author
Thomas Brown
1662–1704
A sharp-tongued English satirist and translator, he is best remembered for the famous jab at Dr. John Fell and for writing with wit, energy, and a keen eye for London life. His work mixes humor with rough-edged social observation, giving modern readers a lively glimpse of the late 17th century.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Shropshire and educated at Christ Church, Oxford, Thomas Brown — often called Tom Brown — became known as a writer of satire, verse, letters, dialogues, and translations. Accounts of his student years often point to the celebrated lines beginning "I do not love thee, Dr. Fell," which were long linked to him and helped secure his place in literary anecdote.
After leaving Oxford, he worked for a time as a schoolmaster before settling in London, where he made his living by writing. His books range across prose and verse, and his reputation rests on a quick, mocking style that could be playful, learned, and biting all at once.
Though not as widely read today as some of his contemporaries, Brown's writing has lasting interest for the picture it gives of everyday urban life and manners in his period. He died in 1704 and was buried at Westminster Abbey.