''Defensio pro Populo Anglicano'' is a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

polemic Polemic ( , ) is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called polemics, which are seen in arguments on controversial to ...

John Milton John Milton (9 December 1608 – 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem ''Paradise Lost'' was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and politic ...

, published in 1651. The full title in English is ''John Milton an Englishman His Defence of the People of England.'' It was a piece of

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...

, and made political argument in support of what was at the time the government of England.

Background

This work was commissioned by

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

during

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

's protectorate of England, as a response to a work by

Claudius Salmasius Claude Saumaise (15 April 1588 – 3 September 1653), also known by the Latin name Claudius Salmasius, was a French classical scholar. Life Salmasius was born at Semur-en-Auxois in Burgundy (region), Burgundy. When Salmasius was sixteen, his fath ...

entitled ''Defensio Regia pro Carolo I'' ("Royal Defence on behalf of Charles I"). Salmasius argued that the rebels led by Cromwell were guilty of

regicide Regicide is the purposeful killing of a monarch or sovereign of a polity and is often associated with the usurpation of power. A regicide can also be the person responsible for the killing. The word comes from the Latin roots of ''regis'' ...

for executing King Charles. Milton responded with a detailed justification of the parliamentary party.

Style

The work includes invective against Salmasius and accusations of that scholar's inconsistency for taking contradictory positions. Milton also claims Salmasius wrote his work only due to being bribed with a "hundred Jacobuses" by the exiled son of Charles, who would later become King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

. The level of ''ad hominem'' attack is high and much unlike what one would expect from a serious contemporary

debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...

r even on a controversial topic. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of Chapter VIII, where Milton sarcastically asks Salmasius what concern the latter has with what the English do among themselves: Despite the level of

insult An insult is an expression, statement, or behavior that is often deliberately disrespectful, offensive, scornful, or derogatory towards an individual or a group. Insults can be intentional or unintentional, and they often aim to belittle, of ...

employed, Milton's polemic provided an effective response, both

rhetoric Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is one of the three ancient arts of discourse ( trivium) along with grammar and logic/ dialectic. As an academic discipline within the humanities, rhetoric aims to study the techniques that speakers or w ...

ally and argumentatively, to Salmasius' volume. As John Alvis notes, Milton "ridicule his adversary for having changed sides in a controversy, for meddling in the affairs of a nation foreign to him, and for having written in the pay of the son of the king he champions." At the same time, some critics such as

George Saintsbury George Edward Bateman Saintsbury, FBA (23 October 1845 – 28 January 1933), was an English critic, literary historian, editor, teacher, and wine connoisseur. He is regarded as a highly influential critic of the late 19th and early 20th cent ...

in the ''Cambridge History of English and American Literature'' have condemned this work and Milton's later '' Defensio Secunda,'' asserting that they show, in Saintbury's words, "a good deal of bandying of authority and of wearisome rebutting on particular points."

Further controversy

Salmasius published no response during his lifetime, but a fragment of a reply was printed posthumously. A long anonymous reply, ''Pro Rege et Populo Anglicano,'' appeared later, in 1651 at

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

; this was authored by a royalist clergyman, John Rowland. It was answered on Milton's behalf by his nephew John Phillips, although Milton is reported to have given his nephew's work "Examination and Polishment" before publication.Barbara K. Lewalski, ''The Life of John Milton,'' ultiple cities Blackwell Publishing, 2000, . pp. 258–9.

Background

Style

Further controversy

References

Further reading