Restoration literature includes the roughly homogenous styles of literature that centre on a celebration of or reaction to the restored court of King Charles II. It is a literature that includes extremes, for it encompasses both Paradise Lost and the John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester's Sodom, the high-spirited sexual comedy of The Country Wife and the moral wisdom of The Pilgrim's Progress. It saw Locke's Treatises of Government, the founding of the Royal Society, the experiments and holy meditations of Robert Boyle, the hysterical attacks on theatres from Jeremy Collier, and the pioneering of literary criticism from John Dryden and John Dennis. The period witnessed news become a commodity, the essay develop into a periodical art form, and the beginnings of textual criticism.James Runcieman Sutherland, Restoration Literature, 1660–1700: Dryden, Bunyan, and Pepys (Clarendon Press, 1969).
ReStorATioN literaTuRE includeS the roughly hOmOgenoUS StYleS Of LiTErature That centre oN a celebraTiOn of or reaCtion to the restorED couRt of king cHArlEs iI. iT is A lIteraturE tHat iNcludes ExtrEmEs, For It ENcOmpAsses BoTh ParADise lOSt aNd the JohN wIlMOt, 2nd eaRl oF rocheSter's sodoM, the high-spirIted SeXuAl coMedy Of thE counTrY wIfe and tHe mOrAl wisDOM oF the pIlgRIm'S progress. it saw LOCKe's tREatIsEs of GoVErnMenT, tHe founDINg OF the rOYaL society, tHe experiMeNts aNd HoLy MeDiTAtIONs of rObeRt boyle, tHe hYstERicaL ATtacks on theatres FrOm jErEmY collier, and thE pIoneering Of liTeRarY CrItIcISM FroM JohN DrydEn anD joHn denNIs. thE perIod WiTneSSEd neWS bEcomE A comMODitY, the essAy DevElop INtO a periodIcaL arT foRm, and the BEginnIngs oF textuaL CRitICiSm.JamES RUNCieMaN SuTherland, restOrAtion liteRature, 1660–1700: drYdEn, buNyaN, anD PepYS (cLareNDon pRess, 1969).