The Complete Works of John Wilmot (Penguin Classics)

Atheist, hedonist, man of many disguises, the life and wit of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester, was inspiration for several of the most compelling young rakes on the Restoration stage. He was the brightest star at the court of Charles II and, as this volume demonstrates, a sardonic courtier-poet. This edition contains verse-tragedy and prose comedy, translations, panegyrics and epigrams, as well as the songs and satires attributed to Rochester. Frank H. Ellis has edited the text to bring out the richness of Rochester's language and cadence, and he provides notes, a glossary and a biographical dictionary.