Henry Neville (writer)

Henry Neville ( * 1620, † 1694 ) was an English author and satirist. He was known for his 1668 published shipwreck narrative and dystopia The island of fertility.

Life

In the family of Neville 's sons were called the fourth generation of Henry. His grandfather, Sir Henry Neville, served as ambassador to France. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford and at the University, but never graduated. Most of the time of the English Civil War he spent traveling through continental Europe. In April 1649 was elected to Parliament to fill a vacancy as a Member of Parliament for Abingdon. By the end of 1651, he was a member of the Council of State, but was Oliver Cromwell against set so hostile that he temporarily retired from active politics. However, he returned in 1656 to the parliament back, as a representative of Reading and as a member of James Harrington's republican group.

After the English Restoration in 1663 he was arrested for treasonable practices, but was released without punishment because he was not regarded as a threat. The rest of his life he spent in peace with the writing and science. Neville wrote a series of satires, including the most famous The Parliament of Ladies. Before his death in 1694 he also published translations from the Latin and Italian, including works by Machiavelli.