economic sssnrlty or at least an opportunity to earn a living#

the otfibrml

doslrs of ths Bigger# was to obtain a redistribution of th* land in order that tfc# lower olassos Might h a w s o m sort $*' seonoMdo stability#'

im On# of the .moot curious aspects of the utopian*' ism of the per-Tod la the utopia of ©errand Wlnstam&ey* lender of the Bigger movement#

Mia works* including hie

J & Itt ££ fi&ttftftt opltomiae the dream and desire® of & email segment of the lower classes and illustrate how the utopian view had penetrated even to these poor people# What Win Stanley succeeds In formulating# strangely ©nough* are. the principles of the first socialistic utopia# Win Stanley wanted a a m m m w m l l h that would guar*

ante# every man the right to us© the land for h i m elf* In order to establish such a government* It was necessary to get rid of priests# landlords# mad hinge# When this was accomplished# then the ground ooal4 he laid for true freedom* which to'Wlnetanlsy was the f v m enjoyment of the fruits of the earth#

fha mat hod is ^Commonwealths Government.#*

Commonwealths ttevernmsnt govern* the Earth without haying and selling| and thereby becomes a m m of pesos# and the Restorer of arelent peace and Freedom! he snakes provision for the oppressed# the weak and the simple* as well as for the rich* the wise and the strong*^ H ie modern reader may well smile at the grader#

after reading Milton*

Mewerthelese* -urtnetanley relentlessly

outlines the principle® of government where m m by w cheer* vat ion of particular tMWB m

Mules* * * * * may live

peaceably in plenty and freedom in the band where they

10? are bora and bred*. w

m

Ibe kingly g m m r m m n t i* di®tlngulehad ' “lay that ©heating. 4rt of buying ft selling #” «i4 **1# a diseased ciorariaaaiii* ana the w ary city Babylon «. full or wmfte* 0$ alon* * * ** More them onoe# and In word* that leave no doubt about hi® hat® and distrust of kingly govern* aanfc* Wlnataaloy calle attention to the baalo oovobotuma®* Of a monarchy*

On the other hand 11awvaonweal th* d-ovara*

m m & n # wiiloh was present before government by kings took away saan*e freedom* had a groat lawgiver * **the spirit of uni vorsal Mlghfeeeueneiis dwelling in Mankind#* now rising up to tm&h avory one to do to another a® ha would

m

haw® another do to him***

win* tanley*® belief in the Mow yeruaalctt taka® a vary earthly tunij for ho firmly beliefs that in any nation which establish#® the Ommsmwmlth® Om&vtm&nt • m %

* * there shall Ins abund&nc# of paao# and plenty* * * **

It will b® a modal for other nation® to copy*

Ha Is

praotioal enough to relate hi® vision of fch© revision* to the political trends of the time when he say® that {"Jthe greatest work 1® now to fee done* and that is to «s* eape all singly o&oat* In setting up a Commonwealth® &8

O o v o m a t f * • **

So a#sort# that the desire for* a

change in. government cornea i r m

oppression! wfor the ^ irlt

of M g h t In .Han. .lave® Pre*A(i% and hat#® pondage*®

123 H1*

JfiBt laa at gfrsMfifS aieeassen a gr«*t

away aspeets of society amd suggests plans and law# for

tli# establishment of government # the work of a father* peaeiMaker* overseer* lodge* parliament* postmaster* a » f , and other officials or oetmoils* the education of tho eitiaens* the training of mankind in fc&e wsrloos trades* 60 the eonserration and utilisation of tho earth* itoare ora provision# for the role of bondman and ®1are# and the marriage or women#

'Sait WSnatanley thought of hi# work a# a plan tsy which Knglahd o o u M attain, a b** tor government Is 61 evident from his own statements# It Is not so m m b a #»e&ei* as a *platfem#* to horror hi# own word*

In this

ha is in perfoot accord with the other doctrinaire utopiate* Barr lagton and Hart! lb#

lie previous apologies that he

had never intended to make the work public feseauss' others were working cm agovernment according to Odd*# word are probably sincere*

Winafcanley telXs^MBEiwell of the

reason' fern presenting his plan ** ‘ the people -ere groaning under ooonooda burdens * Use .important point shoot wins tanley* s uteplanlra is that it roprasanta. the growth of a utopian eons apt from the nature of the problems feeing the Diggers*

