William Temple (essayist)
William Temple (1628-1699) was a notable English diplomat and essayist, renowned for his contributions to political thought and literature during the 17th century. Born in London to a legal family, he experienced significant personal loss early in life, which shaped his subsequent educational and diplomatic pursuits. Temple studied at Emanuel College, Cambridge, before traveling across Europe, where he developed his literary voice through essays and romances. He is perhaps best known for his works during a politically tumultuous period, particularly his "Observations upon the United Provinces of the Netherlands," which showcased his diplomatic insights and peacemaking efforts.
Despite initial opposition to the government led by Oliver Cromwell, Temple eventually embraced a political career, serving in various ambassadorial roles. His influence peaked as he played a crucial role in diplomatic negotiations, including the marriage of William of Orange to Mary Stuart. In his later years, Temple retreated to his estate in Farnham, Surrey, where he continued to write and mentor emerging writers like Jonathan Swift. His death marked the end of a distinguished career that intertwined literature and diplomacy. Temple's legacy remains significant in the study of 17th-century English political and literary history.
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William Temple (essayist)
Statesman
- Born: April 25, 1628
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: January 27, 1699
- Place of death: Moor Park, Surrey, England
Biography
The diplomat Sir William Temple, not to be confused with the Jacobean pamphleteer of the same name, was born in London on April 25, 1628, at the Blackfriars home of his father, Sir John Temple, a lawyer who was master of the rolls in Ireland. His mother, Mary Hammond Temple, died when William was ten. By then, he had already spent much of his childhood living with his uncle, the theologian Henry Hammond, at Penshurst in Kent, and subsequently attended Bishop’s Stortford School before progressing to Emanuel College, Cambridge University, in August, 1644.
Temple left Cambridge without a degree in 1647 and set off for the Continent to complete his education. Passing through the Isle of Wight, he met Dorothy Osborne, who was traveling to St Malo with her brother to meet their father, the governor of Guernsey. The two fell in love, but their union was fervently opposed by both families; they eventually married on Christmas Day 1654, when Temple returned from the Continent. He had spent time in France, the Netherlands, and Germany, where he wrote his early essays and romances. He and his wife settled briefly with his Hammond relatives in Reading, where their son, John, was born on December 18, 1855. After his son’s birth, the Temples moved to Ireland.
Temple was opposed to the commonwealth government of Oliver Cromwell and did not apply for a political position until Cromwell was out of office. Having been elected to the Irish parliament, Temple returned to England with a delegation to the court in 1661. In September, 1663, he brought his family back to England, buying a house in Sheen, Surrey, in 1665; the household was joined by his sister Martha, widowed after thirteen days of marriage to Sir Thomas Giffard.
Temple began his diplomatic career in earnest in 1665, serving in various ambassadorial roles in the war-torn Netherlands. Always a peacemaker, he fell out of favor between 1670 and 1674, when the Dutch king wanted war, and it was in this period that he wrote his most notable works, including Observations upon the United Provinces of the Netherlands. When the political wind shifted, he returned to the Netherlands, where he played a leading role in arranging the marriage of William of Orange to Mary Stuart.
Temple attempted to build a domestic career as a statesman in the late 1670’s. He was elected a member of Parliament for Cambridge in 1679 but was consigned to the political wilderness again in January, 1681. He had bought an estate in Farnham, Surrey, in 1680, which he renamed Moor Park after its extensive redevelopment, and he lived there in virtual retirement, playing no part in the “glorious revolution” of 1688, which installed William of Orange as the king of England.
In 1689, Jonathan Swift became Temple’s secretary. Temple helped Swift with his early publications and Swift soon repaid the favor with interest, securing publication for most of Temple’s accumulated works. Temple fell seriously ill in 1693 and Dorothy’s death in 1695 was a further blow. He died on January 27, 1699, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, alongside Dorothy and their daughter Diana, who had died of smallpox in 1679.