Charles II (1630-85)
Charles II was king of England between 1660-85. He is important as a monarch because his personality and governing style helped define the era of the Restoration, when the monarchy was reintroduced to England after an eighteen-year absence. Several events occurred that had an important impact on Great Britain and influenced the founders of the United States of America in some ways. The Restoration (1660) obviously reintroduced the monarchy after eighteen years of a Commonwealth and Protectorate. In the same year, the king founded the Royal Society, which encouraged the spread of scientific knowledge and empiricism. In 1665, the last great outbreak of bubonic plague ravaged London. The Great Fire of 1666 destroyed most of what was left of medieval London, including St. Paul's Cathedral. There were two wars with the Dutch (1667, 1672), and an enormous constitutional crisis in 1678 known as the Popish Plot, which involved the possible succession of his Catholic brother, James II. Charles loved drama and supported the reopening of the theatres at the Restoration. He was famously libertinish, with four titled mistresses and several illegitimate children. He tried to be an absolute ruler and closed Parliament in 1681, but this kind of governing style did not work. He was indeed succeeded by his brother James on his death in 1685.
Main source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/charles_ii_king.shtml
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The Latin phrase means "year of wonders," but in the present context, it refers to an important poem by John Dryden (1631-1700), the most important English poet and playwright in the second half of the seventeenth century. It was published in 1667, and at first seems to be about the Great Fire of London, which destroyed four-fifths of the old city, spread by heat and tinder, since most of London was still made of wood. But the poem is mostly about the war with the Dutch, ruminates on history and events and is certainly occasional. It's a public utterance about something of public concern. Though much Restoration and eighteenth-century poetry is in "heroic" couplets, Annus Mirabilis is in pentameter quatrains rhyming abab. Clearly Dryden thought this form was better for telling a story. The website I consulted mentions the above stanzas as important because they give a message of hope after such a disaster. I would add that the poet uses simple language, almost colloquial, to get this message across. It is not a short poem, and must have been interesting to its original audience.
Sources: the poem itself: https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/d/dryden/john/annus_mirabilis/poem.html
the site Historic UK on the fire: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/Survivors-of-the-Great-Fire-of-London/
the St. John's College page on the poem: http://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/john-dryden-annus-mirabilis-1666
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King Charles II being presented with the symbol of hospitality, the pineapple that had just been grown in his hothouse, the first in England. In the background is a formal garden c1675-80 – Oil on Canvas, artist unknown courtesy Royal Collection © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The Restoration
The term Restoration usually refers to two things in English history. A dictionary definition would tell us that it is the year the monarchy was restored in England, 1660. But it is more than this. Mainly it signifies a very definite period from 1660 to about 1680, centering on the king at the time, Charles II, and several important events like the Plague of 1665 and the Fire of 1666. It was a definite culture and perspective shift after nearly twenty years of Puritan rule by Oliver Cromwell and Parliament, who were victors in the English Civil War and who executed Charles's father Charles I in 1649 and abolished the monarchy. Morals were different, and it was allegedly a more licentious time. The king was open about his mistresses and had an aristocratic attitude toward marriage and relationships. The Puritans in this way were probably more like us. They didn't like adultery and hypocrisy and were in favor of companionate marriage, where men and women were more equal and tried to be faithful and godly. Plays were very frank about these same matters, making fun of old Puritans but also the new Restoration types. Comedies tended to be satirical and critical of society. The Earl of Rochester wrote obscene verse that commented on the court and broke literary conventions. Yet there were other developments. Aphra Behn, the first professional woman writer in England, wrote plays and competed in a male-dominated arena. Mary Astell was an important feminist who argued that women should avoid marriage because it was bad for them, and that they should empower themselves through education. The Royal Society was founded in 1660, which helped spread the new science. During this time there were important discoveries like cells, germs, and the circulation of the blood.
source:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/history/modern-europe/british-and-irish-history/restoration-england
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