Arthur Wilson (17th century)
Encyclopedia
Life
Wilson was born in YarmouthGreat Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. In the 1620–25 period he served as secretary to Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
, and accompanied the Earl on his military campaigns on the Continent. After two years' study at Oxford University (1631–33), Wilson entered the service of Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick was an English colonial administrator, admiral, and puritan.Rich was the eldest son of Robert Rich, 1st Earl of Warwick and his wife Penelope Devereux, Lady Rich, and succeeded to his father's title in 1619...
as his steward. Wilson returned to Essex's service for the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. Wilson had a reputation as an adventurer; his autobiography, Observations of God's Providence, in the Tract of my Life, records some of his adventures, like his 1642 rescue of the Countess Rivers
Elizabeth Savage, Countess Rivers
Elizabeth Savage, Countess Rivers and Viscountess Savage was an English courtier and a victim of uprisings during the English Civil War...
from anti-Catholic rioters.
Dramatist
Wilson's period of playwriting was brief but concentrated. He composed three tragicomedies in as many years:- The Corporal, 1630;
- The SwisserThe SwisserThe Swisser is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Arthur Wilson. It was performed by the King's Men in the Blackfriars Theatre in 1631, and is notable for the light in throws on the workings of the premier acting company of its time....
, 1631; - The Inconstant Lady, 1632.
None of these plays were published in the seventeenth century, and The Corporal has survived only in a fragmentary manuscript that stops in Act II, scene 1. The other two dramas remained in manuscript until later publication, The Inconstant Lady in 1814 and The Swisser in 1904. The Swisser was performed in 1631
1631 in literature
The year 1631 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*January 9 - Love's Triumph Through Callipolis, a masque written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is staged at Whitehall Palace....
by the King's Men
King's Men (playing company)
The King's Men was the company of actors to which William Shakespeare belonged through most of his career. Formerly known as The Lord Chamberlain's Men during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, it became The King's Men in 1603 when King James ascended the throne and became the company's patron.The...
at the Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre
Blackfriars Theatre was the name of a theatre in the Blackfriars district of the City of London during the Renaissance. The theatre began as a venue for child actors associated with the Queen's chapel choirs; in this function, the theatre hosted some of the most innovative drama of Elizabeth and...
; the manuscript preserves a cast list for that original production — significant, since it is one of only seven cast lists for the company that survive from the era of the later 1620s and early 1630s. The Inconstant Lady was performed by the same company, at the same theatre, in 1633
1633 in literature
The year 1633 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:*On May 21, Ben Jonson's masque The King's Entertainment at Welbeck is performed....
.
Wilson's autobiography contains observations on the private theatrical performances conducted in aristocratic households of the era.
Other work
Wilson's notable non-dramatic work is his The History of Great Britain, being the Life and Reign of King James I, which was published in 16531653 in literature
The year 1653 in literature involved some significant events.-Events:* James Shirley's masque Cupid and Death is performed on March 26.* Pierre Corneille retires from the theatre for six years.* John Evelyn buys Sayes Court, Deptford....
, a year after Wilson's death. (Indeed, none of Wilson's literary efforts was in print in his lifetime.) Wilson was not an admirer of the House of Stuart
House of Stuart
The House of Stuart is a European royal house. Founded by Robert II of Scotland, the Stewarts first became monarchs of the Kingdom of Scotland during the late 14th century, and subsequently held the position of the Kings of Great Britain and Ireland...
, as his history reveals; he reflects negatively on various figures of the Stuart era, including Sir Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon
Francis Bacon, 1st Viscount St Albans, KC was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England...
.
(The prefatory note in Wilson's History states that the author had "little skill in the Latin tongue and less in Greek," but "a good readiness in French and some smattering of Dutch.")
WIlson also wrote some verse; his "Upon Mr. J. Donne and his Poems" has been considered one of the better elegies on the poet.