American Research Journal of English and Literature

Volume 8, Issue 1, 125-127 Pages

Samuel Johnson’s “London” as a Satire

Abstract
Samuel Johnson, one of the most eclipsed prolific writers with all his dogmatic prejudice, his stoical courage, his profound
melancholy, his hatred of sentimental palliatives, his fits of narrowness, his tenderness to all human frailty and his
impudent, scholastic intellectuality writes this longest non-dramatic satiric poem ‘London’ in imitation of Juvenal’s 3rd
satire , where the poet’s friend Umbricius leaves for Cumae from Rome to keep himself away from the moral vices and
social ills of the city. Similarly, in ‘London’, the poet’s friend Thales (apparently alter-ego of poet) leaves London, “the
needy villain’s general Home” for Wales (Cambria) to lead a life of seclusion. Disgusted with the growing social, moral
and human degeneration, Thales prays to God to let him find a place--
“Where Honesty and sense are no Disgrace;
Some pleasing Bank where verdant Osiers play,
Some peaceful vale with Nature’s paintings gay”
Malice, materialism, accident, conspiracy, violent protests and arson afflict London and vitiate the atmosphere of the
city. London has become a place where relentless ruffians have a field day; they mug and inflict injuries on unsuspecting
innocent people; unscrupulous lawyers prey upon their clients; house crumbles and a female atheist (Caroline, the wife
of George II) Bombards people with her relentless propaganda. The cursed walls of London are infested with vice and
personal aggrandisement. Where learning and learned have no place; where there is no beacon light of hope, only
frustration; widespread corruption with its masquerades and debauchery has brought down the nation’s morale.
Keywords: Materialistic, sycophants, immoral, excise, atheist, propaganda.

Introduction ‘relentless Ruffians’ have a field day; they mug and inflict
injuries on unsuspecting innocent people; unscrupulous
In addition to being a biting social satire on the prevailing
lawyers prey upon their clients; house crumbles and a
modes and manners of life in England in 18th century,
female atheist (Caroline, the wife of George II) bombards
Johnson’s ‘London’ is a critique of the current political
people with her relentless propaganda. Where in the then
situation in the country under Prime Minister, Sir Robert golden era Elizabeth I’s ‘Cross triumphant’ was the’ Dread
Walpole. Through the cue of the poet’s friend’s (Thales) of Spain’, but now under the ruling Government of Walpole
departure, Johnson depicts a picturesque description of widespread corruption in royal court with masquerades
morally rotten and corrupted London, a ‘city of vice’. Sir and debauchery has brought down the Nation’s morale and
Robert Walpole was leading Minister (1721-1742) of George the traditional honour and prestige of the Englishmen has
I and George II and taking the chance of inability of King’s become a standing joke. The cursed walls of London are
English speaking Walpole got considerable freedom and infested with vice and personal aggrandisement. London,
established his supremacy, chairing the preceding on the ‘the needy villain’s general Home’ has become a ‘monstrous
king’s behalf with Cabinet. The poet through his daring city’ where learning and learned have no place; where there
jugglery of words vehemently attacks on Robert Walpole’s is no beacon light of hope, only frustration; where only
regime. The poet appreciates Thales’s choice for choosing flattery and “empty praise” help a person to make way in
the ‘Cambria’s solitary shore’ where there is no hunger as the world; where the ruling elite have done to the country
against the vices--malice, materialism, accident, conspiracy, with their pusillanimity and misguided policies; where the
violent protests and arson---that afflict London and vitiate flatterers and sycophants sell their sensation and personality
the atmosphere of the city. London has become a place where to gain masters’ favour; where depraved persons enrich

