English Political Writings 1711–1714

The first volume in the new Cambridge edition of the complete works of Jonathan Swift.

This volume collects Swift's political writings from the early 1710s, including most notably The Conduct of the Allies and The Publick Spirit of the Whigs. The volume includes an introduction drawing on current scholarly interpretations, detailed contextual explanatory notes, and a comprehensive account of the textual history of each work.The years 1711 to 1714 saw some of Swift's most brilliant and powerful political pamphleteering. Writing for the Tory government, he did more to settle the fate of parties and the nation than any literary figure, before or since. This volume collects together major defences of the government's position, including The Conduct of the Allies and The Publick Spirit of the Whigs, vigorous attacks on his opponents, short satirical broadsides, and brief contributions to periodicals. It also includes some little known work not present in previous editions of Swift. This is the first fully annotated edition of these works. A comprehensive introduction, drawing on contemporary literary and historical scholarship, is supported by detailed explanatory notes on each text. It is also the first edition to identify and collate all relevant contemporary editions and provide a full account of the textual history of each work.