Synopsis
The Devil's Progress, A Poem, By The Editor Of The 'Court Journal'This 1830 satirical verse, published in London as a second edition by Lup ton Relfe, lampoons political and social life in Britain and across Europe through the figure of the Devil as an observer and participant in human affairs. The poem follows the Devil from his bed at dawn as he surveys the world, reflecting on Eden, England, and the French Revolution's tremors; he parades through courts, parliament, and public institutions, delighting in the hypocrisy, corruption, and self-interest of rulers, clerics, and merchants. Interspersed with notes and a prefatory essay, the work blends political satire with flashes of moral meditation, invoking figures such as Pitt, Metternich, and the pope, while imagining the consequences of tyranny, emancipation, and reform. The verse is energetic, theatrical, and combative, shaping a portrait of power as a theatre of vice. The Preface situates the piece within the era of revolutionary upheaval and the ongoing struggle for liberty across Europe.
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