1600–1688: Early Mass Printing & Restoration
The period from 1600 to 1688 marks the emergence of mass printing culture in England, coinciding with the political upheavals of the English Civil War and the Restoration. This era saw the birth of popular street literature, the flowering of bawdy Restoration comedy, and the underground circulation of explicit manuscripts that would shape literary culture for centuries to come.
The establishment of printing infrastructure in London creates the conditions for mass-produced cheap literature. Ballad singers and chapbook sellers become fixtures of urban street life.
Political upheaval leads to an explosion of pamphlet literature, while censorship drives erotic and political content underground.
The return of Charles II brings about a golden age of theatrical and literary libertinism, with court culture influencing popular print.
Key Literary Forms and Phenomena
Broadsides & Ballads
Crime & Sensation: Single-sheet publications featuring accounts of murders, executions, and supernatural events became the earliest form of mass media sensationalism.
- Execution ballads sold at Tyburn hangings
- Monster birth accounts and prodigy narratives
- Political satire disguised as folk songs
These broadsides established the template for sensational journalism that would persist for centuries.
Restoration Comedy
Theatrical Libertinism: The reopening of theaters in 1660 brought unprecedented sexual frankness to the English stage.
- Sir George Etherege: "The Man of Mode" (1676) - satirical portraits of sexual libertinism
- William Wycherley: "The Country Wife" (1675) - explicit sexual innuendo and adultery plots
- Aphra Behn: First professional female playwright, exploring female sexuality and desire
These plays introduced themes of sexual liberation and gender dynamics that would influence literature for generations.
Underground Manuscripts
Manuscript Circulation: The most explicit sexual content circulated in handwritten form among elite networks.
- Earl of Rochester's "Sodom" (c. 1672): Explicit dramatic work circulated privately
- Libertine poetry collections passed among court circles
- Political-sexual satires targeting public figures
This manuscript culture created parallel networks of literary circulation that bypassed official censorship.
Urban Context and Print Culture
London's Literary Geography
The concentration of printing, bookselling, and performance in London created the first modern literary marketplace:
| Location | Literary Activity | Social Class |
|---|---|---|
| St. Paul's Churchyard | Bookselling hub, broadside distribution | Mixed - clergy, merchants, artisans |
| Fleet Street | Printing houses, news production | Professional classes |
| Drury Lane/Covent Garden | Theaters, prostitution, entertainment | Aristocracy, actors, sex workers |
| Smithfield Market | Chapbook sellers, ballad singers | Working classes, rural visitors |
Censorship and Underground Networks
The period established the fundamental tension between official censorship and popular demand for forbidden content:
- Licensing Act (1662): Required government approval for all printed matter
- Manuscript Evasion: Hand-copied texts circulated beyond official control
- Coded Language: Development of sexual and political euphemisms
- Import Networks: Foreign printing of banned English works
Legacy and Influence
This foundational period established several patterns that would define popular literature:
Commercial Publishing
The emergence of literature as commodity, with publishers responding to market demand rather than elite patronage.
Urban Sensibility
Literature reflecting city life, with its mixture of classes, rapid communication, and commercial sexuality.
Underground Culture
The creation of alternative distribution networks for controversial content, prefiguring later developments in radical and erotic publishing.