The vibrant celebrations in London on May 29, 1660, marked the return of King Charles II to his throne on his 30th birthday. This event came after 11 years of the austere Protectorate, heralding an era of libertinism and revelry that defined the Restoration period. As the court welcomed the young king, a group of poets and essayists known as the Wits, or “the merry gang,” emerged, enjoying the unique privilege of speaking truth to power, much like court jesters of earlier times.
At the forefront of this lively group was John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester. Born into an impoverished gentry family, Rochester’s early academic success at Oxford and his brief naval service at 18 seemed to offer a promising future. However, upon returning to London, he plunged into a life of excess, characterized by his profound love for wine and sharp wit. His friend Gilbert Burnet noted that Rochester’s brilliance often emerged only when intoxicated, leading his companions to encourage his drinking.
Rochester’s relationship with wine wasn’t merely about indulgence; it served as a means of escape. He famously expressed that he washed away cares with wine, associating it with pleasure and appetite. His poem “Upon Drinking in a Bowl” even calls for a grand drinking vessel filled to the brim, equating the act of drinking with joyous celebration.
Despite the revelry, Rochester’s lifestyle eventually led him down a path of ruin. He underwent a transformation on his deathbed, realizing the futility in the pursuits of wine and women that had defined his life. Just as Thomas Hobbes’s Leviathan prompted doubts about traditional religious beliefs, Rochester came to view his indulgences as natural human inclinations rather than sinful behavior.
His poetry, like “The Debauchee,” captures the essence of a life lived in decadence but hints at the inevitable decline into old age and regret. By 33, his extravagant lifestyle caught up with him, leaving him battered and ill, ultimately succumbing to diseases likely exacerbated by years of excess. The end came at the family estate in Woodstock, where he died in a state of decay, his life a testament to the pleasures and pitfalls of a libertine existence.