John Wilmot: A romantic and talented man famous for his dissipation during the British Restoration Dynasty

John Wilmot (1647-1680) was a legendary figure during the British Restoration Dynasty in the 17th century. Not only was he a talented poet, he was also the second Earl of Rochester and a favorite of Charles II. John Wilmot's rebellious behavior and indulgent drinking life led to his decline. Not only was he exiled multiple times for offending the royal family, he also suffered from blindness, arthritis, muscle atrophy, hallucinations and other diseases. In the end, he died young of syphilis at the age of 33.

Inherited his father's title in 1658 and received a Master of Arts degree from Oxford University in 1661. Charles II probably gave him an annuity to repay his ancestors for saving his life. and appointed a Scottish doctor as his personal tutor. They traveled around Europe for 3 years. Ended in 1664. After returning to England, he became the leader of the court's wits.

However, he did not enjoy the glory and wealth like other nobles because of this, but felt more deeply the corruption and decay within the palace. As a result, the earl behaved eccentrically and acted wildly and licentiously. He not only told explicit jokes regardless of the occasion, but also wrote obscene poems, mocking the promiscuity of the king and the court nobles. He used to lure King Charles II to a brothel, leaving him penniless and unable to prove his identity. What's even more frightening is that several people who had quarreled with him died violently. Although the police suspected Wilmot was responsible, they had no evidence.

In addition, John Wilmot also met the maverick actress Elizabeth Barry, whose naturalistic lifestyle was particularly unconventional in 17th-century England. From this, they began a complicated love story that was constantly being cut and messed up. However, Wilmot also had bisexual tendencies, and he met an unknown actor named Downes, whose handsome appearance made John have an indescribable feeling.

During the Restoration he became the most dissolute person at court. There are many escapades, wooing Wakakan's mistress. Not only did he tell explicit jokes regardless of the occasion, he also wrote obscene poems, mocking the promiscuity of the king and the court nobles. He used to lure King Charles II to a brothel, leaving him penniless and unable to prove his identity. What's even more frightening is that several people who had quarreled with him died violently. Although the police suspected Wilmot was the murderer, they had no evidence.

He also met the maverick actress Elizabeth Barry, whose naturalistic lifestyle was particularly unconventional in 17th-century England. From this, they began a complicated love story that was constantly being cut and messed up. However, Wilmot also had bisexual tendencies, and he met an unknown actor named Rupert Flanders, whose handsome appearance made John have indescribable feelings. He volunteered for the navy and served well in the Second Anglo-Dutch War.

In 1667, he was assigned as the guard of the king's palace. In 1673, Dresden dedicated his comedy "Fashionable Marriage" to him and expressed his gratitude for his help in writing this work. Rochester is generally considered to be the most noteworthy poet and the most knowledgeable and personable among the talents of the Restoration period. Some of his love poems are unusually passionate. He is also one of the most original and influential poets among British satirists. "The History of the Idiots" lashes out at Charles II's ***. The Crippled Libertine is presented as a masterpiece of heroic mockery. "A Satire on Mankind" became a reference for Swift in its sharp condemnation of rationalism and optimism, and in its contrast between human perfidy and folly and the instinctive wisdom of the animal kingdom.

In 1675, he was exiled as the warden of Woodstock for offending the royal family. Many of his subsequent poems were written there. At this time, his health gradually deteriorated, and he suffered from blindness, arthritis, muscle atrophy, hallucinations and other diseases. Thoughts began to turn to more serious subjects. His correspondence with the deist C. Blount demonstrates his strong interest in philosophy and religion.

He died young of syphilis in 1680. Valentinian, a posthumous work published in 1683, was an attempt to rewrite one of Fletcher's tragedies and contained two of his best poems.