Earl of Orrery Roger Boyle

author

Earl of Orrery Roger Boyle

1621–1679

A soldier, statesman, and playwright of the Restoration era, he moved through some of the most turbulent politics of the 17th century. His life joined public power with literary ambition, leaving a mark on both Anglo-Irish history and early English drama.

1 Audiobook

Prefaces to Four Seventeenth-Century Romances

Prefaces to Four Seventeenth-Century Romances

by Earl of Orrery Roger Boyle, Nathaniel Ingelo, George Mackenzie

About the author

Born on April 25, 1621, into the powerful Boyle family, he was the third surviving son of Richard Boyle, the 1st Earl of Cork. He became known as Roger Boyle, 1st Earl of Orrery, and built a career that spanned war, government, and writing.

He was active in the conflicts of the mid-1600s and later served under Charles II after the Restoration. Alongside his political and military life, he also wrote plays and prose, becoming one of the notable literary figures connected with Restoration drama.

He died on October 16, 1679. Remembered today as both a public figure and an author, he stands out for the unusual way he combined aristocratic influence, practical statecraft, and a serious commitment to literature.