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Newspaper edited by the famed Jonathan Swift...



Item # 724704

October 12, 1713

THE EXAMINER, London, Oct. 12, 1713 

* Rare 18th century publication

This editorial-format newspaper was edited by the famed Jonathan Swift at this time (of Gulliver's Travels fame), It promoted a Tory perspective on British politics, at a time when Queen Anne had replaced Whig ministers with Tories.
Complete as a single sheet newspaper as was typical of the day, 7 1/2 by 13 inches, a little close cut along the bottom margin of the backside, nice condition.

background: The October 12, 1713, issue of The Examiner serves as a quintessential artifact of the Augustan Age, capturing a moment when the Tory administration was navigating the complex aftermath of the Treaty of Utrecht. Under the sharp editorial guidance of Jonathan Swift, the publication transcended simple news reporting to become a sophisticated vehicle for propaganda, utilizing devastating irony and high-stakes political theory to consolidate power for the Tory ministry. At this specific juncture, the paper would have been reinforcing the benefits of the newfound peace while neutralizing the influence of the "Marlburians" and Whig elites who favored continued continental warfare. Because these periodicals were printed on high-quality rag linen paper rather than the acidic wood pulp used in later centuries, surviving copies remain remarkably resilient, offering a tactile connection to the very debates that shaped the modern British parliamentary system and solidified Swift’s reputation as the most formidable polemicist of his era.

Category: The 1600's and 1700's