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themselves, collect taxes from the peasantry, start lotteries; the French influence dominates English life and manners,
where politicians proclaim their illogical prattling; where flattery and sycophancy dominate everyday life. Favourites
the thoughtless youth watch vulgar Italian operas where are granted pensions, rewards and high meritorious poets
male sopranos sing; where the hangers-on with their ‘divine suffer in poverty and neglect. Warriors have turned dandies
harmony’ adore their master’s weakness, folly including the or fops. High officers have amassed untold wealth by
taste in snuff and assessment of a prostitute; where everyone plundering the nation.
is sycophantic, deceitful and gregarious; where virtuous and
‘And flattery subdues when arms are in vain’
meritorious people like Thales are depressed by grinding
poverty, was outcast as a beggar and dubbed a spy and Flatterers and sycophants are encouraged and patronised.
doomed to live unhonoured and die unsung. London is, in Even the countryside was not safe from these neo-rich
fact, a sewer with the pernicious influence of the French. landlords who disturbed the peace and quiet of the simple
Avarice, greed and malice rule the roost, eating at the vitals country folk by their ostentations living, bawdiness and
of the state. revelry. Ways and means are constantly found to exploit the
poor; excise duties and taxes are introduced to enrich and fill
‘London’ as a social satire
the pockets of the ruling elite. Upright and honest persons
Eighteenth Century has been called the “Golden Age of like Thales have no place in such fevered London; they are
English Satire”. A materialistic age, it rigorously upheld scorned, ridiculed, insulted and humiliated at every step.
“Genteel taste” and “correctness” and “Good sense” were the That’s why he has to leave London and seek the ‘Solitary
order of the day. Also called the Age of Reason, it encouraged shore’ of Wales to breath the pure fresh air of ‘ distant
rational thinking and correct observation of rules in both Fields’.
literature and social life. Since the Restoration was a revolt
‘London’ as a Political Satire
against Puritan austerity, the religious and the devout were
considered hypocrites. The mode and manners of the royal In addition to being a biting social satire on the prevailing
court, influenced by the French were satirised. It was aided modes and manners of life in England in the 18th century,
and supplemented by the imitation of the classics-Horace, Johnson’s ‘London’ is a critique of the current political
Juvenal and Persius. situation in the country under Prime Minister, Sir Robert
Walpole. In this Jonson’s follows the precedent set by Dryden
Dr. Johnson’s ‘London’ satirises the French influence on life
in Absalom and Achitophel and McFlecknoe.
in England and the English way of life after the Restoration
of Charles II to the throne in 1660(written in imitation Sir Robert Walpole, a leading Minister (1721-42) of George
of Juvenal’s Third Satire that censured the way of life of I and II was made secretary for war and treasurers of the
Romans in 2nd Century AD). The Puritan regime of Oliver Navy but sent to the Tower of London for alleged corruption
Cromwell had been too severe. With the restoration there during the Tory Government. He was recalled by George I
was violent reaction against the puritan restraints. Now and made a privy councillor and Chancellor of the Exchequer
released from restraint, society abandoned the decencies of in 1715. After the collapse of the South Sea Scheme, he,
life and the reverence for law itself. It seems as if “England shrewd manipulator of men, again became Chancellor( with
lay sick of a fever”. The king was a thorough rake, had a large the help of the Duchess of Kendal, George I’s mistress) and
number of mistresses and numerous illegitimate children, widely recognised as “Prime Minister”. Following policies
but no legal heir to the throne from his wife, Catherine of of low taxation designed to win the backbench MP’s favour
Braganza. Even the king had no redeeming patriotism, no and seeking the inability of George I’s English speaking
sense of responsibility to his country. He allotted high office Walpole got considerable freedom and discretion as a leader
to blackguards, stole from exchequer like a common thief, of the Government to lead the country. Gradually Walpole
played off Catholics against Protestants, and betrayed the established his supremacy and made the king a puppet of
country for French money for self-pleasure—such continued his hand creating a small group of ministers which was the
well into the days of George II. The poet satirised this class in fore-runner of the present-day cabinet. Through Walpole’s
‘London’. This immorality and the levity of the age is reflected foreign policy was based on a determination to maintain
in literature. peace, he did not fully recover from the out-break of the so
called war of Jenkins’s Ear (war between Britain and Spain)
England had become a nation of parasites, flatterers and
sycophants of the rich and mighty. In this materialistic age, and the war of Austrian Succession due to some of the violent
everyone sought self-aggrandisement by pandering to the anti-Spanish indignation in Britain that provoked the war as
whims and fancies to their rich patrons. Merit and virtue captain Robert Jenkins had claimed to have had an ear cut off
had no place in such a suffocating set-up. This explains why by Spanish coastguards in the Caribbean.
Thales wants to leave London and go to Wales in Ireland. He Recalling Queen Elizabeth I’s victory over the Spanish Armada
recalls the glories and reputation of the nation from the days in 1588, Johnson, ‘suffering Giant’( John Bailey) takes up
of Alfred, the Great Edward III, Henry V and Queen Elizabeth cudgels agent the Walpole Government for allowing free
I when the English had subjugated the French. But now access to Spanish ships in England’s waters as Thales waits

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 Samuel Johnson’s “London” as a Satire

for his boat to take him to Wales on the shore of Greenwich, neo-rich landlords who disturbed the peace and quiet of the
where the great Elizabeth I was born. In the domestic sphere, simple country folk by their ostentations living, bawdiness
the poem attacks certain measures taken by the Whig and revelry. It was a city of malice, rapine, conspiracy, irate
Government in the matter of the excise duty( Walpole’s mob, conflagration----dreamland of ruffians----city of-wicked
attempt to increase excise taxes in 1733 prompted a concerted attorney---a city where a female Atheist (Caroline, George
opposition campaign that led to significant reduction of his II’s wife) bombards people with her relentless propaganda.
majority in the House of Commons in the election of 1734), It was thus in fitness of things that the poor, virtuous and
the stage licensing Act and political pension. The Bribery meritorious “resolved at length” to leave this “monstrous
of the political pension is utterly dangerous as leading to a city” of London and sail for Wales in Ireland.
system of administrations encouraging sycophancy.
Conclusion
‘Here let those reign, whom pensions can incite
Literary stalwart Samuel Johnson through the daring
To vote a patriot black, a courtier while’.
jugglery of words and phrases upholds the pusillanimity,
The comment is here sharp and scathing revealing the folly, sycophants, deceitful and gregarious nature of the
glaring errors in administration. The poet is very much frank “monstrous city”— London. Samuel Johnson’s “London”
in revealing the fact that London (actually Britain) has lost its is an inflicting social and political satire with humorous
own traditional heritage, moral and social value and French concordance.
influence has turned it a land of social chaos. The people of
London have already started to imitate the French culture, References
manner and corruption. In the then time, rich and powerful 1. Raghunathan, Harriet. “JOHNSON, GRAY, GOLDSMITH—
persons often ‘bought’ and ‘sold’ parliamentary boroughs. Poets of the mid-eighteenth century”, Worldview Critical
They led lavish, extravagant lives and were fawned upon by Editions, 2016. ISBN10: 81-86423-68-0
numerous flatterers and sycophants eager to curry favour 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_(Samuel_
with then by pandering to their whims and fancies for self- Johnson_poem)
aggrandisement. Even the countryside was not safe from these 3. Batra, Shakti. Surjeet Publications, Delhi, 2018.

Citation: Arunava Roy, “Samuel Johnson’s “London” as a Satire”, American Research Journal of English and Literature,
Vol 8, no. 1, 2022, pp. 125-127.
Copyright © 2022 Arunava Roy, This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.

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