The Traveller...

On this day...Irish writer Jonathan Swift was born in 1667. Much of Swift's childhood is unknown, save that he attended Trinity College, Dublin, before being forced to leave for England in 1688 on account of the Glorious Revolution. There, under the tutelage of Sir William Temple, Swift entered political negotiations with the King, before dissatisfaction, and the onset of Meniere's disease, led him to becoming a priest.

Come the 1700s, Swift was becoming increasingly active on both the political and literary scenes. He was part of the innner circle of the Tory government, acting as a mediator for Prime Minister Robert Harely, and writing several pamphlets, including 'The Conduct of the Allies'. Yet Swift is best known for his fictional works, and after forming friendships with the likes of Alexander Pope and John Arbuthnot, he became a core part of the Scriblerus Club. A writer of all genres, Swift was a prolific author, his prose works compiling fourteen volumes and his poetry a further 950+ pages. Swift's most famous work is 'Gulliver's Travels', but he is also known for 'A Tale of a Tub' and 'A Modest Proposal'. Swift died in 1745, at the age of 77.

On this day...

Irish writer Jonathan Swift died at the age of 77, in 1745. Born in Dublin, the Glorious Revolution forced Swift to move to England in 1688, and he soon became the personal assisstant to a high ranking diplomat, Sir William Temple. After several years, which included being introduced to King William III, Swift returned to Ireland, only to come back to England on account of ill-health - now known to be Meniere's Disease.

From then on, Swift barely settled in either, before uprooting to the other. As well as becoming ordained, Swfit attempted to establish his literary career, and formed part of the Scriblerus Club, alongisde names such as Alexander Pope. Although Swift's themes became increasingly morose, his most famous work is undoubtably 'Gulliver's Travel'.

On this day...

English bookseller and publisher Edmund Curll died in 1747, around the age of 72. Operating under the maxim, 'all publicity is good publicity', Curll began his career 1705 after a seven year apprenticeship. Basing his store on exploitation of opinion, he began to publish paradoxical works on politics, medicine and religion; pornography and Christian literature both occupying his shelves. He even wrote books himself, one, 'The Charitable Surgeon', written under the pseudonym of a trusted physician, advising that the best medical cures were to be found at Curll's shop. As well as his own, Curll also published books written by others, more often than not, without their consent. Matthew Prior and Jonathan Swift were both subject to this, but the worst affected was Alexander Pope. Curll's name is now readily identified with a long running dispute with the poet, including a series of retalitory poems starting with one of Pope's most famous works, 'The Dunciad'. For several years after, the word 'curlicism' entered the language as a synonym for literary indecency.