1600 to 1699: "An Horatian Ode Upon Cromwell...." to Leviathan....

Chronology of World, British and American Literature.

Andrew Marvell. British. 1650. Poetry. “An Horatian Ode upon Cromwell’s Return from Ireland.” Cromwell as fated, elemental force. Pity for Charles I. Uneasiness about the future with Cromwell in power.

Anne Bradstreet. American. 1650. Poetry. The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America. First volume of poems written in North America.

Andrew Marvell. British. 1650. Poetry. “To His Coy Mistress.” Make love now with me. Time is passing quickly.

Jeremy Taylor. British. 1650. Religion. Holy Living and Dying. Rule and exercise of holy living and dying.

Thomas Hobbes. British. 1651. Treatise. Leviathan, or the Matter, Form, and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiastical and Civil. On the origin and ends of government. Written while the Puritans ruled England. Egoism is the root of social conflict. We need stable government with absolute authority over its subjects and institutions, a social contract to accept a common and absolute power to protect them from themselves and others, and thus allow moderate satisfaction of human desires.