author
John Phillips
1631–1706
Raised in John Milton’s household, this sharp-tongued Restoration writer built a career out of satire, controversy, and political pamphlets. His life moved between literary circles and public scandal, making him a lively if lesser-known figure in seventeenth-century English writing.
1 Audiobook
A Satyr Against Hypocrites
by John Phillips
About the author
Born in 1631, he was the son of Anne Phillips, John Milton’s sister, and grew up under Milton’s care after his father’s death. According to biographical sources, Milton oversaw his education, helping shape him into a capable classical scholar and writer.
He became known as an English author and pamphleteer during the turbulent mid- to late seventeenth century. His surviving reputation rests largely on satirical and polemical writing, including attacks, political pieces, and other works tied to the fierce religious and party conflicts of the time.
His career was not always respectable: contemporary records connect him with scandalous or suppressed publications as well as government service and literary hackwork. He died in 1706, remembered in part for his family connection to Milton and in part for a body of writing that captures the noisy, combative spirit of Restoration England.