By "nature

of the problem® *w X moan the fact that soon M i s distress* peUtftaal BiaarOar* aaatol insqimUt&aiff aba* were linked

im

in an organic unity in W l m t m l eyfa mind.*

Sin©# this was

true*.be believed that the social structure wait he rebuilt - a true utopian view * In order that the freedom which fee demanded could fee a possibility* Stes.* M M r t S * asl

T-fee next document to fee considered represent® a phase of the utopianism of the era* rather than a complete* literary utopia Itself*. The feswelers ■■. that is* the army group under the leadership of &fe* Col* v :hn Lilburn*, Joined in the attempt to secure **natural rights* fey prelifi*d one me&srn view of a

worieiible go^enment# in which goremaieat Is a process or m m m ^ not a predict or *ad»

fee anwlalimtng a row

society in it* totality' was a task for fee writer* of a resumes* not for serious reformers* In M t f L M d during fee f « r

tanae day*

!£» of the Oxford Parliament to 1681, many Of the Ideas of republicanism wore revived*

The utopian aurs, •which had

•wwouadod the plana of Ha«*ln?.tor, Milton, Kartlih, and Klnatanloy wms' absent, however*

One of these later doctri­

naire political schemes was Harry Bevll#*s Plato aedlvlvas SSL* A S&Uftsw &mssne b I m ssaxamms.» EUsscsAPi M

SMssr

vat lor,a drawn from other CEKOBOMS and Sgfcffig both teolent a M SsSmi* m m i m E

m s m m

aasfi i& M & m m

M m &r°w&.

at she a s * x u * m &

n rn tm ttS m

Wcwllm p ro p o n m (and this I# an aid argument) that a proper study of pol.lt 1a a ©an b#

by wreading

History, and observing in it the aavara% fosenm and Havoltn* tlons of 0ot*ams8flntt

and than fcha Causa of mete. Changa will

bo so vis 1bio and obvious* that w o noad not Imp at© thaft m to any Man that finds It out*** Ha want# th# won-aroiqr to bo rsformad ostsnslbly# Fink ballovaa., booansa of tha m n y republican ideas ©on** t&Incd in this work, that Hovilo was mar® Xy dl a© us alog it In this form in ordor that aoaploilm would not be arouaod#

£»at It should soam that h© was arguing openly for elMsleftl republic ©anlam,, ha aopprasaa* both tha elaaaical origin of the theory of ailxad governments and its republican com©-* tat Ions* not only taking the theory ©war and applying it to tb# Wtiglim

mtorekqr **• various writer® tad w a y sines tha six&santfr ©anbury* tat making tbs. bland aaaarfcion. that m i x e d g o v e rnment w as unknown to the

mmi®&im*{ppm 98. i?$)« &» an ©14 tarrtngtonl&n ana brans 1m tor of M&chi&vtlll, bf course, h# know tat tor* E® etas® to toll only p&tft of tfos ‘troth and that not unmixcd with falsehood*6® Bavll®

pays.hi* raapaots to Plato# tat h* aaami

aa Inly, to bo trading on the latter1s refutation'-as a law* giver a n d a writer of dialogs©© •

$h# ays tern of r ofera In

government which he advocates la not Platonic*

It la

Barrington without the utopian view* Hsvil© presents only a scheme of political reform#

The &u®atlon which is data tod

by fcha speakers la the theory of mixed government* vihls might load to the oonolms lon that lovllo is a tax.ated doctrinaire utopiat*

Ihe perspective la not ■utopiang for

tavila has written a dialogue ©oriosrnad with political po fora

only* 'Share was a groat surge of humanitarian projects

In the last four dsead** of tho seventeenth century. wereeoncanaad only Incidentally with political theory*

f !h®a# lower*

thalesa, they Illustrate how th© utopian’point of view tad

-virtually disappeared under the Influence of modern ©aeu* lar llboraXlra*

Hbe speculative or doctrinaire utopias

with tbaJLv serious utopian objectlv®*- of changing reality wore only anaotaanl&M after 1060.

xta change from the

tm bo the mod ora view of oooloty was thm yeoalt

of a. now obtlbodo towards art and govoramoat#

'Hie

ssaneo man looked on Ilf® a* on Integra tod totollfcyj th#

modora

m m

bonds to

n m

only fragments*

tm

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v

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3mm*m f$M#p%xigtm§ Q m r n m * S* B#

18j*

3* J C ^ * # p* 12# 4#

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o&*, XIX# 89»#

5#

Barrington# 3 ^# olt*. p* IB*

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M i * * P« 470#

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34*

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