John Arbuthnot, The Art of Political Lying

Pat Rogers (University of South Florida)

Ed. by Nicholas Seager, University of Keele
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.05: English Writing and Culture from the Glorious Revolution to the French Revolution, 1689-1789.
Vol. editors: Paul Baines (University of Liverpool), Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Pat Rogers (University of South Florida), Nicholas Seager (University of Keele)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1712 - 1712

Places

United Kingdom (Country of Origin; Publication/ performance)

Genres and Modes

Non-Fiction
- Pamphlets/ Tracts/ Chapbooks

Resources

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On 9 October 1712 Jonathan Swift reported to his women friends in Dublin the arrival of a manuscript dispatched to him by Queen Anne’s physician: “Arbuthnot has sent me from Windsor a pretty Discourse upon Lying, and I have orderd the Printer to come for it. It is A Proposall for publishing a curious Piece, calld the Art of Politicall Lying, in two Volumes &c. And then there is an Abstract of the first volume, just like those pamphlets which they call the works of the Learned” (

Journal

, 449). The author of this work was the Scottish polymath Dr John Arbuthnot, whom Swift had known for about a year. Both men had recently become founder members of a politico-literary pressure group often called the Brothers, and they were on the point of helping to establish the famous Scriblerus Club…

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1569 words

Citation: Rogers, Pat. "The Art of Political Lying". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 19 April 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40503, accessed 25 April 2024.]

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